I get a couple of inquiries from people applying to VCU Brandcenter about my experience so rather than re-writing each email, I’m publishing my answers on my blog. Feel free to leave a question for me to answer or comments that will help these students make the right decision into the dark side.
Why did you chose the Adcenter over other programs?
At the time I applied, I didn’t want to go anywhere else that wasn’t ranked #1. If I dedicated two years of my life somewhere, it would have to be the best program in the world. And the M.S. degree was an extra benefit.
Do you feel like you gained something from VCU that you wouldn’t have from industry?
Yes. After graduating from VCU, you gain more than just advertising skills. In fact, I don’t even value the advertising knowledge that I picked up from VCU. After working in advertising for 18 months, I left the industry completely. The running joke is that I lasted longer in advertising school than in the advertising industry.
The reason I’m telling you this is because you develop creative thinking skills, public speaking, confidence, holistic thinking, creative problem solving, etc.. All skills that you can transform into bigger passions and pursuits. Everything I learned from VCU has been applicable today. I think combining branding + entrepreneurship + innovation + creativity is the way to go which is what I’m focused on right now. Launching and building my own brands.
Do you think VCU’s program helped you get the job you wanted more directly?
Initially, VCU helped me get a great job straight out of school. After I graduated, I landed a job at Naked Communications in London. I was the first person they hired from the U.S. and I would have never gotten the opportunity if it wasn’t for what I learned at VCU. Keep in mind that a lot of people that graduate from VCU get shitty jobs. Or no jobs at all. It really comes down to how much work you put into it. I invested a lot.
Finally, any words of advice to someone choosing an advertising program at VCU or in general? (I’m specifically looking at the Creative Brand Management Program or Art Direction.)
Pushing VCU aside for a moment, the best advice I can give (which I wish someone gave me back then) is to figure out what you want to do in life. It sounds a lot easier than it is. I’m still figuring it out day-to-day. My mission is to increase social innovation through creativity and entrepreneurship. Within 5 years, I want to launch the coolest brand in the social space. And I’ve started to do that through All Day Buffet (http://www.alldaybuffet.org).
Rather than thinking about a specific track at VCU, you should look at what you want to accomplish 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50 years down the road. Does the Creative Brand Management Program or Art Direction track put you one step closer to what you ultimately want to do? The two tracks you listed are polar opposites. What a lot of people do is “find out what they like” which is why people hop from job to job to job with no vertical mobility. It really comes down to your goals and what you want to accomplish.
If I had to do it all over again, I would have spent every waking minute in school working on launching a startup by the time I graduated from VCU. But then again, it’s better late than never!
