Customer Reviews

Careers in Advertising (Princeton Review Series)

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"Careers in Advertising" -- along with "Ogilvy on Advertising" -- should be required reading for anyone considering getting into the advertising industry! This book is full of useful real-world examples on how to break into the field and what to expect once you're in it, and the people interviewed read like a virtual who's who of most-admired advertising executives working today. Most books on advertising focus primarily on a couple of pseudo-glamorous areas -- namely copywriting and creative or art directors. This book's authors seem to recognize that there's a lot more to the process of creating great advertisements, and include helpful sections on some of the other opportunities available at advertising agencies. To someone seeking a career in advertising, the book's directory alone would be worth more than the cost of the book, but the info in every chapter makes this book a gem. I highly recommend "Careers in Advertising," and think it should be in the hands -- and on the shelves -- of every person who wants to get into the industry.

This book provides an excellent overview of the different departments of an advertising agency, as well as a section dealing with 'specialized' agencies, such as those targeting minorities, direct marketing, interactive, etc. Ms. Lederman includes testimonials from many prominent people in the industry, which are indispensible. And don't expect each person to harp on the same issues - each has a unique viewpoint, which is both helpful and confusing for a job seeker like myself. The directory of major ad agencies in the back of the book is very helpful, but much of the contact information is outdated. Many agencies have merged, folded, or moved, and the current recruiters are almost always different than the ones listed. Definitely call before you send anything! Also, don't make this listing your only resource - many great agencies like Fallon-McElligott and Campbell-Ewald are not listed because the book only lists the major advertising cities. This book is a great starting point, but it shouldn't be your only source of information. I'm definitely looking to buy another book.

The advertising world is full of sharks and rapids. This book contains a wealth of information for people seeking to break into the advertising field as well as for people already in the field looking to conquer it.

This is a good start for people who really have no idea what a career in advertising entails. There are good examples of how to write a good resume, have a productive interview, climb up the ladder. It's easy to read and not thick with industry lingo... Unfortunately, a lot of the agencies listed in the back either no longer exist because they were bought by another company or they have severely downsized to the extent of having to redesign what their company offers. This was a bit of a letdown when I went to do research on said companies. The book does indeed cover what it says it does--careers in advertising... it talks about each path/role one can take in an agency. Although at some points, the chapter seemed to lose track of what it was talking about and talk about something else entirely... Also, not to be a stickler, but I found 3 typos by page six and many more after that, which I thought was a bit unusual for a Princeton Review book to have. Not a big deal, but then if you can't edit your publication, why should I believe you took care to make anything else right in your book? Lastly, this book was written in 1998, on the verge of internet takeover. It's 2009. Do the math.