UO NYC '19

This was so much more than just an “Advertising Trip to New York.” Going into this experience I was SO excited to be joining so many talented students and advisors but I was also slightly hesitant. I almost felt guilty traveling to New York when I know that I don’t necessarily want to end up working there in the future (but things may change...) I had the idea that the trip was specifically to visit agencies in New York and to experience the city, but I was so wrong. It was so much more than that. I realized that the NY trip is about networking, meeting other peers, learning about the industry and growing as a person. It’s amazing how just after one week I felt more independent and understood the agency world so much more than just six days prior. In addition, I felt more connected to my peers and learned so much from all of them. I learned how to ask great questions and think deeper. I can’t say it enough but I am so grateful for this experience for opening so many doors and allowing me to grow and learn. Thank you New York.

As I have learned more this term about the whole process I have realized how important and valuable our visit to Duggal was. It was amazing to see the capabilities we have within the industry and that are options are unlimited. For example, if you want to print onto a chandelier, create crazy lighting effects, print holographs or print 16 foot long sheets of paper we can DO IT! This experience really allowed me to broaden how I think when creating ideas and think innovatively. Moving forward, I will keep Duggal in mind as I remember that our options are endless and we can truly break boundaries. 

Obviously LinkedIn is a heavily used social network for young professionals. But before visiting New York I didn’t realize just how necessary it is. Every single agency I visited brought up LinkedIn at some point; either while answering questions, or casually in their presentations. I’m just curious to know why LinkedIn seems to be the primary method employers use to recruit potential hires (other than references). While I don’t have the answer to this question, I have begun to realize that mine is going to need some major updating in the coming weeks. After constantly hearing about it from industry members, I’ve come to the conclusion that staying up to date on LinkedIn could be the difference in receiving my next interview/job or not. After graduation, and before I start my job on the east coast, I’m going to be hard at work improving my LinkedIn profile and everything contained within it. I am committed to giving myself every possible advantage going into my career, and hopefully making changes such as these will eventually get me where I want to be professionally.

New York. Full of energy and non-stop movement. It was day one of the trip and we’ve already visited W+K and Viacom. Both awesome companies/agencies.

Before coming on the trip I was scared of being overwhelmed and not enjoying such a mega-city. Luckily it was quite the opposite. Loving NY is great and all but scared me knowing that I’d love it so much I’d possibly move far away from home.

At W+K it was relieving knowing that every project had its own process to completion. This showed that there are no restrictions when creating something awesome for a client. One of my favorite quotes from the panel discussion was “over-communicate with everyone”. I liked this because it made me realize that through over-communication there is a large decrease in misunderstanding within a team which resulted in a more productive execution.

At Viacom on the other hand we learned about deep, crowd, close and mass culture structures. This was new to me as I didn't realize the different ways people relate to one another through interests and cultures. It was also awesome to visit the huge network that is behind some of my favorite tv shows and programs.

Overall, day one was awesome and already hooked me for the week to come.

It’s in the name, so I shouldn’t have expected anything less. But WOW. Some of the most humble and genuine people I have ever met. They seemed so invested in creating great work and telling provocative stories. What I admired most about Radical Media was their investment in us. From the second we walked in, I could tell they were genuinely excited to meet us. If they were invested in a group of students barging into their work midday, I can’t imagine how invested they must be in each other.

- Joaquin Sabarots

New York was a breath of fresh air and a nice change of pace from my routine here in Eugene. I think part of me was “burnt out” before heading to New York, so it was nice to be in the bustling city again and explore parts of New York I didn’t go to last year. Throughout the agency visits, I realized that I could really see myself in New York working at a small agency (S/O to Big Spaceship, Virtue and 88rising y’all snatched my heart). However, knowing where I am at right now, I have come to a realization that it’s okay for me to take it slow before jumping into a career in New York. As Chantel, a project manager at 88rising, said, “Go with the flow of things. It all works out in the end.” I’ve struggled with “going with the flow” of things as I’m someone who likes to get shit done and can become restless if it’s not done right away. Listening to professionals in the industry talking about this made me realize how important it is to go with the flow and how you can’t rush through the process. It takes time to really find yourself and what you’re really passionate about. You just have to let yourself go with that flow, whatever speed it’s going at. 

Coming back to Eugene is always bittersweet for me especially when returning from New York. As I look towards graduation and back on the past 4 years, I have learned that I am a city dweller by nature. Growing up in the heart of San Francisco, I am comforted by the sound of the busses, people chatting as they walk down the street, constant car horns and sirens (oddly enough). I have found it interesting talking with my peers who say they feel like a fish-out-of-water in big cities like New York or San Francisco. In many ways, I feel that I can relate— not in my time spent in cities but in my time at Oregon. Although I think there is something profoundly important in being uncomfortable and challenged by a place otherwise you would never know anything else. A family friend once gave me the piece of advice, “Love where you live and everything else comes after.” This could not be truer and I am incredibly grateful for being able to experience such different yet vibrant places.

It’s been almost 2 weeks since we were in New York and I keep thinking back to the Color Factory… The Color Factory totally surpassed my expectations. I had been to some of these Instagram Museums before and they were definitely a cool experience but nothing that I felt like I gained much from. The Color Factory was different because it actually showed how color makes people feel, act and think. Yes, it definitely works to your Instagram aesthetic’s advantage but I appreciated how they tied it back to color theory and highlighted the various artists that worked on each room. As an art director, it is absolutely critical to have an understanding of color and The Color Factory made me want to gain a deeper understanding of color and how exactly I use it in my work.

After some downtime to reflect on this incredible experience, I look back at the few mementos I saved from throughout the week:

- Evidence of Gained Knowledge: my name tags to get into the agencies

- Point Of Contact: a business card from my favorite visit of the week

- My Guiding Light: My Metro Pass

- A Sense of Home Away from Home: My notes from the Flock event

- Pure Happiness: My takeaways from the Color Factory

- Proof of Purchase: The receipt for my ring bought on a solo afternoon in Chelsea

All different experiences. All hard evidence of a week well spent and a journey unforgettable. I will treasure these forever and know that they were all part of an experience that impacted my life forever.

Anxiety and stress have overwhelmed me for months ever since I found out I had received an internship for post-grad. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, but if I'm being honest, I'm freaking the hell out. I didn't have an internship last summer, I don't totally know what I'm actually doing most of the time, and half of these agencies all these people keep throwing around I've never even heard of. I felt overwhelmed and consumed by this stress until finally I was told, "It's called an internship for a reason." Now, that sounds like a no-shit moment, but it's a feeling I think a lot of us can relate to. Somewhere over the past three or four years we all convinced ourselves that once we graduate and we go out there and work our first gigs, that we're supposed to know it all. We're supposed to be able to power-pose our way through the front door on day one and be able to do everything they ask of us, exactly the way they want it delivered, as if we've been there for years…Yeah, no. The details can change depending on the agency, but for the most part we're there because they see something in us. They see potential in who we are as individuals, and what we can bring to the table professionally. This allowed me to finally breathe a sigh of relief and realize that yes, I may not have all of the answers or know absolutely everything, but I'm there because they believe I can get to the solution and that I'll be eager to learn. And that, has made all the difference.

Looking back at the week spent in NY, one of my most memorable visits was to Radical Media. I remember having watched the Ted Bundy Tapes documentary on Netflix before doing my own research on Radical, and finding out that they produced it was crazy! Having the opportunity to go inside their office and seeing the board with all of the different events in Ted Bundy’s life (which was essentially the pre-production for the series) was even crazier. Another great trip was Starr Media. I loved that since they are such a small company, they allowed us to try out using their equipment, showed us around their offices which were in a WeWork, and were very patient with us, making sure to answer any questions we had. After these two visits I realized that I would be a great fit to work someone small or medium-sized since I like to be really involved in the projects I work on. This visit also made me realize that it’s not impossible to start your own company one day. Starr Media was founded by two people, and although they are still a relatively small shop, they work on big brands and travel often for video shoots. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility for any of us.

It’s totally okay to be confused about what you want to do with your career, your life, etc. College can be a confusing time, especially around graduation! The New York trip gave me a lot of clarity and made me realize the path I should be heading in. My advice to confused students is to go on this trip!! Not only is it great for those who know exactly what they want to do in the creative industry, but I believe it’s even better for those who are unsure because being in the environment you’re thrown in for this trip allows for a lot of self discovery, not to mention all of the amazing life and career advice given by industry professionals and UO alumni. Basically, don’t stress being unsure of your future. In my mind it’s actually very exciting because you never know where you’ll end up and what you’ll be doing a year from now!

When planning this trip I thought I would have a ton of time for extra activities like visiting museums and visiting shops, etc. I found that the transportation took more time than I expected, and that doing all of the things on my NY bucket list wasn’t going to be feasible in only one week. My advice is to do your research on some places you really want to visit (1-2). If you’re going to finish the day with an agency visit in SOHO for example, take that opportunity to look at shops that evening. Absolutely do accept opportunities to meet with industry professionals, other UO grads working in NY, or any other awesome opportunities that arise while in the city as long as it doesn’t interfere with your agency visits. When will you have that same chance again? 

Going into a male dominated industry as a both a woman and a person of color is something that I’ve worried about when thinking about my future career. Knowing that there is a support system of women waiting for me after college takes away some of the intimidation and fear about starting my career. I am so excited that there is this strong community of women that wants to lift each other up and I can’t wait to see what Flock does next.

One of my biggest take aways from this trip was just how many UO alums are working in agencies in New York. It was inspiring to see so many people who were in the same place I was just a year or two ago having successful lives in the city. Experiencing this was both motivating to keep pushing and a good reminder that we have an amazing program that sets you up for success in the real world. On the other hand seeing so many thriving young professionals was a bit daunting and getting to the place I want to be still feels incredibly out of reach for me. While I had some discouraging moments on this trip, overall I was so excited to see the possibilities in the industry even just a year out of college.

Seeing a group of women stand together and support one another in a city because of one common connection calmed my nerves about the possibility of moving to NYC. It was inspiring hearing their stories and how some of them struggled and hustled into the roles they have now. Being a woman in the industry can be hard but I am ready to know my worth and work my ass of wherever I land. 

One of my favorite things about New York was seeing the thousands of ads, EVERYWHERE. As a media planner I appreciate the creative placements of advertisements all throughout the city. The Times Square Shuttle takeover was awesome to see as an opportunity to takeover the station. This is something I would strive to do with clients that I would see fit. Now my only question is: How much did this cost? 

Allison Surber