AdPulp asks. Egotist answers.

Advertising is hard. It’s hard to get in, it’s hard to stay in and it’s even harder to stand out. Lucky for us, with the advent of social media and the unexplored crevices of the worldwide web, we get to play in some relatively untrodden territory. But, let’s face it. When it comes to TV, radio and print—it’s all been done. Throw a little Don Draper into the mix, and the image of our difficult profession just got upgraded to cutthroat, unfaithful and drunk. An exaggeration? Maybe. But, from the outside looking in, the view ain’t rosy.

Mad Men may romanticize the ad world, but the pressure it portrays is very real. Resist it, you’re out. Embrace it, it becomes a lifestyle. You live it. You breathe it. [You start an ad blog.] You make it happen. You work late. You play hard. You win awards. You get promoted. Hopefully. But, holy shit. If, way back when, you knew it was like this, would you have pursued it?

In a recent article, AdPulp contributor Dan Goldgeier asked a similar question: Will seeing the world of advertising up close be a motivator for kids as they pursue careers, or will it be a turn-off?

He’s referencing Olson’s BrandLab, which is both an in-school experience and an at-agency (internship) program for high school students with diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. You can read more about it here.

We contacted Olson and asked if any of their BrandLab students would care to answer AdPulp’s question. Here’s what we got from Mai See Vang, BrandLab intern and Arlington High School graduate (2010)

“I had the wonderful opportunity this school year to be one of the students in the BrandLab class. I have always been interested in marketing since my freshman year in high school, but I wasn't sure how to prepare myself for college. I even once thought that I should stay on the safe side and major in a subject that I was more comfortable with. BrandLab has tremendously helped change my career path by bringing marketing closer to my view. I have learned that not only is learning about marketing engaging, but the hands-on experience work is even more fun. Every day, I wake up to go to work with joy that I will get to do exciting things. This is the kind of feeling that I want to have for the rest of my life. My internship experience has driven me to set my goals and career path at an early age.”

So there you have it, folks. All is not lost. Just goes to show, the next generation of ad gurus is primed and ready to roll. Mai starts at the University of Minnesota next year. She’s already been accepted into the Carlson School of Management. Give her four years, she’ll be sitting in the cube down the hall, writing killer creative briefs and giving you hell for missing deadlines. And so it begins.

Do you have any advice as she enters academia?