Alex Kniess - GenNext - Advertising Age

Step Away From the Screen

Is Getting Off the Grid This Summer Really So Bad?

Posted by Alex Kniess on 07.17.09 @ 10:05 AM

Alex Kniess

The predictable cycle of school is marked by its ups and downs, bookended by summer. It's a time to relax, experiment, work your ass off or merely gather your thoughts. No matter what, though, these summers are mental breaks. To say that they'll be missed is no great insight at all. But as I've slipped into my own relaxing yet hectic build to my next great adventure, I've noticed that my digital life seems to follow the ebbs and flows of a school cycle in the same way.

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Not Everyone Can Afford to Work for Free

How to Make the Most of a Summer Waiting Tables

Posted by Alex Kniess on 07.01.09 @ 04:43 PM

Alex Kniess

As the internship season comes into full swing, many of you will look around and think that your summer job just doesn't measure up to your buddy's unpaid internship in NYC. Although many agencies are cutting their internship programs in misguided attempts to remain solvent, some of the recent graduates and college upperclassmen have still managed to land that plum gig. For the rest of the Millennials who may be forced to find a job that is completely unrelated to advertising, there is still hope. After all, not everyone can afford to work for free. So even though pumping gas or waiting tables may seem to be the farthest thing from working in advertising, you can still turn your summer job or trip into a project that can build your portfolio.

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Personal Branding Further Inflates Our Sense of Entitlement

It's Time for a Reality Check

Posted by Alex Kniess on 05.04.09 @ 11:01 AM

Alex Kniess

Personal branding has become a necessity to landing a job in today's advertising world. The nature of our jobs coupled with the access to limitless online tools have turned getting a job into an exercise in self-indulgence. We are all guilty of it: spending hours on our blogs, giving ourselves titles and logos, selling our sanity to Twitter, manicuring our resumes and portfolios, making literal presentations for each potential employer, and pulling everything together in one masterful execution of brand meaning and consistency.

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Schools: Create Curricula That Transcend Platforms

Put the Onus on Students to Bring Digital Skills to the Table

Posted by Alex Kniess on 04.14.09 @ 02:00 PM

Alex Kniess

At SXSW Interactive last month I attended a discussion that attempted to address the issue of digital agency integration into the traditional agency framework. The main revelation was that there is no one model that will integrate digital into a traditional agency seamlessly. All the while, I couldn't help but think what all this meant for the colleges and universities that are feeding talent into these frameworks.

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How Do You Foster Community Within Agencies?

Agencies Big and Small Struggle to Connect the Accounts

Posted by Alex Kniess on 03.06.09 @ 01:32 PM

Alex Kniess

At the University of Oregon, the directors of Allen Hall Advertising are taking a very hard look at our humble student-run advertising agency. We are reevaluating every aspect of what we do, tearing it all down and making it purposeful. Of the many things we have debated and struggled with, there is one aspect of our agency that seems to be the most important, an aspect that seems also to be the key to unlocking all of the rest of the wonderful things we would like to do and become. The elusive bit I refer to is community. More specifically, how we as a small agency can build our community across accounts, disciplines and personalities.

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Six Ways to Be Indispensable

How to Keep Off the Chopping Block in These Hard Times

Posted by Alex Kniess on 02.17.09 @ 12:20 PM

Alex Kniess

In about four months I'll be graduating into the worst economy our country has seen in decades. I'll be fighting for jobs alongside not only my peers, but also more experienced advertisers who have been laid off. Admittedly, the future looks very bleak. The result is that all of us looking for work have kicked our efforts into overdrive. We spend hours everyday perfecting our portfolios, honing our skills and building our personal brands. But there is enough information out there on how to "make yourself stand out." What I want to know is what you do from there.

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Thought Leadership as a Model for New Business

And How It Can Get You a Job, Too

Posted by Alex Kniess on 01.13.09 @ 02:32 PM

Alex Kniess

So much expertise exists within the employees, students or team members who comprise successful groups. Others would pay to pick their brain and learn from the best. So why aren't more people leveraging their knowledge and skills to cement their roles as thought leaders? For organizations, doing so could help win new business. For job seekers, it could help land that plum gig.

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So What If You Don't Go Straight to Work?

The Dilemma of Stepping Off the Career Track

Posted by Alex Kniess on 12.30.08 @ 05:11 PM

Alex Kniess

Either by choice or by necessity, many of my fellow soon-to-be-grads are considering alternatives to jumping headfirst into the advertising world. As the broken record will tell you again and again, the economy is forcing recent grads and grads-to-be to take a hard look at their career prospects -- especially within the communications industries.

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The Role of Luck in Career Planning

Like It or Not, Random Circumstances Can Play a Part

Posted by Alex Kniess on 11.18.08 @ 11:24 AM

Alex Kniess

As I approach graduation day, I am able to reflect over my past experiences and draw conclusions on the paths I have taken. Remarkably, I think that I can identify the one defining moment of my freshman year that put in motion every other capitalized opportunity that followed. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and the debate between free will and fate rages on. There is one thing, however, that has remained constant. Whether through my own eyes or those of my peers, luck has certainly been a key contributor to my experiences.

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Five Ways a Junior Employee Can Be a Change Agent

Brandstream's Scott Bedbury Offers Some Advice

Posted by Alex Kniess on 10.28.08 @ 04:04 PM

Alex Kniess

Recently, University of Oregon alumnus Scott Bedbury stopped by to meet with students and swap ideas. Bedbury was the man behind Nike's "Just Do It" and Starbucks becoming America's "third place." Now he has his own shop, Brandstream. Certainly there were many valuable lessons to be learned from his experiences during his visit. But it was his short discussion on how young employees can make a splash in the big advertising pond that I found especially insightful. So, without further ado, I give you five ways to be a change agent as a junior employee:

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