If you’re like me (ok, I could be alone on this one), you constantly browse your favorite book store, which in my case is Barnes and Noble, in search of new nuggets of knowledge. With my background being in communications (primarly advertising and PR), I tend to stick to that section, always hoping to run across something new and interesting.

Fortunately for me, there is no shortage of good advertising/marketing books. Or so I thought. The fact is, once you’ve read one, you’ve read them all. I’ve read books from Seth Godin, Brian Solis, and other marketing greats. But, after getting to the second or third book, I’ve realized a trend. They are all saying the exact same thing. I’ll even go as far as saying that they repeat themselves constantly, chapter after chapter.

What is it they they repeat? They all say the same thing, that being — listen. Listen to your customers. And then act accordingly. That’s it. That’s what every book spends chapter trying to explain.

To me it was frustrating to read these books. I wondered if ‘listening” was really that big of a change for the industry. Yes, we have this new technology known as social media, and many authors treat learning social media as if it’s on par with learning advanced calculus. The truth is, it’s not. Using social media is easier than reading any of the books trying to explain it.

My point is, if you are in the communication business, don’t look in the marketing/advertising/sales section. Focus on learning other things. Look at authors that focus on trends, human psychology, pop culture. Or maybe look at something that inspires you, like art books/magazines or plain old fictional stories.

Most people grow up wanting to be one thing or another. They go to college to be whatever they’ve dreamed of for the past 10 years, and think little about other possibilities. The reality is - you most likely will NOT end up doing what you spent 4+ years in college preparing for. I know, scary, but lets face the truth, unless you are at the top of your game, no one but you really cares what you end up doing. Fortunately, there is light at the end of the road.

I can only speak for myself and my own experiences, but when I was in college I dreamed of working at a big ad agency doing either creative or account. Either one would’ve worked for me. Also note, I got a degree in communications with an emphasis in advertising. Instead I entered the world in a small agency, who dealing primarily with marketing consulting, not really a huge stone throw away from advertising, but different none the less. Not only that, I’ve been quickly transitioned into the public relations side of the agency. I once considered PR as a career choice while in school, but stuck with advertising, for reasons long forgotten.

So, how do I feel about this? Well, truth be told - I love it. There are a couple reasons to love working at a smaller agency.

#1: The primary reason, is that it is continuously growing, and it’s fun seeing that process happening. Bigger agencies are mostly at their peak, and their only direction is down, supported by the fact that many large agencies are losing business. I see all this new business coming, and I can’t help but get excited to see where things go.

#2: Some people would argue that at smaller agencies you don’t get to work with big clients. I would argue that, in some cases that may be true, however, in all cases you get the opportunity to make small brands into big brands. Now that would be something to be proud of. In my case, I’m lucky enough to see and work with a relatively unknown technology brand known as eCoupled (www.ecoupled.com) slowly but surely become mainstream and change the way wireless power is used.

But PR? Why would I want to do that, when my dream was advertising? Good question and something I thought about and I quickly realized it wasn’t ‘advertising’ per say I loved, it was the ability to tell a story. And PR is just as capable, if not more so, in telling a story.  And it doesn’t cost millions of dollars (in some cases).

The point is, don’t be afraid to go down a different road that’s different than you expected. It is fun learning new things, and going places you might not expected in the past. Take changes, learn from your mistakes. You’ll be happier in the long run.

In an attempt to spread the light on the future generation of the employment force, I’ve decided to keep a loose diary on my experiences/thoughts of the professional world (namely marketing, advertising, and PR related). This is the first entry.

Internships are a no brainer. Especially if you are still a college student. They provide not just job experience, but also insight into the real world — at all angles.  You see in college, and I say this with first hand knowledge, things are unintentionally shielded from your young virgin eyes. Coursework teaches you the terms and practices, but rarely does it teach you how those terms and practices are actually put to use or how they tend to change on a daily basis.  And that is the biggest problem I wish to point out here.

With technology advancing so rapidly, it is so important to be able to stay in touch with the change.  The world is digital now. However, in my five years of school, I did not take a single course on digital technology. And I’m not just talking about how to use twitter or facebook (a small child can figure that out). I’m talking about how these technologies are changing the world. I’m talking theories and trends and how you can use them to create a community. I’m sure as I say this, many colleges are quickly changing their strategy, but I’m sure many aren’t.  Which is why it is so important for the student to make up for this. Please bookmark all the technology sites, blogs, whatever. Start with Mashable.com. It’s pretty much amazing. Code your own website. It doesn’t have to be amazing. Simpler is better. Check out all new media outlets, and figure out how to utilze them. How do stories become top stories on digg.com? How does a single youtube video, along with the billion other videos, get noticed? I’m not saying there is one single answer for these, but it is something to think about. Traditional advertising is done. The only people who take it seriously are people in advertising. It is important now, to be able to have a two way conversation with your audience. Listen, learn, talk.

Check out these schools, as they are among the best in the digital world:

Boulder Digital Works at CU

VCU Brandcenter

Hyper Island

Currently, I’ve been reading the book Adland: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet by Creative Director James Othmer. One of the most interesting sections thus far has been his account of a converstation he had with Rick Webb, Co-Founder ofThe Barbarian Group in Boston.

In this conversation, they discuss the end of branding. And I feel they are spot on. In the past branding has been in the hands of the brand, or agency in charge of developing the brand. Precise measurements and strategys would be used in a timeline to develop the brand in the way that these ‘brand managers’ seemed best fit.

Today, however, is no longer the case. Brands are in the hands of the consumer in almost every aspect. With the rise of social media — blogs, tweets, and other two way conversations, brands are no longer in control of what they are. In all reality, there is no way to control it. Brands are becoming what the consumer wants them to be, not the other way around. Brands, with the help of advertising, used to tell people what to buy and what to avoid. Today, people are telling the brands what to do — who to be.

Brands will always be around. But branding is quickly changing sides. Gone are the days of running boring focus groups with a hand full of people, when you have thousands of opinions for free online.