There are so many urban myths about what it’s like to be in advertising. There’s even a TV series that pretends not to be mythical.

Rather than listen to what your dad’s best friend’s other best friend thinks your chances are of surviving, why not find out from someone who’s rather more like you and has been there and done it for herself.

Starting Out in Adland: A Beginners Guide. By Atomic 212 ° marketing assistant, Ellie Crawford-Smith

So you’ve spent upwards of three years studying at university – struggling to make it to 9am tutorials, listening to dodgy lecture recordings and battling through the treacherous exam period each semester. But now you’ve got to make that all worthwhile and kick it up about a hundred notches. It’s time for you to spread your wings and enter the real world, and if advertising is the industry you’re reaching for it’s a very big world indeed!

A study by the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University found that between 2008 and 2014, the proportion of new university graduates in full-time employment dropped from 56.4% to 41.7%. It’s unfortunate, but this figure is continuing to decline.

The stats also show that, despite the 20% drop in university graduates finding full-time work, the number of commencing students jumped by 35%. So the odds are you’re in the limbo land of job searching and contemplating a retreat back into the safe cocoon of university life.

But fear not – coming from a fresh grad who’s only just dipping her toes into the giant pool of agency life, here’s a heads up on what you can expect.

Tackling the interview process

Since March this year, I have spent days writing detailed written applications, taken too many online psychometric tests to count. If I was lucky, I also undertook video and panel interviews that made me sick with nerves for days prior. The grad application process is tedious, cold and makes even a Dean’s List student feel like a hopeless just-a-number. The plus side is that the whole process gives you a thicker skin for the big bad corporate world. I can gladly say that for the most part it was a skin I didn’t need. My agency interview experience was so much more enjoyable than what previous interviews had prepared me for. It was immensely refreshing to be interviewed by a real person who showed an interest in my perspective and oozed with excitement to take a rookie under her wing. I can’t guarantee you’ll be as welcomed as I was though. Prepare to stand on your own two feet and don’t get bogged down if someone forgets who you are for the seventh time in one week.

Fake it till you make it

When I first started out, phrases such as convex machine learning optimisation and Cross-Device Recognition made me queasy. Don’t even get me started on the abbreviations – CPA, CPM, CPC… you get the point. Make sure to keep a running list of all the phrases and concepts you aren’t familiar with or don’t understand. Google will be your best friend and you’ll be a jargon expert in no time.

A Queensland University of Technology study found that for the advertising industry, “communication skills and personality traits were the two skills rated most important by both employers when choosing entry level staff.” It was also found that advertising practitioners consider specific discipline knowledge more important than experience, so don’t undermine the difference you can make by simply knowing your stuff.

Prepare to be thrown into the deep end

Embrace the chaotic, fast paced environment. There’s always something happening and exciting distractions left, right and centre. Prioritising tasks and managing your time is surprisingly more difficult than you’d think. Start good habits from the get go and you’ll be much less likely to be stuck at your desk at 8pm on a Friday.

Don’t be put off by the Boys Club label

Regardless of whether you’re a young woman or man entering the industry, the Boys Club stigma can be a source of anxiety for many. The idea of a male-dominated workplace, particularly for aspiring creatives, can be a tad intimidating. But any smart agency knowns that keeping up the Mad Men rep is a foolish game. The tides are turning and different perspectives are crucial for all agency sectors: from digital and data all the way through to creative and content marketing. The equal opportunities are there, you just have to seek them out.

In 2009 the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics calculated that women made up more than two-thirds of employees in ten of the 15 job categories likely to grow fastest in the next few years. I think it’s safe to say this was a fair prediction.

You don’t need ten years experience under your belt

I was surprised at the amount of interest my prospective employers showed in my past casual work experience – from my fleeting retail career to ongoing hospitality gigs. It was made quite apparent to me that a lot of those experiences transcend into skills required for agency work. Don’t be afraid to use your own part time work experiences, personal passions and extra curricular activities to tell your story – you’d be surprised at how the skills you already have under your belt can translate from outside the industry to within it.

A report from the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) found the skills learned from working in one job could on average be transferred to 13 other positions, suggesting  young people should focus on their strengths and interest areas rather just the one dream job.

At the end of the day it’s your attitude, networking ability and communication skills that matter. It all comes down to proving an outstanding work ethic from the start and never letting that fade. Show that you’re hungry to learn and sink your teeth into every opportunity you come across – you’re no longer cute enough to be spoon fed!