‘To crack an advertising job interview, stay up to date with market trends, latest ad campaigns’

After completing his post-graduate diploma from Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC), Gurgaon-based Devansh Sethi secured a job at ABM Communication Pvt Ltd this year via campus placements. He works as an Account Executive now. In an interview, Devansh shares tips on how to crack an advertising job. Edited excerpts:

What made you opt for Advertising and Marketing Communications at AIMC?

I was introduced to advertising while I was pursuing my graduation in Journalism and Mass Communications. That is how I decided to pursue the same at AIMC.

Also Read: Advertising is all about telling a story for your brand, says this Apeejay alumna

The best thing about AIMC was the industry exposure it provided. Through guest lectures and projects, the college made us industry-ready. One of the highlights of my journey was making a TVC for a Noida-based NGO called SADRAG—it was based on women hygiene, particularly pink toilets. We were fortunate enough to get real industry insights from experts. Throughout the course, we worked as an ad agency and not merely like students. It was a wonderful experience.

Tell us about your job role at ABM Communication.

I am in the Client Servicing and Account Planning department. So, my work involves taking the brief from a client, creating concepts, collaborating with the creative team or the copywriter, and delivering it to the client. I work with clients in the health and finance sector.

Are there any challenges?

I joined the field with complete awareness of my work, including the challenges. Clients from different industries come with their specific needs, so, you have to be well-versed with their business and work culture to figure out how to achieve success through advertising. Analysing all this is the most crucial part. Nothing else is really a challenge for me.

Since you are directly dealing with clients, have you been able to identify certain advertising trends? What do clients typically look for?

The one thing that has always been in trend is an attractive, crisp, and smart copy that communicates the message. That is exactly what clients want. While there is a boom in digital marketing now, the clients I work with are already well-established and are more interested in traditional advertising—they highly rely on it.