By Angela Sun
I recently attended the Digitas Open House in downtown Boston. I am greatly excited to share the experience with you, and have included italicized 'tips' throughout to help you become a master of OPN (open house navigation) and a connoisseur of 'working the room'.
As this was my first open house, I wasn't sure what to expect. So with little more than the blessing of my career counselor to "relax and have fun," I hopped on the T to Digitas LLC at 33 Arch Street.
Upon my arrival, I immediately spotted the the sign-up desk marked by red and white balloons. Waiting in line with me were students from Brandeis and Boston College. I had the great fortune of interviewing Emily Kueffner, a recruiter and organizer at Digitas. She said about 100+ students and faculty from Boston and around the nation attended that evening.
Tip #1: It is not uncommon for spots to open up last minute as pre-registration can be an inexact art. Check with an organizer beforehand to see if standby sign-up is an option if the online registration is full.
After signing-in and depositing a complementary raffle ticket, I was directed to the 17th floor. The steel doors of the elevator opened to a modern, artistic office space set against the backdrop of a spectacular nighttime cityscape. There were two levels, featuring a main gathering area and two exhibition halls: Mobile Lounge and Brand Live.
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| Diagram: Digitas |
The schedule included free time to explore the exhibits, a career panel, and a networking session.
I headed first to the Mobile Lounge where Digitas project managers were doing a demonstration on Near Field Communications, in which microchips inserted into products allowed for consumer interactivity. Imagine scanning a bottle of detergent with your mobile phone and being able to get the product information, or even make a purchase. Digitas' role is to connect its clients with the latest technologies that can bolster brand recognition.
Afterwards I attended the panel presented by a Senior Vice President of Project Management, Executive Creative Art Director, Associate Art Director, and Senior Analyst of Account Planning. Digitas live-tweeted the panel, so feel free to check out their Twitter account for the highlights. Topics discussed included how the speakers built their advertising careers, what their favorite Digitas campaigns were, and what advice they had for entry-level students. My favorite detail was the Account Planner's comment about having the courage to try new things, as she had recently picked up copy writing.
Tip #3: Take notes. Remember that really inspiring thing that person said that one time? Don't get stuck with amnesia. Taking good notes will help ground your knowledge, and write the most unique and personalized thank you notes...because it never hurts to throw in a good quote!
And then there was the post-panel raffle. Now the last time I won something was a book basket in sixth grade. So how I won the raffle is beyond me, but I received a slot in Digitas' Job Shadow program in early March. A windfall perk that made me extra glad I made the trip!
Finally, the most useful, but also what many people find the most daunting--the networking session. Various booths were set-up on the upper level based on different capabilities, such as Creative, Account Management, Account Planning, Media, Marketing Strategy, Strategy and Analytics, Project Management, and Technology.
From personal experience, here are some of the best tips I have for working a room:
Tip #5: Be your own publicist. Always be armed with a quick blurb to introduce yourself, just like at the Career Fairs. A simple "Hi, I'm Angela Sun, a senior at Tufts University. I have a strong background in journalism, business, and in particular, marketing. I am interested in xyz capability, I was hoping you could tell me more about..." will do.
Tip #6: Warm up to a room before working the room. One way I do this is by saying a brief hi to someone I know first. But make sure to be a lone ranger throughout the event so you can do what you came to do--meet people! Another thing I will do is physically drift towards existing conversations to get a sense of what other students are bringing up, and what the established communication style is. But I always work off a mental (or physical) prioritized list of the booths. I will start off with a booth that is on the middle or bottom of my list to warm up, before going from the top to make sure I hit all targets in time.
So at the Digitas networking session, I approached Video Production first. There, I further familiarized myself with some of their campaigns, before speaking with the Account Management, Marketing Strategy, and Project Management capabilities. But I still had some time left over, so I stopped by the Technology booth.
Even though I'm not an engineer, I recognize that the engineers are the people who execute the vision and are a critical part of the team effort. So as a digital marketing professional, it is beneficial for me to get acquainted with their people and their work. Plus one of the senior engineers showed me a coloring game they developed in Beta, so I ended up sticking around for longer than planned...
All in all, this trip would definitely go down in my Archive of Most Special Career-Related Experiences. I mean, there was a swag bag and a candy bar. #Howmillenialsarewon.
Ms. Kueffner from Digitas says that Digitas hoped to showcase its talent, work, employees, and office space. "In the services industry, the people represent the company. If you have bright, innovative, passionate people, then you have a bright, innovative, and passionate company," she says.
Digitas typically partakes in the Career Center's career fairs and posts opportunities on Jumbo Jobs. So keep an eye out if you are interested in the company!
