WEEK 1

(Day 1) Why did I want to do DPS?

27/09/2022

All I know about myself was that I could draw, I could manage my time well, I could work independently and collaboratively…all within the context of university. I have no idea if any of this could translate into a professional environment. I don’t know what exactly I want to do or what I could do – the world is overwhelmed with choices and information, yet I still wouldn’t know what it’s like in different work environments or if the career I’ve chosen is right for me until it’s too late. The thought of graduating and either being unable to find any job due to a lack of professional experience or getting a job and struggling due to a lack of professional experience terrifies me.

A suggestion I had gotten was to dip my toes into everything, to try out a bit of everything to find out what I want to do.

Fortunately, I managed to secure an internship for creative direction with the company Ogilvy. They’ve created many different advertisements globally including Thailand, where I recognized many of the ads due to their high praise.

I had many worries going in on my first day, especially because of how prestigious and intimidating the company seemed, walking through a hallway filled with hundreds of trophies on both sides. However, my stress dissipated after meeting my team, who are incredibly casual and open. Though the work itself may not be the most enjoyable (researching ideas, watching ad campaigns and gathering references), it was reassuring to know that I will not be overlooked, left with nothing to do.

It felt like my opinion was genuinely valued, having constantly been called over to discuss different projects with different higher-ups and professionals. I found that I had managed my expectations well: the work wouldn’t directly require all my skills in animation, it wasn’t going to be a thrilling jam-packed day of fun, and there will be times when I don’t understand all the keywords fully, having joined the team in the middle of the projects they’ve been working on.

My first day involved a lot of researching, getting used to the work environment. I was tasked with researching different ad campaigns over different topics, compiling the ones I find interesting and presenting them. As per the Thai culture of respecting your elders, I was frequently called over to introduce myself to different professionals and adults.

I got to attend a briefing which I mostly glossed over with all the foreign business key terms and talks of cryptocurrency.

That was the new project that came up that day: a mobile app for trading cryptocurrency – a concept I personally don’t align with but that have fallen into my hands anyway. Seeing as I had studied in the UK, I was tasked with researching how cryptocurrency is advertised abroad, especially for people who have no knowledge of cryptocurrency, which is a part of the client’s target audience.

A downside of this job was that I couldn’t decide what projects I could take, though I tried to view this as a challenge, especially to try and understand the appeal of something I personally don’t like.

These were the two main tasks I was given: research the integration of the metaverse in beauty, and how cryptocurrency is advertised.

Despite my hesitance, I found that this process wasn’t too foreign to me as it was quite similar to all the conceptual research I had to do for university.