Big opportunities in the Windy City over fall break
Two art students job shadow at large Chicago advertisement agency, prepare for future jobs
Jessica Kneller
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: News
During fall break, midterm-weary students usually return home to see their families and eat home-cooked food or visit a nearby city with friends. Seniors Cassandra Bacon and Mallory Root visited Chicago not to take pictures in front of the Bean and walk down Michigan Avenue, but to spend their break in one of the Windy City's skyscraping office buildings.
Chicago is home to one of the world's largest and most awarded advertising agencies, Leo Burnett Worldwide. With a list of clients including Disney, Samsung and Marlboro, the company has created countless iconic advertisements in 84 countries.
Bacon and Root, through the Living and Working in Chicago program organized by Hillsdale College's Career Planning office, were able to shadow several creative teams at the global firm.
Vicky Arno, assistant to the director of career planning, said the program allows students to try out a workplace. Fifteen students were given the chance to observe a variety of different companies, but Leo Burnett's size and distinction were new to the program.
"It was the first time Hillsdale has connected with a company that big," Arno said.
Bacon, an art major, said she didn't realize exactly how big Leo Burnett Worldwide was.
As the two seniors prepared for such a huge opportunity, they approached Instructor in Art Bryan Springer for help.
"I advised them to really observe what's going on and how things work," Springer said, "how a project goes from concept to completion."
The women got to do just that. They shadowed two different design teams, one consisting of fairly new hires and the other of seasoned veterans.
"When we job shadowed, I was expecting to see a more complete process," said Root, explaining that one group focused mainly on ad concepts. "They were more conceptual and oversaw the process."
Bacon said she noticed something similar. Rather than handling the entire project as a group, the members each worked in their own specialized areas.
Chicago is home to one of the world's largest and most awarded advertising agencies, Leo Burnett Worldwide. With a list of clients including Disney, Samsung and Marlboro, the company has created countless iconic advertisements in 84 countries.
Bacon and Root, through the Living and Working in Chicago program organized by Hillsdale College's Career Planning office, were able to shadow several creative teams at the global firm.
Vicky Arno, assistant to the director of career planning, said the program allows students to try out a workplace. Fifteen students were given the chance to observe a variety of different companies, but Leo Burnett's size and distinction were new to the program.
"It was the first time Hillsdale has connected with a company that big," Arno said.
Bacon, an art major, said she didn't realize exactly how big Leo Burnett Worldwide was.
As the two seniors prepared for such a huge opportunity, they approached Instructor in Art Bryan Springer for help.
"I advised them to really observe what's going on and how things work," Springer said, "how a project goes from concept to completion."
The women got to do just that. They shadowed two different design teams, one consisting of fairly new hires and the other of seasoned veterans.
"When we job shadowed, I was expecting to see a more complete process," said Root, explaining that one group focused mainly on ad concepts. "They were more conceptual and oversaw the process."
Bacon said she noticed something similar. Rather than handling the entire project as a group, the members each worked in their own specialized areas.
Be the first to comment on this story