Harriet Jones, an English graduate, is enjoying her career as an Account Executive with top advertising agency McCann Erickson.

Why did you pick McCann Erickson? Who else did you consider?

McCann had spent most of 2007 winning awards for their creative work, so when I was applying for jobs the agency was going through a pretty exciting time. McCann also had some pretty impressive stats behind it, being in the top 3 ad networks globally, and McCann London being No. 2 in the UK last year. But - far more importantly - when I walked through its shiny revolving doors I felt like this was a place I could work. Ad agencies can be intimidating places, but everyone I met was friendly, funny and made me feel right at home. It was the same feeling I got when I walked into my college for the first time as a sixth-former, and gut instinct served me well there.

How relevant was your degree?

Having studied English, I had lived several years in the knowledge that my degree qualified me for anything and nothing: I was not patient enough for a teacher, and too practical for a poet. And the fact that I hadn't so much as looked at a number for the last five years meant a City career was unadvisable. Advertising plays to the things that I really enjoyed about English - analysing and critiquing creative work, following cultural trends going on around you, understanding the effects of well-used language. The fact that English tutorials encourage lively debate on subjective issues helps immeasurably when you are trying to articulate something quickly and persuasuvely to a client. Given these qualities, it is not surprising that I've run into several ex-English students around the place; but we are by no means the majority. The people I work with come from subject backgrounds including Business, Languages, Politics, Psychology and even Engineering! Advertising is definitely more about the type of person you are than the type of things you know.

Did you work anywhere beforehand?

Immediately after university, in a haze of panic about not having a job, mixed with terror at having to live at home for much longer, I launched myself into a Marketing Graduate Scheme with ABF, an FMCG FTSE 100 company who own Twinings, the brand I worked on. It was a great experience - both from a general business / life perspective and for gaining understanding of the broader marketing industry. However, it quickly became clear that it was not where I wanted to be. Marketing is concerned with figures and commercial results, which just wasn't for me. But I loved the communications side of things - advertising in particular - so decided it was the agency life I craved. There is also a big cultural difference between client-side, where day-to-day life is a lot more planned and routine, and agency-side, where there is little routine and your workload is governed by what the client hands you. From my experience at university I knew I worked - and enjoyed my work - best when working under pressure and with a lot of variety, so the agency culture was better suited to my way of working.

What do you remember about the application process and interviews?

The applications process for me was something of a stab in the dark; having completed only a year at another company, I had to convince employers that my grad scheme, whilst not in advertising, equipped me to a high enough level to begin as an account exec. I decided to go for it and lambasted recruitment agencies with my CV - after grad level, recruitment agencies are crucial as a means of getting your foot in the door with the big ad agencies - plus it helps to have someone talking you up who has some experience in the industry. The first thing I did was to subscribe to Campaign - the weekly industry bible - knowing I had to both show commitment to the industry plus actually know what I was talking about. Interviews threw up the obvious questions - why I wanted to work in advertising - and it helped that I had some industry experience so could refer to specific parts of the job rather than generalisations. Other inevitable questions include what your favourite ad of all time is - it doesn't have to be wacky, there's no shame in liking what everyone else likes - as long as you can say more than "I like that Phil Collins song".

What sort of training have you had? Did you need your prior experience?

The best way to learn about advertising is undoubtedly to work in advertising; there are no rules or models for how things work, and every agency and even account will vary in its ways of working. However, for those lucky enough to get onto a grad scheme, you will go on training courses and workshops in the first few months. If you are considering a career in advertising, doing work experience with an agency is a great idea, for several reasons: in an extremely competitive industry, it proves your commitment and enthusiasm, it is really the only way to get a working idea of how an advertising agency functions, and - crucially! - it will give you an idea of whether this is really an area you'd like to work in.

What department do you work in, and what other things do you do?

I work in Account Management, which is the part of the agency that deals directly with the client, responsible for understanding the client's brief, managing the creative development and research processes and selling in creative work. As an Account Executive, I support the Account Managers and Directors in all the above, but also am responsible for watching out for and analysing compeitive activity, putting together case studies on competitive brands, as well as administrative duties like making sure ads play out on time and managing the acocunt finances.

What are the hours like?

In an agency, your workload is entirely dependent on what the client throws your way, and often work requires a quick turnaround. This means that, if there is little work from the client, you may leave on time every day of the week, but if there is a presentation to be finished for the following morning you will have to stay until it is done. The good news is, if you are staying late it is because you are really busy, not because you are sitting around waiting for something. McCann Erickson has a very healthy attitude of only staying if you genuinely have work to be done, not just working late for the sake of it. As a general rule the workload is nothing like that you would expect in the City, and, if you've survived an Oxbridge degree, is certainly do-able!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The 'work hard / play hard' approach, and the buzz this creates around the agency. The combination of creative-types and tight deadlines can make advertising a stressful occupation, but for the same reason it is great fun - there are fewer corporate aspects and there's a lot of socialising. I also get a lot out of the idea that the ads I'm involved in making are seen by millions of people and, if they're good, they can become as integral a part of pop culture as films or TV series.

Where do you live in London and why?

I live in Clapham North, emulating college life with a couple of university friends. Clapham seems like a really popular area with people our age who have just left uni, and it's easy to see why – it has its own community with loads of pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs, as well as Clapham Common for lazing on in the summer. It has good transport links to the centre of town (about 25 mins to Oxford Circus from Clapham North), but its location away from the city centre makes it easier to forget work when you leave the office.

Do you have any advice for current students or recent graduate considering a career in advertising?

Firstly – do your research: form opinions on things around you, not just TV ads but brands, the internet, where trends are going – do people really care about plastic bags, and is obesity really a 'crisis'? Secondly, be determined. Getting on a grad scheme is tough but it is by no means the only way in; if you persist and show your enthusiasm, agencies are always looking for new talent. Lastly, be yourself – advertising is a fun industry so be someone people will have fun working with.