After two eventful days in New York, we could not have finished our trip at a better location than Facebook. Here, our 20-person group got an inside look into the office of the most famous media/communications company and the lives of the people working there. The one-floor office had a surprisingly start-up feel and laid-back culture, even as the team grew from 300 to 500 people in less than one year! This picture only shows a tiny sneak-peak into the amazing VMA trip.
Vandy on Madison Avenue (VMA) was a networking trip through Vanderbilt during our spring break. We started at NBC Universal, where we toured 30 Rock and SNL, received career advice, and were encouraged to apply to the Page Program. Lunch was held at CitiBank with a number of Vandy and non-Vandy alumns working in the CitiCards department.
Our next stop was at Ogilvy, one of the largest advertising agencies world-wide and my personal favorite. We had the privilege of hearing from one of the top leaders in the company (the father of a successful Vandy alumni). Brian was such an inspirational speaker, who helped give us perspective on our long career paths. He imparted three important lessons upon us:
- Balance your life so you don’t burn out too early.
- Gain “rocket fuel” through transportable skills.
- Find a mentor/mentee and build a sustainable network.
I had always wanted to work in the fabulous, fast-moving advertising world and this visit only reaffirmed my passion.
-Tina Luo