As a 2022 Strategic Communications graduate with three years of executive communications experience at a nonprofit, you’re eyeing a shift to the private sector, ideally advertising. After completing a TikTok-focused training program and building a new network, the program director suggested an advertising internship to break into the field. You’re hesitant, feeling an internship might be a step backward. Here’s how to evaluate this advice and leverage your recent program for your job search.
Why Internships, Temp Work, or Freelancing Can Work for Career Changers
Short-term roles like internships, temp assignments, or freelance projects offer key advantages for pivoting careers:
- Test the Waters: They let you explore advertising without a long-term commitment, helping you confirm if it’s the right fit.
- Build Relevant Experience: Hands-on work strengthens your resume for future roles in the field.
- Expand Your Network: You’ll connect with industry insiders who can advocate for you, provide advice, or refer you to opportunities.
- Potential for Full-Time Roles: Some short-term gigs convert to permanent positions.
- Low Risk: If advertising isn’t what you expected, a short-term stint minimizes disruption to your career and is easier to explain on your resume.
These roles add practical skills and credibility, rounding out your communications background for a smoother transition.
When to Reconsider an Internship
Your hesitation about an internship is valid. The “intern” label often signals inexperience or entry-level status, which could undermine your three years of professional experience. In advertising internship programs, you might be grouped with current students or recent graduates with less expertise, risking “guilt by association” in the eyes of recruiters. This could devalue your established skills when applying for full-time roles.
Instead of a traditional internship, consider alternatives:
- Negotiate a Better Title: Aim for an “Associate” or “Consultant” title for short-term roles to reflect your experience.
- Seek Consulting or Project-Based Work: A defined project or freelance gig can showcase your skills without the intern stigma.
- Focus on Substantive Work: Ensure any role—internship or otherwise—involves meaningful tasks (e.g., campaign development, client pitches) to bolster your portfolio and credibility.
When crafting your resume, LinkedIn profile, or other job search materials, emphasize the impact of your work over the title. Highlight results, such as campaigns you’ve contributed to or metrics you’ve influenced, to make your experience stand out. A strong first impression is critical, as recruiters often skim applications quickly.
How to Leverage Your TikTok Program for Your Job Search
The TikTok-focused program you completed is a powerful asset beyond its internship connections. Here’s how to maximize it:
- Tap Your New Network: Your instructors, classmates, and program alumni see you as an advertising professional, not a nonprofit communicator. Stay in touch through LinkedIn, coffee chats, or industry events. They can offer referrals, job leads, or endorsements that reinforce your new expertise.
- Showcase Your Work: Add projects from the program to your portfolio. Whether it’s a TikTok campaign or content strategy, these deliverables demonstrate hands-on skills to employers or clients.
- Highlight the Program’s Credibility: If the program is well-known or respected, its brand can elevate yours. Include it on your resume, LinkedIn, and cover letters, and mention it in networking conversations or interviews to signal your commitment to advertising.
- Promote Your Skills Online: Share program-related achievements on social media (e.g., LinkedIn posts about a project or certification). This keeps your network engaged and positions you as an emerging advertising professional.
- Use Projects as Proof: Reference specific program outcomes—such as a viral TikTok concept or engagement metrics—in job applications or interviews to prove your ability to deliver in advertising.
Strategic Next Steps
An internship isn’t your only path into advertising, especially with your experience and new training. Here’s how to move forward:
- Target Roles Beyond Internships: Look for entry-to-mid-level advertising roles like Junior Copywriter, Social Media Coordinator, or Account Coordinator. Your nonprofit experience (e.g., crafting executive messaging) is transferable to advertising tasks like brand storytelling or client communications.
- Pitch Yourself as a Hybrid: Combine your nonprofit communications expertise with your TikTok program skills to stand out. For example, highlight how you’ve managed stakeholder messaging and created engaging social content.
- Network Aggressively: Reach out to program contacts and advertising professionals for informational interviews. Ask about their career paths and current industry trends to tailor your applications.
- Apply to Agencies and Brands: Target advertising agencies (e.g., Wieden+Kennedy, Ogilvy) or in-house marketing teams at brands with a strong social media presence. Use job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn’s advertising groups, or agency career pages.
- Consider Freelancing: Take on short-term social media or content creation projects to build advertising-specific experience while applying for full-time roles.
Final Thoughts
An internship could help you break into advertising, but it’s not the only way. With your experience and recent training, you’re well-positioned to aim for roles that match your skill level, like Associate or Coordinator positions, or freelance projects that bypass the intern label. Leverage your TikTok program by showcasing its projects, networking with its community, and highlighting its credibility in your applications. Your nonprofit background, combined with your new skills, makes you a unique candidate—play that up to land a role that aligns with your advertising ambitions.