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| Odessa Ordonez |
When did you first discover an interest in Advertising?
When I was working as a marketing coordinator. I was always interested in understanding consumer behaviour and how it
affects his/her decision in purchasing an item. There was only one thing that I
learned from my work experience – to keep a campaign simple. A campaign that is
easy to understand and clever enough to capture an audience’s attention. The
only way to do that is to understand how advertising works and how to stand out
in the market.
Why did you choose Sheridan?
I chose Sheridan because I had an amazing
experience when I was in my undergrad program (Business Administration -
Marketing). Professors at Sheridan are experienced professionals who have been
in the industry for quite a while and who fully understand their subject. I
knew that I would never regret going back to Sheridan because of the
professors who truly care about their students' successes, but also the
state-of-the-art facilities that Sheridan has.
What did you learn from Sheridan?
Sheridan Advertising Account Management program
propelled my career forward. I learned many techniques on how to gain valuable
insights about consumers, products and competition. We were trained on how to
think critically when analyzing a business problem. We learned how to build a
comprehensive integrated marketing communication plan. We were well-trained to
use industry tools that agencies are currently using. And lastly, I was able to
improve my creativity skills and proficiency in using Adobe products. My coop
class helped me improve my employability skills by improving my
resume and interviewing abilities.
Where was your co-op placement?
I was able to secure a Media Intern position at Maxus Canada (downtown Toronto), a part of GroupM and WPP global network.What did you learn from your co-op placement?
My co-op placement opened a lot possibilities
in my personal and professional life. It honed my skills in networking,
communication, research, strategic thinking, creativity, and collaboration. I
learned that the advertising industry is massive and a very complicated arena, most particularly the digital world. In addition, I was lucky enough to be
involved in the planning process and had the opportunity to learn new planning
tools so we can dig tons of data to uncover patterns and consumer insights.What was the #1 thing you took away from your post-grad experience?
Our final project during our last term was the
main highlight of the program. The project teaches many things so we can be
prepared in the real world. We were able to apply all the knowledge and skills learned from each course. We were given a specific challenge to
solve and built everything from the scratch. We gathered and collected data,
gained consumer insights from our research, brainstormed for creative
advertising ideas, understood and selected the media vehicles to deliver the
big idea, came up with the most appropriate sales and trade promotion strategies
to sell the product and selected the metrics or key performance indicators
(KPIs) that we should use to measure the success of our campaign. This project
prepared me in my career. I did not have difficulty in understanding the
planning process, strategic development and execution of the campaign.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering a post-grad program?
If you’re looking for a program that will help
you gain hands-on experience in a short span of time along with your university
degree/college diploma, taking a post-grad program is worth your time and effort
as long as you’re willing to give 110% of your energy and focus. If you’re
serious about shifting/launching your career, taking a post-grad program at
Sheridan is the best option. And lastly, Sheridan’s post grad programs offer
reasonable tuition fees for students.
How has the completion of the program affected your career?
Professors prepared us very well to be more
professional and competitive in the market. In addition to the relevant tools used and topics covered in our program, we gained numerous
skills such as creativity, strategic thinking, analytical, organization, communication,
presentation and leadership.
Where do you work and what is your current position?
I currently work at Maxus Canada as an Assistant Media Planner/Buyer. This position was offered to me prior to the end date of my internship.What is your favourite part of the job?
Firstly, I highly enjoy using different
tools/methods in collecting meaningful data, analyzing the information and
discovering consumer insights. I always have a great time every time in our brainstorming sessions to build solutions and generate ideas. Secondly, every day
is different (i.e. new challenges, new opportunities, new vendors, new
technology/tools and more). Lastly, I am learning new concepts everyday, especially
on digital world. As a 360 degree planner/buyer, it is imperative to learn
new things so we can come up with ideas that are fresh, unique and relevant to
the target audience.
