SS: How did you get your position?

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MP: Last year, I started at CDM New York in reception. I had no advertising experience at all, I went to school for communications and sociology so I wasn’t going down the advertising route. The great thing about being in reception is that you can see what you’re interested in and grow from there.

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Human Resources was something that I had an interest in so I asked them to let me know if there were any openings. This opening happened last September so I interviewed and got it! A lot of people obviously don’t like starting in reception, but I was in reception for 4.5 months and it was the best decision I’ve made.

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You get to know everyone, see people’s faces every single morning, where all the conference rooms are, and the ins and outs of the entire company right off the bat.

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SS: What are some challenges that you have in this department?

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MP: It’s extremely important that all of our data is entered correctly. If it’s not, it really skews things. We send a lot of reports to the CEO of our holding company and all of the managing partners. Also, the numbers reflect what we do every day. For example, someone might say we hired 30 people last month when we actually hired 32.

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It doesn’t seem like much, but those two people are crucial to note. Keeping everything in order and having everything super organized is important. From a general standpoint, in HR you’re working with people all day long. So you’re waiting for people to email you back and if hiring managers aren’t being responsive, we can’t fill jobs. You’re pretty much working off people’s word which is really hard because although they aren’t affected by certain decisions, we are.

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SS: Why did you come to an advertising agency?

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MP: During my first year in New York City, I worked for one of my best friend’s startups in Brooklyn. I did a lot of customer service, sales, and a little bit of recruiting for campus representatives. I have a really good friend at CDM New York who referred me and got me the job. Knowing her and hearing all the amazing things about this industry, pushed me to come here. The culture and the people definitely differ from any other job I’ve had!

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SS: What would you say is the most gratifying experience you’ve had in your job?

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MP: The interns! The whole intern program itself, beginning from scratch to filling all the positions, thus far has been really great. I remember that was the first feeling telling me that I knew this was what I wanted to do. It was super gratifying for me!

 

 

SS: What is the most common misconception about your job?

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MP: Sometimes people think “oh you’re just a coordinator,” but coordinators are one of the most important people on a team because they keep everything together and they are the person everyone goes to for anything. In general, for HR there is sometimes a bad rap so I think it’s important for us to show what we’ve got 100% of the time so we don’t fall into that misconception. Knowing your industry, company, and what is expected of your role is really important.

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SS: Who would you encourage to join the advertising industry?

 

MP: Being a self-starter and go-getter is huge! Our industry is client-facing so you need to have conviction because you either need to push back on a client or stand for what you know. You can’t be afraid to speak up for yourself and it also helps to be high-energy because sometimes the hours can be really long. We have teams that can work all through Memorial Day Weekend or the 4th of July. You need to be dedicated to what you’re doing!

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SS: What is some advice you would give yourself now that you’re in the industry?

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MP: I would have definitely negotiated salary! But in all seriousness, in college I focused more on my college experience rather than discovering what I wanted to do with my life. I don’t think anyone really knows what they want to do, but it’s important to go out and get internships and experience. Be invested in what’s to come!