Sarah Fink: Ad Gal in the Big Apple

The University of Tennessee offers many opportunities for their students to gain experience in their four (or five) years in college. One of the best opportunities offered is a trip to New York City with the Journalism or Public Relations and Advertising school to network where students receive a taste of the real world in their respective field.
 
Her Campus: Sarah, how was your time spent in New York City with the Advertising school a few weeks ago?
 
Sarah Fink: It was amazing. You hear about all these people who are obsessed with New York but being there, and visiting some of advertising’s greatest agencies, was enough to make any girl fall in love.
 
HC: Completely understandable. What kinds of experience did you gain?
 
SF: We met with two different agencies or companies every day. And at each agency we met with a UT ad grad and also, usually, a human resources professional (These are the people you ACTUALLY want to impress because if it comes to it, they’ll be the ones on the other side of the desk at the interview). They would give us a presentation on their clients and how their agency works and then answer tons of questions. It was great because we were hearing advice from people who sat in our very seats not too long ago. To see UT alum who have made the New York dream come true was very inspiring.
 
HC: Do you feel more prepared for entering the real world?
 
SF: Absolutely. Not only does it break the ice with visiting what can be very intimidating places, but I now have connections with people who can introduce me to the right people when I look for a job. Plus, it’s always reassuring to have someone other than your professors (God love ‘em) to check over your resume for you.
 
HC: How awesome is it that they put something like this together?
 
SF: I can’t express how appreciative I am to have had such a great opportunity planned for me. It was the greatest combination of meetings and free time. Outside of our planned appointments in the middle of the day, we were totally on our own. We were free to roam the city at our leisure and do what we really wanted (we’ve all been on those trips where every second is planned out for you– no time to do what you want).
 
HC: That’s great that there’s so much down time! What kind of places did you go and visit?
 
SF: I had some of the best food I’ve ever tasted while I was there: sushi, asian cuisine, New York pizza, “southern” cooking, etc. We also went to this show called Fuerza Bruta one night. It was nuts. It was dramatic, artistic, loud, different and honestly, odd. At one point we were all standing in the middle of this warehouse-looking room and there was a clear pool suspended above our heads with dancers doing cool stuff in the water. Again, odd, but so cool. It really made you feel like you were seeing raw New York art. But honestly, the coolest part was something unexpected. Taking a casual stroll through Times Square my friend, Leah, I noticed a man cut in front of us and duck into a small record store. She grabbed me and we went inside, only to realize she had found Paul Rudd (Clueless, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and I Love You Man, among many others). We went up to him and asked for a photo, followed by some quick statement like “Weloveeverythingyoudo, likereally!” 
 
Overall New York was just what I needed to calm my nerves, but also amp me up, about the possibilities of hopefully ending up there one day.