WEEK    JOB: ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

LOCATION: MONTREAL, QUEBEC

EMPLOYER: COSSETTE COMMUNICATIONS

WAGE: APPROXIMATELY $35,000 YEAR (ENTRY LEVEL); $100,000–$150,000 (AFTER 10 YEARS)

INDUSTRY IQ:

• Over $1 trillion is spent on advertising each year in America.

• The cost of a thirty-second commercial during the Super Bowl is $2.7 million.

• Cars are the most advertised product on television.

• Advertising dates back to the Egyptians, when it was used for political campaigns, lost and found, or local happenings.

WHAT I LEARNED: Two perspectives = two outcomes.

At the advertising agency there were a lot of people who talk big and throw some wild ideas on the table, but the impressive thing is, they actually make them happen. On a couple of occasions I thought to myself, Yeah, right, that can’t be done. Though when I looked around the room, there was never any doubt on the faces of the advertising team about whether these ideas could be pulled off. Instead of wasting time coming up with excuses, they asked, “What steps do we need to take to make this happen?”

Working at Cossette Communications, I learned that there are two perspectives you can have when trying to achieve a goal. You can focus on the barriers that could prevent you from attempting it, or you can focus on how to make the goal a reality. The perspective you choose will make all the difference.