What I learnt at JWT

Fourteen days. Much drama and action can be loaded into this small packet of time. New principles learnt. Old myths shed. New visions formed. Old beliefs confirmed. New friendships forged. Old stories remembered.

My two weeks at JWT as a trainee copywriter were a treasure trove of experience. Here are some of the gems:

1. I realized that

a) Yes, I am a good writer.
b) I am not a good ideator. And, copywriting needs that.
c) I am more of a philosopher. Serious writing is what comes naturally to me.
c) Copywriting is a full-time job- something one should do for passion, not merely for bread-and-butter.

It’s writing that I have a passion for. Not copywriting. That for me was just an interesting job, which would give me creative excitement, and money. However, the reality is not so rosy. A copywriter has almost a 24x7 job! It’s no cakewalk.

So, maybe, I should look at other avenues where I could get a good day-job making use of my writing skills.

2. I am glad I didn’t make it to MICA.

MICA was the only B-School I applied to when I wrote CAT 2006. I was clear that I wanted to do an MBA only to gain a foothold in the creative industry, like Advertising. Only MICA, with its MBA in Advertising, fitted the bill.

My interview went pretty well. I was confident I would make it.

I didn’t.

I took it calmly. All that happens is for the good.

I can now see how.

Had I got through MICA, I would have spent two years doing MBA in Account Planning. Only to realize, upon joining an ad agency, that it was not what I wanted. The creative work is done by the copywriters and art directors. And you don’t need an MBA to be one.

3. Two days after I started my training, I decided that I wouldn’t go to Infy. Instead, I would continue as a trainee here (for six months if possible) and then try to join some agency as a junior copywriter. My mama, for once, wasn’t amused and strictly ordered that I had to join Infy. The deal we finally reached was that yes, I would go there, but if, at any point of time, I wanted to leave, she would not stop me. She agreed, sort of.

On day twelve, I got a mail from Infy. We would now have our training not at Mysore, but Chandigarh.

All my dilemmas solved! In one masterstroke! I was delirious with joy that day. Was I destiny’s favourite child or what? Dancing on my terrace, singing with the stars, excitedly telling all my friends ‘the news of the day’, I couldn’t help but think that, with a big, wide grin.

4. I am sure now about joining Infy, and not leaving it unless I have a tangible replacement firmly in my hand. (I am my sensible self again)

All the planning cartwheels I have made during the past two weeks have shown me (yet again!) how impulsive and hypothetical I can be. I am a romantic, an idealist, who passionately stands for her beliefs. And that can be dangerous, when the beliefs are built on wrong foundations, or are one-dimensional.

5. I learnt the KISS (Keep it short and simple) principle. I am now making a conscious effort to prune all the ornate adjectives, and use the simplest sentences. "Easy reading is damn hard writing" is the holy phrase.

6. I met the girl I could be, four years hence. She’s much like me, only more mature and more experienced. We share our birthday, our interests, our nature, our likes, our favorite dressing style, our attitudes, and the fact that we both are dreamers. She has been an awesome mentor, who kindly guided me through the new alleys. I tried to absorb each word she said. Her words of encouragement mean a lot. And, she became a dear friend. And, the one regular reader that my blog has.

Here’s a toast to Shalini- the lady I met at the crossroads :)