But if you want to be a copywriter or art director at an ad agency, then no. Ad agencies do not judge people by their college, their major, or grade point average. Samples in a portfolio are the ONLY WAY we judge job seekers. (OK, I exaggerated; it’s only 99% of what we use.)

So, Rule #1: don't worry about what your diploma says. I want to hire smart, interesting, funny, witty people who can make smart, interesting, funny, witty ads. It's just your degree -- or major --is no guarantee of that. Only a portfolio shows us how smart, interesting, and witty you really are.

That means a BA, BS, AS, BFA, MFA or GED are all pretty much the same to the me. And fine art and graduate degrees are especially unimportant. I’ve hired beginners who were grocery clerks, mathematicians, truck drivers, bartenders and college kids with ad degrees, but they all had one thing in common: they had great books.

Rule #2: make a book that shows how great you are at making ads.

BTW, there’s no law that says you have to go to ad school. If you can put together a portfolio on your own, or at college, and the work is smart enough to get you a job, do it. Years ago (I’m not saying how many), that’s what I did.

However, by today’s standards, that book would not get me a job. And standards for beginner work continue to rise, so now I can’t imagine being able to make ads good enough for my agency without the kind of assignments and help you get at portfolio school.

So remember: degrees matter; just not nearly as much as carbs.

Deanne McClean
Senior Vice President, Creative Recruiter, DDB Chicago