When time came to decide what I should do during my internship, I had no doubt it would be in advertising. I made this decision even though I knew nothing about the industry beyond my own media consumption and limited study at the University.

Naturally, the chance to get a hands-on insider prospective was thrilling. I got my foretaste of the real world of advertising at Bates Singapore.

Viewing this world through the eyes of an account executive gave me extensive exposure to the advertising process and to the operation of a full-service agency.

My supervisor scared me at first. Not because he had a Bates Motel sign on his glass wall. He trusted me and demanded of me much more than I had anticipated. The sense of real responsibility made me a little anxious and more attentive than usual.

And what insights did my Bates internship bring to my attention?

My most overwhelming discovery was how tedious and laboursome the advertising process is. With the account manager balancing between client needs and creative ideals, campaign development is plagued with refinements to creative output and to media plans (as well as with an unbelievable load of paper waste). I never knew so much time and energy went into a placed ad.

Pre- and post-production meetings showed me the reality of the distance between client and creative standpoints. The account manager has to internalize both perspectives, or interactions can get awkward. People management is a prerequisite skill in agency-client relations.

The crux of the conflict is the difficulty in selling the creative idea. It is easy to see a finished ad and say, "That's a great ad". But when it is only an idea, getting a client to go with it can be a frustrating task.

The creative person pushes his idea which he strongly believes in. But the client may push his marketing message to the point of interfering with the ad's creative value and communication effectiveness. Voila! Spontaneous combustion.

Ethics-wise, I encountered no serious problem (apart from feeling a vague discomfort with being involved in the advertising conspiracy). Nothing I pondered over. I was more concerned with getting thigs done - on time.

The downside to being involved in the general flow of campaign development was that I could not undergo intensive training in thr creative process, which to me was and still is the most interesting component of the entire advertising process.

It was not impossible though to sneak a peek here and there into the creative mind bustle. I showed my interest, amd people helped me tapa little into my creative reserves. Not enough to start me off on that career path perhaps. But at least it gave me a better sense of direction.

I survived my rite of passage between school life and the working world. But far greater challenges lie in wait. The best way to learn is to live...