Instructor Stats

I realize I may be a bit late with this advice, as most of you reading this blog are already out of school. But, I am becoming increasingly alarmed by the pool of instructors teaching in the advertising field. Specifically, by their "time since they worked in an agency" or their lack of expertise on a particular subject.

Before I rant on, I'll say this does not apply to all instructors in all schools. It just seems to me that a very important bit of research to do prior to picking a school would be to check the stats of the instructors who work there.

If their last job in advertising starts with a 7 (as in '79), you might want to reconsider. And if their specialty is broadcast production and they are teaching copywriting, be equally as cautious. I say this because I was recently asked to teach a media class. I am in creative management. Prior to that, print production. What I know about media could be taught in a single hour, not 12 weeks. Maybe some people are confident enough to teach in areas outside their expertise, I am not. And this is what makes me worry that the pool of folks teaching advertising is getting diluted.

Be diligent in this arena. Do thorough research. Make sure the school employs qualified people teaching appropriate classes. So much has changed in the advertising landscape in the last 5 years alone. Certainly you'd want to be taught what's current by people who know what's current.