With FaceAdversity, it’s here to support you with a curated list of valuable resources tailored to your needs :
🛠️ Skill-Building / Tool Resources: Access tools, courses, and certifications to enhance your skills and stay competitive.
🎨 Portfolio Program / Talent Development Program / Mentorship: Programs and mentorship to build your portfolio and grow your talents.
🏆 Award Competitions: Find opportunities to showcase your skills and gain recognition through competitions within advertising.
🗞️ Industry News: Stay updated with your field's latest trends and developments with curated news sources.
🎙️ Podcast / Blogs / Advice: Gain insights and advice from industry leaders through engaging podcasts and informative blogs.
🏘️ Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series: Find jobs, connect with professionals, and join events.
🌍 DEI / Sustainability Resources: Resources supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability and accessibility for all.
Please keep checking back, as I regularly update this section with new and relevant content for early career professionals.
💡 Tip: Search using the emojis 🛠️, 🎨, 🏆, 🗞️, 🎙️, 🏘️, 🌍 to quickly find what you’re looking for!
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Community / Directory, DEI
100 Roses From Concrete is a nonprofit group of people of color developing strategies for long-term success for people of color in the ad/media industries.
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Community / Directory / Event Series
With local chapters across the United States, Ad 2 provides young advertising, marketing and communication professionals the contacts, education and leadership opportunities they need to become tomorrow's industry leaders. Ad 2 is a collaborative community of passionate, forward-thinking and motivated professionals that are making a difference in their local communities and their industry. Together with the American Advertising Federation, Ad 2 fosters the professional development for advertising professionals 32 and under through public service and education in order to promote and protect the well-being of advertising.
Link: http://ad2.org
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Industry News
Ad Age is your go-to platform for the latest news and trends in advertising, marketing, and media. It offers insights into campaigns, brands, industry leaders, digital marketing, creative strategies, and media analysis.
Link: https://adage.com/
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Apply for Roles / Community / Directory
AD AGENCY CREATIVES IS AN EMPOWERMENT PLATFORM DESIGNED TO HELP CREATIVES GET HIRED BY AGENCIES IN THE U.S. THEY LEVERAGE THE EXPERTISE OF CREATIVE RECRUITERS TO HELP AGENCIES AND BRANDS SOURCE CREATIVE TALENT.
Created by Erika Udstuen
Click Here: https://adagencycreatives.com/
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
Launched in 2012, the ADCOLOR FUTURES program identifies and nurtures the next generation of leaders who have one to three years of experience in their industry. The program provides training, mentorship and empowerment to selected young professionals with the goal of supporting the talent of tomorrow, today.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
Adhouse NYC offers advertising classes in New York City. It's a place where you can learn from top industry professionals. They focus on teaching real-world skills to help you succeed in advertising.
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Skill-building/Tool
Welcome to Advertising and all the quippy shorthand or abbreviated lingo that is ever evolving. Let this Adland Urban Dictionary be a guide to quickly get comfortable learning jargon that either unique to certain regions, offices and departments. This resourceful tool was created by DK Wright.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
AdMagic program (founded in 2020) serves to create direct exposure for HBCU students country-wide to the advertising industry by providing knowledge, access, mentorship and real world experiences.
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Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series:
Agency Afterhours is a DJ collective of award-winning creative professionals from around the world who share a love of music and desire to connect people through creativity.
Starting with our partnership with Virgin Hotels, the Agency Afterhours DJs have performed at creative award shows such as the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, The One Show, The ADDYs, international art fairs such as EXPO Chicago, creative clubs such as Soho House, countless ad agency, post-production house, art and fashion events.
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Skill-Building / Tool Resources
A course + community teaching art directors, designers, and content creators how to use AI for campaigns, comps, and client-ready visuals faster.
Created by Jess Leonard
Send your email here to get an invite: https://tally.so/r/1AlGVW
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
AIGA chapters around the country provide mentorship programs to local high school students, college students, emerging designers, and seasoned professionals. Learn about how you can take advantage of your local chapter's mentorship opportunities.
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Award Competition
Future Lions is the annual worldwide competition that challenges students to create the future. Five winning teams are granted full access to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and honoured with a limited edition Future Lions trophy. Alongside the individual awards, the school with the most number of shortlisted submissions is recognised as the Future Lions School of the Year.
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Awards Competition
The American Advertising Awards Competition: Student Division, is a unique national awards program designed specially for college students. Work entered at the local level can advance to the regional and national judging, just like the work entered by professionals across the country.
Link: https://www.aaf.org/Public/Events/American-Advertising-Awards/AAA-Student-Division.aspx
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
ArtBound Initiative is an internship program for students and recent graduates seeking to launch their career in the creative industries. They offer internships in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berlin, Melbourne, Sydney, and Virtually.
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Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series
Asians in Advertising is a non-profit organization and professional community dedicated to connecting, elevating, and showcasing AANHPI individuals in the advertising, marketing, and creative industries.
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Community / Directory / Event Series
A community where Atlanta's advertising folks gather. It's a hub for networking, learning, and celebrating creativity in marketing. You'll find events, resources, and a community passionate about all things advertising in Atlanta.
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Podcast/Advice
"Bagley Talks to an Important Person" is your go-to podcast for insightful conversations with ad peeps. Former Wieden+Kennedy Executive Creative Director Jason Bagley (created iconic campaigns for brands like Nike, Old Spice, KFC, Samsung, and more) interviews the world’s top advertising creatives, breaks down their creative process, and reveals the secrets and techniques to doing the best work of your life.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bagley-talks-to-an-important-person/id1638583530
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Skill-building/Tool
Behance is a social media platform owned by Adobe that allows creative professionals to showcase and discover their work online. It's part of the Adobe Creative Cloud and is used by creatives from around the world to showcase their portfolios in a variety of fields, including graphic design, illustration, photography, and more.
Link: https://www.behance.net/
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Portfolio Program, School
Berghs School of Communication is a Stockholm-based school widely regarded as one of the best in the EU for advertising, design, and communication, known for its strong focus on real-world projects and industry collaboration.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
BLAC is a twelve-week, paid internship for creative thinkers that takes place at ad agencies across the country. Interns participate in shared experiences with shared resources and projects, and upon completion of the program become part of a network of peers and agency leaders who will continue to provide support throughout their careers. We are a champion for the more diverse and inclusive advertising industry of the future and seek to inspire and be inspired by a new generation of Black talent. BLAC is committed to providing safe and comfortable environments where all voices are respected and heard.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
book180 is a 6-month online advertising portfolio program. It helps aspiring copywriters and art directors worldwide build an agency-ready portfolio in 180 days. The curriculum offers a new approach to portfolio school, making professional creative careers more accessible.
Link: https://www.book180.com/
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Skill-building/Tool
Boords is a website that helps you create storyboards. It's easy to use and lets you plan your videos or animations. You can draw scenes, add notes, and share your work with others.
Link: https://boords.com/
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Industry News, Podcast/Advice
An advertising platform sharing industry news through podcast conversations, video shorts, and quick breakdowns of what’s happening across marketing and communications, while spotlighting today’s advertising trailblazers.
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Portfolio Program / Talent Development Program / Mentorship
A renowned global network of portfolio schools specialized in advertising, creativity, and communication, founded in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It operates in 14+ cities across the world, offering creative education aimed at launching careers in advertising agencies
Link: https://brotherad.com/
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Skill-building/Tool, DEI
A Linkedin hack to help recruiters find and hire talent of color."How it works: Add c0ffe3 as a past employer on LinkedIn. List the next role you want as your job title at c0ffe3. From there, you'll effortlessly appear in LinkedIn or Google results when recruiters or hiring managers looking for diverse talent add ""c0ffe3"" to their searches. For additional visibility, you can include c0ffe3 on your portfolio (i.e., as site copy, a tag, etc)."
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Industry News
CampaignLive is an online hub for marketing and advertising insights. Stay up to date with the latest trends, expert analysis, and creative inspiration here.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
A certificate programme designed to catapult younger creatives to the next level of their careers
Link: https://www.canneslions.com/initiatives/academies/creative-academy
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Skill-building/Tool
Launched in 2013, Canva is an online design and visual communication platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere.
Link: https://www.canva.com/
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Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series, Award Competitions:
Founded in 1999, Círculo Creativo USA supports creativity in the U.S. Hispanic advertising market.
They sponsor the U.S. Hispanic Young Lions Competition, giving winners the chance to compete at Cannes Lions as Team USA Hispanic
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Sustainability Resources
The future of creativity is clean. We are connecting professional communicators in the PR and ad industry to end our industry's work for the fossil fuel industry.
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Podcast/Advice
Confessions of a Creative Director tells the stories behind the ideas as told by some of today's best and brightest Creative Directors. Hosted by veteran CD Jaime Cabrera, the show features in-depth interviews, fun segments and of course a confession or two, all over a few cocktails.
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Portfolio Program / Talent Development Program / Mentorship
The rich legacy of The Creative Circus lives on, with virtual courses, all taught by advertising industry professionals. We’re dedicated to inspiring and training the next generation of creative marketers to innovate and lead in the ever changing landscape of advertising.
History
Since 1995, The Creative Circus has been a powerhouse in the advertising industry, earning its reputation as a top-tier training ground for creative talent. Founded by five visionary faculty members from the renowned Portfolio Center, the school has become synonymous with a scrappy, lighthearted approach to teaching creative advertising, interactive development, design, and photography.
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Community / Directory / Event Series, DEI
The Creative Lady Directory is a resource by Creative Lady Collective. It promotes the work of creative women through a directory, interviews, and a popular Instagram page. The directory helps women find support, motivation, and new clients. It aims to boost client outreach, foster creative collaborations, and build friendships.
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Community / Directory / Event Series
Creative Week by The One Club for Creativity is a week-long, city-wide creative festival bringing together the global creative community to celebrate the best in advertising and design in New York City. The visual identity would, above all, capture the notion of celebrating the gathering of diverse creative voices.
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Community / Directory / Event Series
The world's largest face-to-face creative community; hosting local events every Friday, virtual FieldTrips every week, and jobs via the CreativeGuild.
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Award Competition/Event
The D&AD New Blood Awards are yearly awards for students and new creatives in design and advertising. They work on real projects given by top brands. Industry experts judge the work, and winners get trophies, job opportunities, and recognition. It's a great way for new talent to get noticed and start their careers.
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Podcast/Advice
The world's first podcast about design and an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians, and other luminaries of contemporary thought.
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🏘️ Community / Directory / Event Series
A platform aiming to increase queer creativity, representation and share of voice in the advertising industry. This means inclusion, connection and brand experience that drives sustainable, visible change for those still left out of the fold.
Founded by Kate Wolff & Graham Nolan.
Link: https://dothewerq.com/
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Skill-building/Tool
Dribbble is where designers gain inspiration, jobs, feedback, join online courses and is your best resource to discover and connect with designers worldwide.
Link: https://dribbble.com/
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
D5in10 Academy is a 10-week program by Droga5 that helps aspiring creatives develop skills in advertising and marketing through workshops, mentorship, and real-world projects led by industry experts.
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Community
A project that started in Argentina and is now growing globally, both in-person and online. 🤩
A platform designed to help creatives find their next partner and build meaningful collaborations.
In the creative field, having a good partner can change your career, but for many, finding someone with whom you have chemistry and a shared vision is nearly impossible. That's why we've brought together creatives with different profiles but the same challenge: meeting and matching with their next partner (yes, almost like Tinder for couples). We've also created two card games, "2x1" and "Briefeate," which are ideal for getting to know each other better and brainstorming ideas.
Founded by Lola Vazquez, Stefania Messina, & lara Bracken De Vincenzo
Link: https://duplicate.com.ar
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
Established in 1989, the Emma L. Bowen Foundation is dedicated to creating career opportunities in the media industry for youth of color through programs that focus on scholastic achievement, direct work experience and professional development. Together with its more than 50 corporate sponsors, the Foundation currently supports approximately 250 students each year through a multi-year internship program for students of color working at media companies across the country.
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Community / Directory / Event Series
FuseATL is a community group in Atlanta for marketing professionals to connect, learn, and grow together. They offer free membership and provide a space for networking, sharing ideas, and fostering partnerships. It’s all about bringing local marketers together to inspire each other and innovate.
Link: https://fuseatl.org/
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Skill-building/Tool
General Assembly is a pioneer in education and career transformation, specializing in today’s most in-demand coding, data, and design skills.
Since 2011, General Assembly (GA) has launched the technology careers of tens of thousands of diverse individuals and cultivated emerging tech talent pipelines for hundreds of the world’s leading employers.
GA offers online full- and part-time courses as career onramps into today’s most in-demand jobs in web development, data, design, and more. Through our corporate training programs, we also help companies compete for the future by sourcing, assessing, and growing their talent. All of these offerings are developed and led by industry experts. -
Skill-building/Tool
Analytics Academy helps you learn about Google's measurement tools so that you can grow your business through intelligent data collection and analysis.
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Podcast/Advice
Copacino Fujikado, Seattle’s foremost independent advertising agency—have some audio stories to tell.
They touch on a variety of topics from in and around the marketing and ad agency world, starting with “How I Fucked Up,” a series telling the tales of failure with special industry-leader guests (which means tales of UTTERLY GARGANTUAN F*CK-UPS, naturally).
So strap your headphones on, settle in, and let the sweet sounds of the CF Podcast Series take you away. -
🏘️ Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series:
Ladies Who Strategize (LWS) is a supportive community of women and non-binary strategists. This is the place to level up on strategy, discover jobs and freelance gigs, and find friends and collaborators.
Founded by Kim Mackenzie
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Community / Directory / Event Series, DEI
Ladies, Wine & Design is a global non-profit started in 2015 by Jessica Walsh. It has over 285 chapters worldwide. The initiative supports women and non-binary creatives, especially those from BIPOC backgrounds. They offer free mentorship, portfolio reviews, talks, and meetups to promote diversity and leadership in the creative industry.
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Industry News
Little Black Book (LBBOnline) is a global community and resource hub for advertising professionals. It offers the latest industry news, showcases creative work, and highlights award-winning projects. The site also features job listings, company profiles, and insights from industry leaders, making it a comprehensive platform for anyone involved in advertising and creative industries. Explore the creative library, join the community, and stay updated with trends and developments in advertising.
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Talent Development Program
The Marcus Graham Project is a non-profit organization that holds a variety of programs and workshop to train, mentor, and provide the experience needed to the next generation by connecting and collaborating with individuals from all backgrounds in the fields of marketing and media.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
The 4A's Foundation Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) connects 120+ aspiring diverse entry-level professionals with over 75 prestigious advertising and media agencies nationwide annually. It is a 22-week national fellowship program for aspiring diverse entry-level advertising professionals.
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Podcast/Advice, DEI
Eavesdrop as Kai and Simeon bring the silo’d and uncomfortable conversations about diversity equity & inclusion in creative industries to the forefront, so everyone can participate. They'll say all the things you never hear in mixed company.
Link: https://www.mixedcompanypodcast.com/listen-to-the-show
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Talent Development Program
An intensive, nearly cost-free 20-week training program that combines advertising fundamentals with the maker skills and tools needed to bring effective short-form, video-first campaigns to life at the speed of culture.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
ONE School is an online portfolio school for Black creatives that was co-founded by Oriel Davis-Lyons and The One Club. Students are taught by the industry's top creative talent and the program is supported by the best agencies and brands in the world. 16 weeks. 10 briefs. 1 dope book. Are you ready?
Link: https://oneschoolus.com/
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Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series, Podcast / Blogs / Advice:
OWN IT is a group of female and non-binary advertising professionals committed to making changes that uplift and empower underrepresented groups in the industry—especially when it comes to agency ownership.
Hosted by Cornett owner Christy Hiler, the Own It podcast lifts up the stories of women and nonbinary ad agency owners: their challenges, their successes, and their goals for the industry.
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Event Series
The PrePros is an event series focused on helping young creatives better understand the production process.
Founded by Rachel Frederick, Patrick Burke with production support by Danica Rosen and Maria Elena Lopez-Frank.
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🛠️ Skill-Building / Tool Resources
The struggle is real when you’re trying to land a badass job in the ad game, but your book needs an epic facelift. Our portfolio is like our business card, it needs to be decked out. It's our first contact with the agency. You gotta have the “holy sh*t” factor, right? Pimp My Portfolio was born to do this for you, making your life easier by helping you get into your dream agency to work alongside the big bosses. We offer partnership with Fabrik.io and Squarespace.com Also, we have 24 recruiters along our side to make your portfolio looks awesome and help you land a job.
This resource was created by Camilla Ciappina.
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Community / Directory / Event Series, DEI
SheSays is an award-winning organization running free mentorship and events for women in the creative industry.
Link: http://weareshesays.com/
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Podcast/Advice
Hear from, Ashley Rutstein, Freelance Creative Director & Copywriter, as she share videos about ad campaigns, industry happenings, ad career tips, copywriting and concepting techniques, and portfolio support.
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Podcast/Advice
The "Talk to a Creative Director" website connects you with top creative directors. It's a place where you can get advice, feedback, and support for your creative projects. Whether you're a designer, writer, or artist, this site helps you improve your work with expert guidance.
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Podcast / Blogs / Advice
When Katy Hornaday became CEO in 2025, the advertising industry was shifting fast—new technology, new pressures, and no clear playbook. In Tell Me Everything, Katy sits down with leaders for candid conversations about navigating uncertainty, tough decisions, and change in real time—replacing the loneliness of leadership with honesty, perspective, and community
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
The Academy at GSP is a year-long portfolio program based in San Francisco and is completely tuition-free. You'll be guided by award-winning professionals and gain access to the resources of Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
An 8-week group coaching program led by Jason Bagley, a former Executive Creative Director. With small class sizes of up to 18 students, this program offers personalized mentoring to help creatives at all levels excel in their careers. Participants get access to detailed video lessons and weekly live Q&A sessions with Jason. This program is designed for ambitious creatives who want to improve their work using real client projects, not portfolio assignments.
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Community
A support system that inspires, protects and champions women of all ages and backgrounds across creative industries.
Founded by Nat Taylor & Katarina Matic
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Community / Directory / Event Series
The Avail List is a platform designed to connect talented professionals with opportunities in the advertising industry. It features a curated list of creative talent, spotlighting individuals who are currently available for new projects. The site serves as a resource for agencies and companies looking to find skilled creatives, providing detailed profiles and showcasing recent work of the listed talent. It's an essential tool for both job seekers and employers in the advertising field.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking to get a job on the creative side of advertising and win some awards on the way to doing it! We offer creative concept classes for those interested in becoming Copywriters and Art Directors, which will help you to build a portfolio (otherwise known as “your book”) of ads so that you can go out and get a job at an ad agency, big or small! We’ve had thousands of students go through our program and have been guiding students to finished portfolios and great jobs for 35 years. In fact, hundreds of former Book Shop students are working at some of the top agencies, in jobs that have taken them all the way up to Creative Director and Executive Creative Director levels.
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Talent Development Program
The Creative Ladder is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit co-founded by Ryan Reynolds, Dionna Dorsey and David Griner that helps students from all backgrounds learn about creative careers and offers leadership training for those beginning their journeys. This organization offers a wide array of programs and services for students and rising creative talents to open up career options in marketing, advertising, design, and commercial production.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship, DEI
The LAGRANT Foundation is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of advertising, marketing, and public relations by providing scholarships, career & professional development workshops, mentors, and internships/jobs to African American, American Indian/Native American, Asian American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate and graduate students.
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
Global creative boot camps that are designed to provide college students from diverse backgrounds with an opportunity to work with the best agencies and creatives, and showcase their creative talents. During this four-day bootcamp, participants are introduced into the advertising industry, learn about the creative process, and how to create and present a campaign for a real client. The creative boot camp is a pipeline program into the advertising industry. Accordingly, there is no cost for students to participate and the application process is simple.
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Industry News
The Drum is a global media platform that covers the latest trends, news, and insights in marketing, advertising, and media.
Link: https://www.thedrum.com/
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Community
These Wolves is a handpicked collective of the top 1% of creative talent—the ones winning Effies, D&AD, One Show, Webbys, and Cannes every year. From veteran ECDs from the world’s best agencies, to the latest ADC Young Guns, we build bespoke teams for any creative challenge. We’re a project-based creative partner that helps brands, agencies, and production companies move fast and think big—without the overhead.
Invite Only
Founded by Adam Tompkins, Co-founder of WorkingNotWorking
Link: https://thesewolves.com/
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Portfolio Program / Talent Development Program / Mentorship
The Brandcenter offers a two-year, full-time master’s program for students interested in careers in marketing, advertising, branding, communications and innovation. Graduates earn a master’s degree and build a robust portfolio of creative work.
Brandcenter students concentrate in one of five areas of study (sub-concentrations): art direction, copywriting, creative brand management, experience design and strategy.
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Apply for Roles / Community / Directory / Event Series
We Are Shelance is a global community built to support and empower female freelancers. Whether you’re looking for work, seeking advice, or just want to connect with like-minded creatives, Shelance is a space designed to champion freelance talent.
Founded by Hollie Fraser
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Portfolio Program/Talent Development Program/Mentorship
A 100% free and fully remote creative mentorship program for those making a career pivot into art direction and copywriting.
Link: https://itstws.com/
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Community / Directory / Event Series, DEI
Where Are All The Black People? (WAATBP) is The One Club For Creativity's annual diversity career fair and conference for advertising professionals and students of all levels.. Since 2011, WAATBP has helped Black talent upskill, network, and find jobs.
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Community / Directory / Event Series, DEI
Women Who Create is a community of talented multicultural women with the goal of increasing retention, gender/ethnic diversity, and number of women in leadership positions in creative industries.
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Podcast
That’s Probably an Ad features co-hosts David Griner and Ko Im debate the highs and lows of creativity, advertising, marketing, media and technology. David and Ko are joined by Adweek’s news team every week in deep dives into a wide range of topics, including diversity and inclusion, social media influence, streaming media, women empowerment, etc.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yeah-thats-probably-an-ad/id1148183191?mt=2
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Award Competition
Young Ones is The One Club for Creativity's competition for students and recent graduates across creative disciplines. Young Ones is home to four unique competitions — Young Ones ADC, One Show, Portfolio, and TDC.
Link: https://youngones.org/
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