When Linley Bruess was investigating majors at ISU during her freshman year, she knew she wanted to be in a major that allowed her to use her creative skills. She found that advertising was a great fit for her and, now in her last semester, she’s had multiple opportunities on and off campus to use those creative skills.
“I really liked what advertising had to offer, and I’ve loved it ever since,” she said.
Bruess, a senior from Protivin, Iowa, is the creative department student manager for the Iowa State Daily. In this role she interviews, hires, trains, and schedules about 10 – 12 student designers who, along with Bruess, design 90 – 95 percent of the advertisements in the publication.
Bruess and the student designers also provide page layout designs for the Daily’s 20 special sections each year. Bruess is in her second year in the management position, and estimates that she works at the Daily about 25 hours per week.
The Ad Club also keeps her busy. Bruess has been a member of the student club for three years and has climbed the ladder from member to trip director to president.
Last year she coordinated a trip to Chicago for 15 student members of the club. In three days they visited four advertising agencies. Bruess made all of the agency contacts and was also responsible for the itinerary, food, transportation and lodging.
Her experience at the Daily and in the Ad Club have taught her a lot about leadership and time management skills, she said. At the newspaper, she is responsible for making daily deadlines. With the Ad Club, she is in contact with the club advisor and the members on a weekly basis. The club also brings in speakers from the Des Moines area to talk to the members about career opportunities.
After graduation in May 2011, Bruess wants to find a designer position at an advertising agency or corporate entity. Eventually she wants to move into a position as a creative director where she can plan advertising campaigns.
Her internship experiences will also benefit her as she pursues job opportunities. Bruess was a design and promotions intern at Chicago Tribune Interactive (now Chicago Tribune Digital) during the summer of 2010. She created designs and logos for the company’s newspapers and broadcasts, conducted research, and promoted an online baby contest that garnered about 28,000 entries.
Bruess also completed an internship in the summer of 2009 at Freestyle Public Relations in West Des Moines. The experience helped her polish her writing skills, she said.
Bruess’ hard work and involvement on and off campus have not gone unnoticed. Along with her extracurricular activities, she has managed to keep a high grade point average, which all led to scholarship opportunities. Bruess has received an academic recognition award, the M. Keith Molsberry Scholarship and a Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication Scholarship.
“It feels good to be recognized for all of the hard work I’ve put in here,” she said.