How do you start an advertising career?

How do I start a career in advertising out of college and without internship?

• So i graduated from a public university with a degree in graphic design and a minor in communication studies and was foolish to not see the importance of an internship when I was in school. I've been out of school for a while working retail and still have my old portfolio (class project pieces mostly). I still want a job in an advertising firm and I was hoping someone in the business can give me an idea of how to get in with lack of experience.

• Answer:

  I had similar experience when I graduated. Few ways to solve this: 1. Create a fake portfolio as if you did an internship. 2. Find any position in an advertising company and on your next job hunt write in your resume that you worked in an advertising company... position whatever you make of it. 3. Find an entry level in any agency low pay horrible hours but at least you get paid and learn your way up. What I did was I found a position in a company doing some commercial graphics, it was boring and not creative, but at least it got me started. I eventually made to the top salary earners of all my graduates in my class.