- That cute agency recruiter is not your BFF. She’s a cheerleader and usually, a genuinely nice, caring person. She/he wants you to say Yes or at least be interested enough so you won’t be acting disappointed if they don’t offer.
- But that middle school Facebook thing? Your fiancé’s medical bills? How much you want? None of her/his business. If she/he asks? Ask back – is that how much the job pays? Is she/he making you an offer? Ask informed questions about the agency, which superstars are still there? Are they still working on that mind-blowing-award-winning account?
- If cornered, you’re looking for the right first job. This job/agency/creative group/timing/whatever is exciting and all. When the job – and the offer – are right – we’ll all know. Don’t ramble, don’t lie. Be confident, comfortable with silence, ask them questions, ask if they have any. Which, of course, you get to decide how to answer.
- What’s the most important thing in a new job? In my mind at least one – if not two three forty – smart, creative, generous, award-winning folks in and around your specialty. People who can see what you have and help you develop it from your personal creative point of view. Not theirs.Not the agency’s. People you want to emulate, impress. No mentors, you won’t grow as fast, as far. That one special mentor? What if they quit? Make sure you have options to learn as well as do.
- Make sure those people have the time aptitude caring to mentor. Meet as many seniors and juniors (not just CDs, ACDs, ECDs, GCDs, the fabled, famous, etc.) as you can. In as many departments as you can. Ask if you can call them sometime for advice. Call those you respect if you get an offer, before you accept, listen to what they say. Keep your own counsel. Then do what your gut says. Keep their phone number, read their blog. Build the network.
- Don’t let a day pass without a thank you note. NOTE. As in hand-written on personal letterhead or in a truly smart/funny card (especially if it’s of your own concept, content, production). Keep it simple. Thanks for talking with me yesterday. You said some things I’ll definitely think about. No matter who you talked to, recruiter, a junior, ACD, ECD, AE. Everyone gets one, each individualized and hand-written. (Nothing wrong with printing out some sort of postcard you can use to brand yourself and say thank you in a smart way. Even if you print them with potatoes. Especially if you print them with potatoes. If you want to send an email too (as in ALSO), keep it light, make it immediate. The one they get in the snail mail is the one they’ll remember.
- Don’t work for the only (good or otherwise) shop in town. Especially not starting out. Not only does it leave you zip for local options (ok, freelance, start your own shop, get an MBA), it puts you in a very weak position looking for the next gig. If you quit/get fired, will you be able to support yourself beyond fast food until you find another ad job? Will their name and accounts make your book/resume more desirable? Go where the best mentors, offer – and options – are.
- Big shop/little shop? Depends. If it’s your only offer, problem solved. Before you sign on, think about these: The smaller the shop, they will tell you, the greater the attention. Maybe. But from whom? You’ll work on everything in the shop? Which parts? And what is everything? One other writer is hardly a wide exposure to many different talents. If they only have one really great writer, what are you doing to do if he/she quits? If you’re the only writer, you have to ask yourself: I may put lots of stuff in my book, but will it be smart enough challenged enough hot enough to prove growth, get me from here to there? How fast can I grow if I don’t have someone mentoring me?
- Big shop? How big? How much day-to-day will you get with the marquee names winning the marquee awards? What part of what accounts will you work on? Who will your partner, ACD, GCD, CD be? Will you present your own work? How many other teams will you be competing against to get ideas produced? Will you get your own assignments on your own accounts? Which accounts? Which media?
- This next little exercise proves nothing, but it will make you think about what is – and isn’t – important. What’s important but easily jettisoned. What you’ll settle for if all else fails.
List ten things you want on your
first (or any) job. Order them, #1 the
highest, #10 the lowest. Some things you
may want to consider:
Location
Money
Getting hired as a Team w/your
school AD/CW/GD/WD/Whatever
Agency
Creative Director
Partner
Awards
Percentage of Business done for
biggest account? (Too much, big layoffs
if they scoot – doesn’t matter if you work on that account or not.)
Time off for Wedding/Honeymoon/Birth of child
(this comes in at the end of all negotiations.
Legally, they can’t ask you about these.
(If you can’t budge the salary, offer time off w/pay in lieu of meeting
salary demands. This costs the agency
less $ because everything else (taxes, insurance, 401K, sometimes even title) is
based upon salary. Here, we’re talking relatively
inexpensive bonus.
Before
considering this as an important job option, re-read my first point and do not
mention it to anyone – not recruiter, not interviewing CD, not cool junior AD
you might get to work with. There’s a
time and place to discuss this – and/or anything.)
If you don’t care about getting paid, just
getting the time and have no negotiable issues left, now is the time
(upon a bona fide offer/acceptance) to discuss it. People hire people they like. They made their decision, it’s you. Most will work with you on a friendly basis -
unless you’re using getting paid time off as salary currency. Then it’s friendly, but still business/salary
negotiations.
Accounts
Mentors
Dog friendly
Remote work possible/arranged
%Advertising/%Web/%Promotions/%Brochures,
Collateral you’ll work on
Size of Agency/Creative
Department (People)
Caliber of Agency/Creative
Department (People)
Lots of others. What’s important to you.
At every step, notice if things
change on their own - or in relation to others. Really
think about each of the qualities you list.
After you have your list, remove
the top three qualities as if they don’t exist.
Put the remaining seven qualities in 1-7 rankings. Notice if any change position, why.
Once again, remove the top three
qualities as if they don’t exist. Put
the remaining four qualities in 1-4 rankings.
Notice if any change position, why.
For the last time, remove the top
three qualities. What’s left? Did it start out #10 on your original list? If not, why is it there now?
One more time. Without looking at your original list/order,
put the ten qualities in order of importance. When you’re done, compare lists. How do you feel now? How much has changed? Why?
You may want to do the exercise
with a few friends, discuss what’s important, where why when. Look at all the possibilities. From every angle. Make sure that first job’s will help you get to your second. Third. Final. Never forget the joy is in the doing. Hopefully, changing the way you look at
getting your first second twenty-whatever job will make the
process easier.
Listen to everyone when it comes
to job hunting/interviewing/workingonstaffwithbenefits. Then always always, listen to yourself. No one knows what’s best for you but
you – all we can share is what would be best for us in your situation. Remember that. Make your best decision. Be as happy as you can. Else why do it?
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