Aspiring Creative Directors

I feel funny that I even have to write this, but it's come up enough to warrant a few words.

Y'all know that in order to be a Creative Director, you have to start out as an actual creative person. Like an art director, designer or copywriter. See you spend a few years as a junior, a few as a mid level, a few more as a senior, a few years as an ACD, then you get to be CD. There is a logical progression here folks.

I am continually surprised by students or entry-level people when I ask 'what do you want to do?' They answer I want to be a creative director. Then I counter with 'well, first, what do you want to do?' And they answer creative director. By this time it's clear they don't understand that's not an entry-level job.

Think of it as school. You can't be a college graduate without going to grade school, middle school AND high school first.

It worries me that students aren't learning (or understanding) the progression of titles in advertising.

The students must pick a discipline first: art or writing for instance. Spend a heck of a lot of years learning and growing in that discipline. Be good enough to be promoted. Learn how to manage people and departments (we often forget this one). Then, maybe, you become Creative Director.

Just remember in order to direct creative, you have to have been a creative first.

Taking a Dose

This week I am heeding a dose of my own advice. Taken from my one of my favorite posts I've written, titled "QUIT." In that post, I say that quitting is a fantastic way to grow yourself (and your career).

"It’s not quit in the sense of giving up when things get too hard. This isn’t about hopelessness or a sense of failure. It’s quit in a much bolder sense. Quitting to try something new, to gain a fresh perspective, or to embark on a new endeavor. Quitting is risky. And risk is an exact expression of your courage."

This week --after 13 years-- I am quitting.

My time here at Y&R/Wunderman has been amazing. I can't even being to capture it in words. It's not just years spent, it's people met, skills learned, positions held, problems solved, networks expanded, fun had, people recruited. Good times all around.

So though the venue may change, my passions remain.

I will continue to author this blog and provide advice and snippets of counsel to those fresh to our business. I will continue to mentor young creatives seeking advice on their portfolios. I will continue to dedicate my time to those who'll be the future of our industry. Those are my passions and I am so lucky to be able spend time doing them.

I hope you'll all continue to read and, when the time is right, do some quitting of your own.

"By exposing yourself to change, by making the tough decision to switch jobs, by testing your courage, by quitting – you gain so much. And if you truly believe in the choices you make, there is no question you’re making the right decision."

"ABOUT ME"

I always say the “ABOUT ME” section is really what gets you hired.

I truly believe this. It’s certainly what gets you the interview in the first place.

I’ve said this before: You MUST differentiate yourself from the other candidates.

First assume everyone has a good book -- everyone that is your competition vying for the same job. If all the portfolios are good and make it past the first round, what is it then that gets someone selected for an interview?

The ABOUT ME section!

Here are some that have got my attention recently:

When I was 8, I trained myself to do the Vulcan Salute by duct-taping my fingers (both hands) together for an entire day. I hope I'll get the chance to meet you someday and show you.  (melissa ploysophon)

When you look at me you see Cary Grant, but without the height, handsomeness, acting talent, or overall pleasure of being around.        (jon miller)

A ginger. A copywriter. A regular writer. A former Swiss farm hand. A thinker. A big fan of Nicholas Cage movies. A former furniture delivery guy in Denver. A soul searcher. A former small time Chicago music critic. A former college boy; twice. A comedian / improv performer. A storyteller. A pretty cool guy.   (dave fox)

While I’ve never been a huge proponent of astrology, I was once presented with a horoscope that read, “You have a champion’s heart with the wanderlust of a gypsy.”  Truer words have never been written.
   (emily papp)

I leave you with some simple facts that you may not otherwise know about me.

1. My love for Coca-Cola outweighs my fear of inevitable diabetes.

2. Milk does a body good, unless it's mine.

3. People say I say funny things, I think they just misunderstand me.

(douglass huber)

Interests: Classic Nintendo games, rollerblading like it's 1995, gardening, cooking, kerning and obsessively watching The Food Network.                (shivonne miller)

10 Things Creatives should not have on a Resume

1. Listing Word, Excel, Windows, The Internet, Macintosh or Microsoft Office as skills.  Ummm, Duh.

2. Any of the following words: Team Player, Multi-Tasker, Hard Worker, Detail Oriented, World Class, Aforementioned, Right Brain, Whole Brain, Holistic Thinker, Marketing Professional.

3. A QR code.  I am not going to pick up my phone, take a shot, then peruse your portfolio on my phone. Ever.

4. More than 3 fonts. More is not more.

5. A 5-paragraph cover letter. I actually think creatives should skip the cover letter.

6. Links to a Blog or Twitter account that have content a recruiter really shouldn't see. If you are going to give me more content that you author, make sure it enforces the reasons I'd want to hire you.

7. Referencing yourself in the 3rd person. Creepy.

8. A design that makes any part of the resume hard to read.

9. A lack of personality. You must show something that differentiates you from the next person.

10. An Objective section that starts with "To Obtain. . ." I already know you want a job, no need to muddle it up with corporate speak.

When in Doubt, Counter

Being offered your first job is exciting, and. . . super stressful.

How do you know it's the right place for you? What exactly are the job duties? How much are they going to pay you? What if everyone who works there is a dork? What if I hate my partner?

All valid concerns. Especially, the "how much are they going to pay you" concern.

The second you hear the actual amount being offered to you, you'll have one of two reactions: total joy or total bummed-out-ness. Hopefully the former, sometimes the latter.

Here's my advice: if you are offered an amount that you just can't swallow, ask for more.

This advice also applies when you've been somewhere a year and you deserve a raise. Ask for it. There is absolutely no harm in declaring your worth (as long as you realize others might not wholeheartedly agree).

My sister got offered a job last week. First thing she tells me is she can't get by on the salary. Mind you, she did NOT say she thinks she deserves more or is worth more or should be making more (all of which may be very true). She said she can't get by on the salary.

It's a great job at an interesting place and she really wanted to work there. Counter them I said. Call them up tell them how excited you are by the opportunity, how great a fit it is for you, AND that you would like to ask for 10K more. Then be quiet. Let them respond. Candidates usually mess up the opportunity by talking too much. Keeping quiet is key.

I can tell you no hiring manager wants to lose a candidate this far in the process. If they truly can, they'll see what they can do. If they can't, they'll say so. No harm, no foul.

She countered, they came up, everyone's happy.

Happy Graduation

Congratulations to all the advertising and design students that are graduating this week. Pure awesomeness.

Here is your post-graduation to do list:
1. have a beer
2. thank your instructors
3. take a vacation
4. get the crappy school assignments out of your portfolio

Last week I attended a senior portfolio show at a local college. As one student was showing me his work, I got stuck on a newsletter piece he had in his portfolio.

The newsletter had some pretty heavy, yet really interesting topics like 'Drinking and Sexual Abuse.' What tripped me up was his photo choice in the article. It was a huge, disproportionate photo of a banquet table. Yes there were wine glasses in the shot, which I guess related the drinking part to the story. The size of the shot was off the charts when compared to the copy and I really felt he could have chosen a more emotional and striking photo.

The next page showed something similar: huge photo, uninteresting shot, weird placement. As did the next, and so on.

Well, turns out, this newsletter was the by product of a photography assignment. The students did a large scale photography exercise and then as a subsequent assignment, had to create a newsletter around those same shots. Hence the shots that really didn't fit the stories.

Dude, take that crap out of your book. It is not helping you land a job.

Now that you are done with school, you can be done with the mandatory school assignments that might not be the strongest representation of your creative skills.

Filter through your book and make sure every piece that remains is 100% the best possible work you can do. No one needs to see the assignments that were, albeit for a purpose, not good for your final portfolio.

Nice Message

Hannah Choi & Rebecca Ullman from VCU Brandcenter created this video promoting the Tomorrow Awards from ihaveanidea.org.

Simple. And I love it.


The Tomorrow Awards from Hannah Choi on Vimeo.

Someone else's great advice

Sometimes I come across advice to juniors written by other people and get sooooo jealous, wishing I was as brilliant to write it myself.

This gem on the Ad Buzz site, was written by Mat Zucker, Chief Creative Officer of OgilvyOne Worldwide. It's called "What I Wish Someone Had Told Me" and is capital B-Brilliant.

I have been hounding students about the art of the craft and Mat echos this in his point about typography. I urge students to be savvy and knowledgeable about current events and pop culture and Mat too prescribes this when he says know your content.

Have a read, it is some of the best advice out there for juniors.

Kenji Summers

We've released some new footage from our Pursuit of Passion: Diversity in Advertising shoot. 

Here the team shadows Kenji Summers, a strategist from BBH in NYC, on a typical day at work. Kenji is a self-described + Strategist + Cool Hunter + Idea Spreader + Connector. He's a guy that I know will be making an incredible journey in advertising for years to come. Find out more about him on his personal site.

Glamour Don't #572

Dear unknown cell phone user, please don't text my cell phone asking for a contact name. I appreciate you signing your name, though unfortunately I didn't recognize that either.

To me, a text is urgent. Or at least urgent-er than a phone message. So I am not sure texting a creative recruiter or creative director on their cell is such a good idea. Unless you are a candidate accepting an offer of employment or telling me you are going to be late for an imminent interview, I don't understand the urgency. 

Now, had this been an actual phone call to my cell, I'd have been surprised but certainly wouldn't have hung up on the person. I may have even given them credit for being ballsy to call me on my cell, rather than on my office number. A stranger's text to me is a tiny bit intrusive.

Though after being taken aback by this text, I wondered why was it that this startled me? Was it surprise at a stranger having my cell number in the first place? Was it shock at blanking on their name when perhaps I really do know them and in fact gave them my cell last weekend at a dinner party?  Was it that I am just from a different generation and texting is an exception rather than a rule. Maybe anyone of these. 

Use this as a guide. If a recruiter or creative director didn't personally give you their cell number, best not to text it. Give them a ring instead.

p.s. to my texter: The person to contact in HR is Christine Hays. She can be reached at 949-754-2000.

Remember This?

Behold the phone.

Remember when this was our primary means of communication? We actually picked up the phone and called people when we needed to say something. We'd chat and laugh and share stories. We'd spend a few minutes getting to know one another, do a little business, then make up a good excuse to hang up. All was good back then.

Today we all seem to be overly inundated with texts, IMs, emails, LinkedIn messages, and Facebook posts. Electronica killed the Phone-ica star. It is just faster and easier to type and text than it is to make a phone call. Yet easier and faster shouldn't justify the end of personal human connections.

In the last week, two people cold called me out of the blue. And I have to say, it was so nice.

One, a local designer I didn't know and two, a junior art director from Humber College. Both said they were in the middle of typing me a note when they thought "why not call?"

It makes you forget how nice a simple human connection is until you get people saying they chose calling over writing. It also makes you feel a bit special that they chose to call you over write you. Next time you have the choice (and the time), pick up the phone. Establishing a new business relationship hearing someone's voice makes a difference. You can text and type all you want from there on out.

Getting more involved

I came across a recent interview of Luke Sullivan on The Big Orange Slide. Luke’s Group Creative Director of GSD&M Advertising in Austin, Texas and author of Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: A guide to creating great ads (one of my all-time fav books for students!).

I love his answer to this question - From a career perspective, what’s the importance of making intangible cultural contributions to an agency?

"Pretty interesting question. To get ahead in this business, you need to contribute to the agency by doing great work. But you can also contribute by being a helpful and involved company person. That means caring about more than just the ads you’re workin’ on, but caring about the company itself. You can contribute by raising your hand to help with new business. Or by picking up the empty pop bottle by the front door. Or helping with the agency web site or agency blog. All things being equal creatively, management at your agency is gonna notice someone who’s involved over a cube dweller."

Wow. Contribute by being helpful. As in picking up the empty pop bottle by the front door. I love the simplicity of this advice. It reminds us that our existence in an agency goes beyond creative abilities or our official job description.

This hit a chord with me because I am constantly picking up used paper towels in our agency bathroom. It's like I am the only person who sees them there. Or maybe just someone who treats my workplace as a second home (cuz it pretty much is). And I would no sooner leave used paper towels lying on the floor of my bathroom at home as I would here at work. Simple.

We can all use a reminder to be more involved with the agencies we work at. Jumping onto a new business pitch is hard when you are crazy busy. Volunteering to host bring your Kid's to Work Day is equally a time suck. But, at some point we all realize that helping oftentimes goes beyond your day job. Being truly involved in your workplace is so much more than 9 to 5. A little reminder of that every so often is appreciated.

Read the rest of Mr. Sullivan's interview, he is a champion at giving great advice. Then go pick up the bathroom.

Second time around

My office is moving in a month. You all know how moves go with a 2-bedroom apartment, imagine a 10,000 square foot business. Messy mess all around.

I've been packing bits of my office this past week and lingered awhile with the 2 big boxes of portfolios sitting in a corner. Neglected since the popularity of electronic portfolios took over.

I'm really not sure what to do with them, some go back quite a few years. Their owners never reclaimed them and I occasionally poke through them when I'm stuck for a freelancer or candidate. It feels wrong to throw any of them away.

So I'm picking through the box and glancing at work and trying to decide if it's time to start chucking them. As I do this, I'm remembering sitting with some of these students and going over their books.

It's weird because I can recall not liking this or that particular campaign and trying to explain to the student why or how they could make it better. Though that's not the weird part. What's weird is that now that I re-look at some of this work a few years later, I'm liking it.

Now I'm questioning my old comments and thinking perhaps what I said or thought at the time isn't valid or has eased a bit. Is this just changing my mind? Is this what the passage of time does?

Really all I think it means is we –recruiters, creative directors, teachers– feel different things at different times about the work we are reviewing. You probably know this is true if you've participated in a portfolio review. One recruiter will say one thing and another will say exactly the opposite.

It's good to realize that the seeing work the second time around means I am opening the door to new talent. I'll reconsider people who weren't right at a particular time. You should know that's good news for you too. An agency who passed on you a few years ago may be calling you up for something now. Just as soon as they find your book at the bottom of the box.

Advertising & Branding Advice

Check out this video from Marcel Knobel, founder of the Creative and Commercial advertising agency. His interview with Ads of the World gives some great advice to juniors on how achieve a successful career.

Some of the questions he addresses:

"What elements are needed to succeed in the advertising industry?"

"What do you look for in a job candidate?"
"How should one dress for a job interview in the advertising industry?"
"How should one prepare for an interview in the advertising industry?"
"What does a marketing or advertising graduate need to know?"
"How important is a candidate's work experience and education?"

A few answers

Answers to a few questions I was sent recently. . .

When is the best time of the year to apply for jobs as a copywriter?

At first, I didn't really think there was a season for copywriter jobs, but when I thought again about your question I changed my mind. I can tell you the season when agencies and recruiters are flooded with other candidates - graduation time. This may not translate to a hiring season, but it certainly would be the time when you are competing against a larger than average pool of candidates.

I wrote a post a while back about two seniors about 2 months from graduation and they were already making their rounds across the country on informational interviews. They wanted to beat the graduation rush and that was pretty smart.

Do you have any advice for a copywriter trying to get a job without a partner?

Have a great book. That's it. The best books get the job, partner or not.

Does your level of creativity determine salary and/or title?

Not title. Right out of school you are a junior until you prove yourself otherwise. (I am assuming you mean juniors here). Now salary, perhaps a bit. If I think a person is super, super good and that they may be considering other opportunities, then of course I want to entice them with a higher salary. We just interviewed Jeremy Carson, an CSULB senior three days before his graduation. His book was fantastic. Right now he has more than one employer courting him and I can bet you the highest salary has the strongest chance of landing him.

Do all ‘juniors’ have to start as juniors?

Uh. Yea. But that you put 'juniors' in quotes I am guessing you mean someone who maybe is older than the average student or had another career before getting in to advertising, then are they really a junior when they start? I met a guy at Brandcenter recently who went to portfolio school, became a copywriter then went back to school to get his masters as a Creative Technologist. He asked me the same question. He isn't a junior due to his previous years in the business, but he is a junior in terms of just graduating with a different degree.

I would image each recruiter has the discretion to make the hire at whatever level seems appropriate. I'd hire that CT from Brandcenter as a mid-level person, his experience as an agency copywriter would be a big plus.

How long should I wait for a response before realizing that they are just not into my book?

Well, always remember that no response does not necessarily mean they aren't liking your book. It usually means the person is way too busy with way too many books to look at to either check yours out or to get back to you once they do. Wait a decent amount of time after sending it before following up. Then wait a decent amount of time after that before sending one last communication (email/vm) that says something like, "I recently sent you my portfolio, which I am hoping you've had a chance to review. I am very interested in working at ________________, yet above all I'd love to hear your feedback on my work. May I get a few pointers from your perspective that would make my book better?

No person in their right mind could ignore that. A genuine request for feedback. Then, in getting their feedback, you'll also get a clearer answer if they like your book. Or not.

Should we try to get the Creative Recruiters direct email, or just send via the 'general way', like whatever their website provides us with?

Try to get the creative manager's direct email. My HR forwards me anything remotely creative, but you don't want to take the chance that other HR people don't or that your email gets lost in the shuffle.

Have Faith

Graduation is upon us. Those of you in your last year of school are studying for tests, finalizing your books and, thank god, attending your very last classes.

It's been so long since I've graduated college that I forget what it felt like in those last few days. I can't remember if I was nervous though I'm certain I was relieved. I was so far from having a clue about what I wanted to do that the idea of being fearful didn't enter my brain. I started that summer like any other summer, set on doing a lot of nothing and getting very tan while doing it.

Yesterday I spoke with a young woman from Savannah College of Art & Design. She is nearing graduation and she's a bit scared of what comes next. Her name is Amy Troche-Walsh and I'm sure she is feeling a lot like a whole bunch of you who are closing in on your graduation date.

Amy has nothing to be worried about. She has a very strong book (she's an art director doubling as a competent copywriter). But, I imagine whether you feel you are good gets overridden by whether you feel you are good enough.

The nervousness of going out into the great beyond is natural. Will agencies like your book? Will you get interviews? Will you get a job? Will you get a decent salary? All those questions are natural. Just have faith. Have faith that your book is solid (that's what all those years of school got you). Have faith people will like your work (see my recent post about something for everyone). Have faith that a job will come through at a salary you can live with.

You are just beginning. Beginnings are always good and always a bit scary. Good people with good books will always find their way. I have faith in that.

Brandcenter Portfolio Review

I spent last week at VCU Brandcenter's Senior Show. Me and about 100 other creative managers and recruiters from across the nation. Good times all around.

Brandcenter is just plain cool. Another place that made me want to quit my job and sign up for school. And, any chance I have to meet and chat with students makes my day. There was such great work and so many students to get to know, both which made for a very worthwhile trip.

Now when the recruiters left the session each day, most of us wound up at the hotel bar to catch up and share thoughts on all we'd seen.

Did you see Hope Jordan's Richmond Ballet work? Happen to chat with Don Sticksel, the copywriter turned Creative Technologist? (we recruiters discussed CT's at length this trip). What did you think of that nice copy in Colin Quinn's Victoria's Secret campaign? At the end of the day, we were like chatty school girls (+/- a drink or two).

You'd think with 100 recruiters and 97 students there'd be a feeding frenzy and hiring battle amongst us. There surprisingly wasn't and I loved being able to compare notes on the students with recruiters from the top agencies in the U.S. Remember there is usually only one of us at each agency, so we tend not to commensurate very often.

What came out of these late-night discussions was reassuring to me and, I'd imagine, to all the juniors out there. At the end of the day, some of us liked the same work; some of us disliked the same work; a few loved a particular student and others did not; those I connected with, some found they didn't; and so on.

Everyone's tastes are different. I can like a student or one of their campaigns, while the recruiter next to me can hate it. I can not get a concept, while another recruiter thinks it is fabulous. And it's OK. That's what makes recruiting (and showing your book) so great. There is something/someone for everyone. All of our respective agencies have different needs. In turn, the recruiters are all looking for something slightly different in their hires.

Juniors, take note. A recruiter who is looking for someone with just your style or tone or ideas will find you. As well, another may pass you up. It all works out in the end. And, for graduates of VCU Brandcenter I guarantee, it'll end well.

Coming around and going around

In our industry it is a well-known rule, every person you cross paths with once, you'll cross paths with again. The sooner you learn this, believe this and act on this, the better.

First learn this. Learn that every person comes into your career for a reason. That co-worker you kinda can't stand. That creative director who is uber-ridiculously-detail-obsessed. That sweet receptionist who offered you a glass of water while you were waiting.

It's no accident that particular person crossed your path at that exact moment in time. Now your job is to treat them with respect (even if it is merely respecting their ability to be a jerk) and respond always with professionalism and kindness. Your are building bridges early on in your career, it's much too early to tear any down.

Next believe this. Believe that any encounter with someone teaches you something. That ucky co-worker teaches you how to interact with difficult people. That polite receptionist teaches you that courtesy is title neutral.

Believe that you are going to spend your entire career meeting and mixing people who'll range from sweet as pie to big fat ugh. They teach you how to be a better person, a better creative, a better manager, a better whatever. You don't learn all this work stuff on your own. You learn it by having experiences (the harder, the better) with others. Those experiences are what help you grow in your career.

Lastly, act on this. Act like the person you've crossed paths with will be back in your life 10 years later. Because, in this industry, that's a given. Act like you would if, in 10 years, this person will be your boss. Or your HR director. Or your partner. I guarantee if you use this mentality, you'll always come out ahead.

Everyone remembers kindness and respect. Just don't ever, ever, ever forget that people remember disrespect and bad encounters even longer.

The Next Generation

Yesterday I was honored to speak at the 4A's Transformation 2010 event. All of the presenters focused on areas that are undergoing or should undergo transformation to grow and strengthen the advertising industry. I, of course, wanted to represent juniors in the industry.

My topic: It's the next generation who will transform advertising.

I told the crowd, "There is no doubt that innovations in media, technology and every other topic in this conference will transform advertising. No doubt. But, those changes cannot happen without the properly trained minds to put them to use.

The next generation is critical to our industry. I’m here today to stress the importance of embracing young talent. And to plead with each one of you to play a role in fostering the next generation. For longevity of the enterprise.

Let's transform history by investing in our future."

And based on the feedback I got after speaking, there are a lot of people in this industry that care about junior talent as passionately as I do. It's my hope the momentum continues and the industry does better to embrace and nurture the next generation.

What does creative look like?

A question I have been asking lately is "How'd you know you were creative?" In essence, what does being creative look like? I ask this because when I was young, I never knew that anything I was doing would be considered creative, much less be anything I could base a career off of.

I suspect there are a ton of young people who, just like I did, do all sorts of things in a creative fashion without ever realizing the potential of that creativity. For me, it was an insane interest in visual images from magazines. I'd spend hours and hours cutting out faces and cool type and interesting shots, then an equal amount of hours arranging and re-arranging them onto a wall-size cork board.

Here's what people are saying:

I doodled everywhere, on every paper when I was in grade school.

I've hand made cards ever since I was young.

I was always drawing cartoons and making comics.

People were always coming to me to write something for them, usually something funny.

I loved drama and performing.

I was drawing and painting all the time.

We might be called creative at a young age if we had a paintbrush in hand. Or if we were drawing cartoons. People tend to use the word creative to something tangible and "art-like."

It's when we do the not-so-obvious creative things like doodling or making crafts or ripping up magazines that we may not be called out as creative.

Yet it is and we are.

Pay attention to the subtle signs of creativity from when you were young. My guess is they're steering you toward a career where these skills can flourish.