If you're interviewing at a shop who's work you're not familiar with, ask them to show you everything they've done within the past year.
Sometimes they'll already have it on the walls. Ask them about each piece - who worked on it, what the process was like, what they wish they could have done better.
When you're interviewing, don't take the agency's word for it that they're committed to doing great creative. Ask to see what they've done recently and make them prove it.
but don't comment that you thought this campaign had a great concept behind it but the execution went out into the weeds.
ReplyDeleteBecause sometimes the CD interviewing you did the execution...DOH!
I'm a recent ad school grad and have been trying to contact creative recruiters at different agencies. why do most of them not even bother to replay with a simple "no thank you, we are not hiring"? i know they are probably busy, but a little compassion for us new kids on the block would be nice....
ReplyDeleteAny tips on how to get through?
By this post, Greg doesn't mean that you still shouldn't do your research before going in. All agencies have their best work on their website, so check that out. Have some questions to ask. But be familiar with the work as much as possible going in.
ReplyDeleteAnd to Anonymous, recruiters are gatekeepers. If the agency isn't hiring, or if they don't care for your book, they may not write back. I agree that a little "got your stuff" email would be nice, but it often doesn't happen. Ideally, you go around these gatekeepers by contacting creative directors through connections. Alumni from your school? Personal connections? Friend of a friend? If you can get your book in the hands of the creative directors, that doesn't mean that THEY won't blow you off, but they're usually not inundated with quite as many books as the recruiters.