An executive creative director once told me that one of the most important things she could do as a manager was to make sure she understood what each person in her department's personal goals were, then try to give them a path to those goals.
Because there's a lot of upward pressure in our industry (or maybe it just has more to do with the American psyche) the perception is often that there is one path:
JR CW/AD >> CW/AD >> ACD >> CD >> GCD >> ECD >> CCO >> PRESIDENT >> JR DEITY >> DEITY
The truth, however, is that a CD job isn't a good fit for everyone, either because of skills or choice. A lot of creatives would prefer to stick to what they love--actually creating the ads--and avoid the meetings, politics and other B.S. that come with a management position. There's nothing wrong with this. Your boss won't see it as lack of ambition (or at least shouldn't).
The key for you is to figure out what your goals are and to let your boss know about them. Sometimes there are official channels for this, like annual evaluations. If not, find a good time to have a meeting. Let them know what your goals are and ask them what you need to do to get there. What do you need to work on and improve? And if it's not your goal to be promoted to the next level, cool. You just need to know where you want to be in a few years, because if your boss asks you, the worst answer you can give is "I don't know."
Showing posts with label career. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career. Show all posts
Answers to Questions
A couple posts back, Bukes asked two really good questions.
Q: As a junior, how realistic is it to get to work on anything other than the "bill paying" projects?
Greg says: That depends on the size of the agency. If you’re in a small shop with only a few teams, you’ll work on pretty much everything. If you join a larger shop, the chances diminish. That’s why you’ll hear the mantra, “Take advantage of every opportunity.” You only get to work on tray liners? Make them tray liners worth entering into the One Show. You’ve only got a table tent? Make it more than a table tent.
Jim says: I wholeheartedly agree. Every project counts. And if it's a tray liner, do the best tray liner anyone has ever seen. Then bring ideas for posters and napkins and in-store posters and anything else you can think of. I was offered my very first job because of an assignment to re-design the McDonald's employee application during an internship. My partner and I wanted more stuff for our books, so we did in-store posters, drive-thru posters, menu signs and, yes, tray liners. The creative was okay, but the creative directors were just impressed that we took the initiative.
As a junior, you want to prove that you're a source of great ideas. And nobody's going to fault you if you say, "I know the assignment didn't call for stunts, but we had this idea we thought could be really cool." Just MAKE SURE YOU DO THE ASSIGNMENT first. It's not "We didn't want to do tray liners so we did a spot." It's "We did these tray liners AND had this other idea."
Q: How long should you do that before you can expect to start building your professional book?
Greg says: You start building your professional book the day you start earning a paycheck. Not feeling like you’re getting enough great creative? You’ve got two choices: 1) quit and find another job, 2) start doing great creative. Give the clients something more than they asked for. If it’s good enough, most agencies will pay to run and enter it. Or go out and get a pro bono client. I shortlisted at Cannes this year with a client that I went out and found on my own. I had some great creative directors and producers help bring it to life. But if I hadn’t made the cold call, I wouldn’t have it on my reel.
Jim says: Keep in mind, high-profile assignments aren't always all they're cracked up to be. There's a lot to be said about the tiny assignment nobody cares about. As a writer, I LOVE to do radio because (and shhhh, this is a secret), nobody gives a shit about radio. Creative directors nod along and check their blackberries when you present it, then it's usually a junior client approving it. Compared with political, high-profile projects where you might have 9 creative reviews before the work even leaves the agency, assignments that nobody else cares about can be rewarding in more ways than one.
Q: As a junior, how realistic is it to get to work on anything other than the "bill paying" projects?
Greg says: That depends on the size of the agency. If you’re in a small shop with only a few teams, you’ll work on pretty much everything. If you join a larger shop, the chances diminish. That’s why you’ll hear the mantra, “Take advantage of every opportunity.” You only get to work on tray liners? Make them tray liners worth entering into the One Show. You’ve only got a table tent? Make it more than a table tent.
Jim says: I wholeheartedly agree. Every project counts. And if it's a tray liner, do the best tray liner anyone has ever seen. Then bring ideas for posters and napkins and in-store posters and anything else you can think of. I was offered my very first job because of an assignment to re-design the McDonald's employee application during an internship. My partner and I wanted more stuff for our books, so we did in-store posters, drive-thru posters, menu signs and, yes, tray liners. The creative was okay, but the creative directors were just impressed that we took the initiative.
As a junior, you want to prove that you're a source of great ideas. And nobody's going to fault you if you say, "I know the assignment didn't call for stunts, but we had this idea we thought could be really cool." Just MAKE SURE YOU DO THE ASSIGNMENT first. It's not "We didn't want to do tray liners so we did a spot." It's "We did these tray liners AND had this other idea."
Q: How long should you do that before you can expect to start building your professional book?
Greg says: You start building your professional book the day you start earning a paycheck. Not feeling like you’re getting enough great creative? You’ve got two choices: 1) quit and find another job, 2) start doing great creative. Give the clients something more than they asked for. If it’s good enough, most agencies will pay to run and enter it. Or go out and get a pro bono client. I shortlisted at Cannes this year with a client that I went out and found on my own. I had some great creative directors and producers help bring it to life. But if I hadn’t made the cold call, I wouldn’t have it on my reel.
Jim says: Keep in mind, high-profile assignments aren't always all they're cracked up to be. There's a lot to be said about the tiny assignment nobody cares about. As a writer, I LOVE to do radio because (and shhhh, this is a secret), nobody gives a shit about radio. Creative directors nod along and check their blackberries when you present it, then it's usually a junior client approving it. Compared with political, high-profile projects where you might have 9 creative reviews before the work even leaves the agency, assignments that nobody else cares about can be rewarding in more ways than one.
Career Warehouse
Your career is a warehouse. It's got an inventory. And you decide what comes in, and what you keep in storage. Unless, of course, you stop paying attention.
That's when crates of 20-second legal copy start to show up in the shipping office. That's when the forklifts bring in palates of "ACT NOW!" starbursts. You sign for these deliveries because the client or your creative director promises "just this once." Or maybe you let them pile up because you're "just paying your dues."
But then the shipment for the One Show has to go out. And you look around your warehouse and realize you're out of creative stock. There's nothing good on the shelf. All you have are some moldy cardboard boxes marked "CONCEPT STILL IN TESTING" and "POLISHED TURDS."
The easiest way to keep your warehouse from being cluttered is to keep an inventory. I recommend monthly. Quarterly at the very least. Figure out what you need more of and find a way to go get it. It's the end of the month. Why not take inventory right now? It sounds like a Stephen Covey aphorism, but a little self-evaluation is better than hoping you catch a break on the next assignment.
Going a whole year without getting into the One Show isn't so bad. Going a whole year without having anything to enter into the One Show is.
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