How to get a job in advertising, design or media
3Feb09

[I wrote this post back in 2009. Its just as relevant today so I have "refurbished" & re-posted it]

I receive on average 4 to 5 job applications per week, every week of the year.

  • 90% come via email.
  • About 70% are actually addressed to me (rather than Dear Sir/Madam).
  • Over 90% seem to be carbon copies of the same resume format, with the same information / qualifications.
  • 99.5% get placed in an email file for future reference.

Funny thing is, despite having a growing agency and hiring numerous staff over the last few years…only one of these people has even gotten an interview.

Why?

Two reasons I can think of….

1. If you are trying to get a job in an industry that is all about creating sales and awareness for clients through the implementation of creative and strategic thinking, surely you must be able to market yourself well first. Sending the same old boring resume via the same delivery method as your “competitors” doesn’t cut the mustard. It shows little creative or strategic thought and it doesn’t stand out in a cluttered “media channel” (ie. my email inbox). And you want to get into marketing????

2. I’m not really interested in your resume. I’m interested in interesting people. I’m interested in what you think, in your ideas, in your enthusiasm. I can’t really see that in a resume.

Of my current team, there is only one person who I didn’t know at all prior to joining us. The rest I had met before. They either worked in the industry, were suppliers or potential customers. Three of them joined us after I invited them. I had gotten to know and respect them and thought they’d be a good fit for the agency.

So, does this mean all aspiring ad-execs and creatives should just give up now?

Not all. Just change the approach.

If I was trying to get a job with someone like me here’s what I’d do:

1. Do some research. Find out plenty about the agency. Find out what sort of work they’re doing and where they seem to be heading. In our case, we are pursuing a strong digital agenda and we are heavy users of social media and social networks.

2. Determine the people you need to get to know and introduce yourself (without asking for a job) via the best delivery channel (not the easiest or laziest). For example, we blog a lot and spend a lot of time on Twitter. Making comments on a few of our blog posts and following us on Twitter would quickly put someone on our radar.

3. Begin impressing the right people with your ideas, witty repartee and enthusiasm. Sparking up a conversation on Twitter is easy. Don’t rush in for the kill though, take your time so your target can get to know you. If you have your own blog site you would be able to slowly introduce people in the industry to your work, your thoughts, your creativity, your insight……you. Back in 2006 Gavin Heaton wrote that Blogs are the new CV. Its even more relevant now.

4. Keep your finger on the pulse. Follow the agency’s progress, announcements and hiring cycles. When the time is right, you will be able to raise your hand and ask or apply. You will have a much better chance of getting the interview and the job if the people hiring already know you in some way.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice rather than for a job. As I said at the beginning, I receive a lot of unsolicited resumes. The majority send one email then I never hear from them again. Its clearly a low percentage strategy. A better approach would be to ask a potential employer for advice. “Hi, I am looking to break into the industry, I was wondering if you could help? Do you know anyone who might be looking for….. Or, how should I…..” etc. Once again, if you have already established some sort of relationship with the person you will get even greater returns.

Right now I can look around the Australian blogosphere, or my Twitter list, and see many up and coming industry stars. These people are on my radar and, I am sure, the radars of many agencies. When the time is right they will likely stroll into the jobs of their choice. Or when they choose to change jobs, they will already have made the connections. They won’t need to send an email resume to introduce themselves.

If you’re reading this, then you probably already know this. But if you have friends looking to break into the industry then maybe you should let them know.

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22 Responses to “How to get a job in advertising, design or media”

I’m just about to write a five part series for Marketing Mag on this exact topic but for graduates. Now you realise, under laws of the Internet, I’m going to steal some of this. ;]

Comment by Zac Martin on February 3rd, 2009

Nice post. I think twitter has done more for the recruiting process than any other innovation. A CV is a static and carefully crafted document – LinkedIn is a little better because it gives visibility into someone’s network. Twitter gives you direct insight into the quality of someone’s thinking, what they find important, what they choose to share and exactly who cares.

Comment by Ian Lyons on February 3rd, 2009

Great post. This is not limited to advertising or media though, everyone is moving in the same direction. Especially with the declining retention rates, people need to be more adaptable to a fluid career.

Comment by Alex Dalidakis on February 3rd, 2009

Great advice there Craig.

Comment by Mat Packer on February 3rd, 2009

I came across your blog via Twitter (@TheMarketerAus).

I wrote a blog entry last month, about a few days after I got a new job, for current students who want to gain experience (paid or unpaid) in the creative industries. The link is at http://suarez.id.au/2009/01/04/for-students-help-out-the-brisbane-creative-industries/

If you have to time to read over it, please do. I’m currently a student so it was written from previous experience.

Comment by Hannah on February 3rd, 2009

Nice post, Craig.

I would (naturally) add that it makes sense to get to know one or two recruiters that specialise in your space.

A good recruiter will be able to provide insight into broader market conditions as well as more specific organisational cultures. Getting this latter match right is arguably more important than base level skills.

Similarly, due to their connections, a good recruiter may be better able to open the initial door into your future employer than you’re able to.

Yes, I’m biased. Amongst other things I’m a co-owner of a recruitment company.

Comment by Markus Hafner on February 3rd, 2009

@zacmartin
Funnily enough you were one of the people I was thinking about when I posted this (doing the right thing that is). Steal away.

@IanLyons
Agree. Twitter is an amazing HR tool.

@Alex
Certainly this probably applies to many industries, but I can only speak about my experiences.

@Markus
HR firms are still part of the process of course. But I suggest that if potential applicants have done the above then they will be even more successful when they engage your services.

Comment by Craig Wilson on February 3rd, 2009

Great advice. I am often contacted by folks looking for advice on agencies who might be hiring. I’ll just send them this post!

Thanks
David Wiggs
Hitch: Connecting marketers + agencies
http://www.marketinghitch.com

Comment by David Wiggs on February 4th, 2009

nice post, i think is very valuable for people to understand that you buy a person not a technology, same goes for hiring you hire a person not a resume.

sorry to hear that a digital recruitment company copied your post, i guess you wont be using their services…

Comment by David on February 4th, 2009

Intelligent advice. So, a question for everyone, what was the most creative and/or memorable application you have seen or heard about?

Comment by Hans Torv on February 4th, 2009

This is such an apt post Craig and precisely why I joined twitter and started my blog. Not because I’m looking for work at all. Rather, I’m getting connected, showing off my skill and having my say and influence in the IT industry. Furthermore, I find this interaction enriches my work life and I’m having a lot more fun in the process.

Comment by Justin Grant on February 5th, 2009

Some great advice Craig for everone looking for work.
hope this doesn’t sound to silly, but i enjoy hoping on here and reading the latest articles. But i would like to know more about just what your company and what it does, as i am working in radio at the moment. can you tell me more thanks…….

Comment by maree on February 13th, 2009

@Maree just go to http://www.stickyads.com.au to find out all about the agency.

Thx

Comment by Media Hunter on February 13th, 2009

Very Impressive Craig. ;o)

I’m proud to be apart of Sticky!

Kendall.

Comment by Media Hunter on February 16th, 2009

[...] MediaHunter wrote a great piece about ways to approach finding a job in the creatigev anddesign industries in this day and age, which is a great piece especially for those lookignfor more creative roles. Yes I have had someone applying much of those similar techniques recentl, probably read Craig’s post. [How to get a job in the advertising, design or media industry in 2009 ] [...]

Comment by » What made me smile today? A Cover letter! Web Strategy & Development including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Social Media use & Optimisation from Brisbane Australia Blog Darryl King’s blog ireckon on February 17th, 2009

[...] few weeks ago I wrote How to get a job in the advertising, design or media industry in 2009. The main message was to connect with your potential employer through alternate communications [...]

Comment by How to create your dream job & avoid the resume run-around | Media Hunter on February 17th, 2009

[...] get jobs“. A mantra you share with the likes of Craig Wilson and Gavin Heaton. My experience is that if you’re prepared to invest your time into an unpaid [...]

Comment by A Conversation With Tait Ischia, Junior co-founder and freelance writer at Andrew McMillen on May 1st, 2009

Great advice and I totally agree, but I think you will find many people are told not to do anything creative when it comes to resumes by everyone from teachers to employment agencies. I think for a creative role it is common sense to show your talent.
.-= Ray Martin´s last blog ..Affordable Business Advertising and Social Media Content Creation =-.

Comment by Ray Martin on June 28th, 2010

[...] I just came across a great piece in Smashing Magazine by Christian Heilman titled Making your mark on the web is easier than you think. There is some excellent advice in here for people looking to get noticed, make a start in the industry or win a job. In fact it has some parallels with my thoughts on getting a job in the media and marketing industry. [...]

Comment by How to get noticed in the web (or any) industry | Media Hunter on July 9th, 2010

This is all very true, and great advice.

But I disagree that people who can apply these skills professionally will always/obviously have evidenced it in their ‘personal brand’. Some people don’t care to have a ‘personal brand’ and maintain a clear division between their online personal and professional expressions.

So if my blog (for example the one I provided a link to) doesn’t show evidence of the ability to build traffic/develop a following or reciprocate socially, that could be because that’s not my goal – not because I don’t know how to do it. Sure, it’s possible with a few simple connections to see who I work for and how, but I might not necessarily want to facilitate that either, for personal reasons.

There are tons of so-called ‘professional bloggers’ who just recycle useless content (blogging about how to blog etc) and jackup their traffic with lame, personality-free reciprocation comments and frequent/scheduled posting. These contribute only to the noise – not the signal – of online. So their processes may be fine, but content is more important. If you have both, great. But I don’t believe the online/social mantra of ‘keep talking’ even when you have nothing to say.

Comment by Reuben on March 28th, 2012

I completely agree – I remember the statistic that a huge number of jobs are filled through the ‘hidden job market’ and never advertised. These would be the people that get into jobs by building relationships.

I’m about to write an article on ‘personal branding’ – with the way the Internet works, once something’s posted by you online it lingers around almost forever. Graduates have no idea how important this public image of themselves will be when they start actively job-hunting.

PS – we do exactly the same thing with those boring email resumes!

Comment by Sarah from exceler8 on April 4th, 2012

Sarah, this post on the Tim Ferriss blog claims that 80% of jobs gets filled via the “informal” jobs market.

http://su.pr/80eZPr

I like that approach

Comment by Media Hunter on April 4th, 2012

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