It appears that some people are missing the boat on what it takes to get a job, or earn a job I should say. Although we are certainly in the age of entitlement, there is a new landscape for those who hope to achieve that hip new gig at the local agency.
“Dave, what the hell are you talking about?”
Let me splain. About 15-20 agencies here in town all received a nifty email from a local designer looking for a job. While I am sure he had the best intentions, the execution was crap and impersonal. He emailed me, while CC’ing all the other agencies in town. That’s right, CC not BCC. That little B should can be a bugger sometimes, eh?
This is not the first time I have received this hammer in the face introduction. Let me be the first to say, that there is no way an approach like this will ever make you stand out in a good way.
Do not throw a bunch of sh*t against the wall to see what sticks
Word to the wise for those looking to move up, down or six ways from Sunday:
- Spell check. Call me crazzzie (yes, there was a typo in the email).
- Send a polite introduction and make it personal.
- Call if you can
- If a resume has an “Objective” it goes to the bottom of the stack. Why would I hire someone who can’t sell themselves? Create a winning resume that breaks the mold and doesn’t get lost in a sea of resumes on a desk.
- This is the BIG ONE. Stand out. Don’t stand out just for the sake of standing out, but because you are doing something that is worthy of being noticed. If you want a meeting with 15 agencies, send small gift certificate for Starbucks and invite them to a cup of joe.
The good news. Most in this industry are truly creative and capable of unqiue ideas. Don’t be afraid to tie that to your own “brand” and create something REMARKABLE. Best of luck to anyone out there who is seeking a new and exciting opportunity.
David, thanks for the great post. This has always been a tricky issue for us as well. As a creative agency, our job is to stand out and be memorable. Why would we hire someone who sends their credentials in a bland, routine, plain-vanilla format?
I don’t think I’ve ever even seen the resumes of our current employees. That’s just not how we hire. The only ones that have really interested us have been those who came at us from a different angle.
GREAT POST Dave! These are things we preach to each person we interview here on a daily basis and you nailed 5 of the top 10 that we discuss and did it in a great medium for the community.
Here’s a quick question for everyone on the blog: How do you feel about an agency like the one I work for – Aquent – repping designers for contract/freelance work? What are the benefits/concerns you see in using a firm that specializes in working with independent professionals in the design/creatives arena? I’m interested for constructive feedback on the why and why not of using a firm and suggestions to make us more reputable and make more people aware that there is a service that does this type of work.
And I apologize for calling you Dave prematurely with out confirming you answer to it.
Lucas: I’m curious what the other 5 things are. Care to share?
Sure James. There’s actually more but these are some of the core ones:
Research the company. Know a little about the company history, their clients and the styles they like to see before you interview. Most of this can be found on their websites and give you talking points during your interview.
Don’t blast yourself. Send an email and make it personal. Let the know why you are interested in the company and why you think you may be a fit.
Track where you send your resume. You don’t want to get the call from a company who may have found your bio interesting and not remember sending it. It’s simply bad form.
Call after you email or drop off. Ask to speak to the person who hires for the work you do and confirm that they received your resume. This can move you to the top of the “stack” pretty quickly and could land you a phone interview pretty quickly.
Put only your best pieces in your portfolio. Your portfolio is only as good as the worst piece. Also, try to find relevant work to the type and style of the agency so they can see that you’ve done your homework.
Before a formalized interview, ask what the dress code is and dress 1 step up. If it’s jeans and a T-shirt, wear nice jeans with no holes and a button-down shirt, etc.
Be involved in the community. Join every networking group you can and ask for advice on where to find the communities.
Finally, sell what you are, not what you want to be. Too often, people say that they are looking for an Art Director job and may have a year of experience as a production artist. Tell people up front what you’ve done, what you feel your greatest strength is and have examples to back it up.
Lucas, no problem. Dave – David… it’s all the same.
Since you asked about the overall thoughts regarding using a firm like aquent. Here are my $.02, with all due respect.
I feel the “recruiting” industry has done a poor job of showing value in their own storytelling. I have recruiters contact me on a regular basis and none of them have shared with me anything that shows true value.
Ya know why?
I’ll tell ya.
Because they never asked what my PROBLEM is. They always assume what my sore spot is, finding talent. Maybe talent is not the issue. Maybe I don’t have time to look. Or maybe I want to use a recruiter to float payroll for 30 days. Whatever it may be, it is something that recruiters should find out before assuming it’s about the talent.
With the networked world we live in and social media at hand it is a hard sell to pitch your ability to find something. Let Google do that.
Hope that provides some insight.
D
That’s exactly what I was looking for Dave. Thanks for the feedback. I think you touched on a very good point in that most recruiters are pushed for sales and often forget that they really don’t know everything that is going on. There has been a loss of true relationship based recruiting, especially on a contingent or project basis.
In your opinion, or anyone else reading, what is the most effective way to approach you about starting that relationship so that you feel comfortable answering the questions honestly? Since everyone’s time is valuable, phone or face time comes at a premium. However, email can often seem automated and impersonal, no matter how different you try to make it. That being said, what are the easiest forms of communication to start that relationship and build that trust in order to ask you what your problem is and how we can help?
I’d like to add to this the idea of not being “pushy” and repetitive. Don’t KEEP following up/asking about things.
And, this is an important one: DO NOT JUST SHOW UP TO THE OFFICE!
It’s a weird thing but sometimes I think people take the “stand out” part too seriously, and think showing up uninvited to ask about a position is “taking initiative” when really its just an example of an in-your-face approach that goes too far.