How to break in to advertising?

Tip 01:
Make your CV stand out

You want to work in an industry governed by brands. So it makes sense to think of yourself as a brand. Think about how you want people to feel when they’ve finished reading your CV. Are you right for advertising? More importantly, are you the right fit for their agency?

A crafted, well presented CV will tell prospective employers all they need to know – and together with an engaging covering letter, will help get that all important first foot in the agency revolving door.

CV do's and don'ts

Putting a good advertising CV together can potentially be a grad’s worst nightmare. Here’s a guide to what to put in, and what to leave out...

DO

Make a good first impression - Sounds obvious but not always easy to do. Keep things simple. Clear headings. Classic typefaces. Good presentation isn’t rocket science.

Keep it brief - Be direct. To the point. Don’t waffle. A succinct CV will impress. A flowery one won't.

Start in the present - Again, it sounds obvious but list your job experience from present to past. The same goes for your education history.

Be focused - Clearly define your role in any previous job or work experience. Explain what value you added, and draw out relevant examples of creativity, problem-solving or entrepreneurialism.

Give a rounded impression - Make sure agencies know there’s more to you than just work. They look for great people, not just a list of qualifications and work experience. You’re an individual – and most importantly, you’re you.

Check. Check. And then double check - Then give it to somebody else to read. After immersing yourself in your autobiography and writing to impress, silly mistakes can easily be overlooked. Check for grammar, flow, construction and layout.

DON'T

Don't add photos to your CV - Rarely does it add anything.

Don't waffle on - Let's face it, would you want to interview someone whose CV bored you to tears?

Don't 'embellish' your credentials - Lie at your own peril. Get found out and you may be out of a job before you’ve even started one.

Tip 02:
Write a cover letter that covers the right things

Your CV is your chance to sell your credentials, so make sure your cover letter is an opportunity to sell you. Think of it almost as a press ad, or a piece of direct mail - which effectively, it is.

You’ve only a short time to engage your reader, so don’t waste it recapping your CV. Head up your key selling points and direct your reader to your CV for details.

You want to work in advertising, right? So your letter should be wacky and off the wall. Not necessarily so. Your cover letter should reflect what it’s like to have a conversation with you. If you’re not a funny person, there’s no point in trying to write an amusing letter. It won’t be funny.

Write from the heart. Write with sincerity. Write with passion. Yes, advertising is a business, but you have to convince the big shots that you’re hungrier, more passionate than anyone else – and one day, will be a big shot yourself.

DO

Create a good first impression Just like your CV, the way you present your cover letter makes a big difference to the overall impression you make. Keep things simple, clean and direct.

Do your research Find out as much as you can about the person who will be interviewing you – name, title, that sort of thing. Think about it, it’s far more flattering than just ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’.

Keep things brief Don’t write an essay. Keep your details to one page. Write. Then edit. And edit again.

Make them want more Don’t give everything away at once. Sell the sizzle, not the sausage. Your prospective agency should want to interview you to find out more.

Check, check and check again We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – careless mistakes are unforgivable. You want to work in a business where perfection is everything.

DON'T

Oversell yourself. Confidence is one thing, but arrogance quite another. It’s a big turn-off.

Don’t get too personal. A few insights can be good, but nobody really wants to know that your uncle went to school with Rory Sutherland.

Don’t forget to check out the DON’TS under CV writing – you’ll find they all apply.

Tip 03:
Own the ‘curveball’ question

Agencies can be a demanding bunch.

Sometimes a CV and a few paragraphs about yourself simply doesn’t satisfy them. They want to know more. Often, you’ll be asked to show how your creative, or business brain works.

This tends to take the form of a series of questions. They can vary from agency to agency but are designed to put your little grey cells test when it comes to problem-solving, creative writing, and an understanding of business and brands.

Here are some examples of the sort of brain-teasers you could asked:

In 50 words, tell us what you’d do with a million pounds
In 100 words, what else could Coke make apart from soft drinks?
In 500 words, what would you do to save the Kerry Katona brand?

Whatever you’re asked, remember that it’s yet another chance to prove that you’re interesting, bright and passionate enough to get that all important interview.

DO

Plan a structure for what you’re going to say. Outline objectives, implement a strategy and round off with a summary.

Make sure you craft your answers. And that means dedicating serious time to what you write – a couple of hours isn’t enough. Nowhere near.

Good tip, this one. Carry a pad and pen with you everywhere (if you haven’t got an iPhone or iPad). Great ideas tend to pop into your head when least expected.

Be concise. The shorter the sentences, the better.

Make sure your ‘big’ thoughts don’t get lost in the supporting detail. In longer answers, break down your response with sub-headlines – it allows the reader to easily pick out the most important points.

Constantly remind yourself that someone will have to read what you’ve written. Read things back to yourself out loud. You might think it daft but you’ll soon discover if it sounds good or bad.

Finally, ask someone else to read over what you’ve written. Yes, you should be your harshest critic, but finding a devil's advocate is always a good idea.

DON'T

Sit on the fence. Have an opinion and stick to it.

Overrun the word count. It’s there for a reason.

Plagiarise your answers. It will be painfully obvious.

Tip 04:
Love your 'Internet-Self'

Increasingly, we find ourselves living in a ‘virtual world’. And that means a lot of what we do is becoming more and more transparent. The result - the trace we leave online (our Internet-Self) is often available to anyone who may want to see it, within just a few seconds. Scary!

OK, so it’s easy to dig up the dodgy stuff, but it’s just as simple to uncover the brilliant stuff, too. Managed effectively, your Internet-Self can be a very powerful force in your pursuit for advertising greatness.

The smart bits

Upload all the cool things, or things you’re proud of, to a virtual space. Put essays on Google Docs, write yourself a blog, tweet your inspiration, photography on Flickr, films on YouTube or Vimeo and music to MySpace.

Get yourself set up on Linkedin. It’s an online version of your CV – and because it’s online, you can create hyperlinks to all the stuff you’ve uploaded. It also provides a vast network of ad people, who could be very useful contacts.

Put the web address for your Linkedin account (www.linkedin.com/in/yourname) on your CV.

The not so smart bits

Make absolutely, positively sure that stuff you only want friends to see is only viewable to your friends.

Don’t contradict what you’ve said in your application on your Linkedin profile.

Tip 05:
Be Creative

Advertising is all about ideas. And that means agencies want people who know a good idea when they see it. Or, even better, can come up with one themselves.

Show that you not only understand the creative nature of the industry, but also give an insight into your creative ability.

Being a creative supremo within the confines of an application form can be a challenge. But if you get the balance right, you’re guaranteed to set yourself apart from the masses.

Words of warning

Judge the situation carefully. You’re not after the Creative Director’s job. Most of the time, the standard application process is enough for an agency to gauge if it’s worth seeing you or not. If you do decide to go for D&AD Gold with your application, make sure it’s done well. Poorly executed work can do more harm than good.

DO

Be completely true to your skills and your personality in the piece you create.

Execute things to a high standard.

Leave the agency wanting more.

Make it easy for your audience to see your piece of creativity.

A complicated reveal is too much trouble, and will only annoy or frustrate.

DON'T

Do something simply for the sake of it. Being creative without an objective is useless.

Rush things. It will show. With dire results.

Over-complicate things. One golden rule of advertising – keep it simple.

Tip 06:
Nail the Interview. Or get nailed yourself

OK, all your hard work has paid off. You’ve bagged yourself an interview, and now it’s the big day. Nerves are jangling, palms are sweaty. If you’ve done your homework, all should be fine. If you haven’t, be very, very afraid.

Do your research

Your interviewer wants to know that you want to join their agency alone – no one else’s. Gushing admiration of a competitor’s latest campaign might not go down well.

Go through an agency website with a fine-toothed comb. You should be able to arm yourself against the barrage of questions that will be fired at you. Familiarise yourself with agency philosophy, know their clients, the awards they’ve won, learn the names of the major players.

Prepare for obvious questions

You want a job in advertising, so you need to be able to talk about it. Fluently. What you like, what you don’t like. Things that you think work and things that you think don’t.

Choose a brand whose advertising you like and admire – and be able to justify why. It’s likely you’ll be quizzed about stuff just like this.

Ask questions of your own

If you have a question, don’t hold back. Ask. Don’t necessarily wait until the end of the interview, either. Yes, you’re selling yourself to the agency, but equally, they should be selling themselves to you.

Know what makes you different

You might have an interview. But so will a good number of other candidates. And, surprise, surprise, you need to stand out to secure one of those few precious places. Agencies are looking for people with that special ‘something’. By the end of your ‘performance’, you will have had to piqued interest enough for the agency to remember you – and want you back for next stage of your quest.

Have an opinion

Silences are not always golden. But it’s best to consider what you’re about to say –not just blurt out the first thing that enters your head. If you need time to think, tell your interviewer. Then think fast. If an answer really does escape you, be honest. Then try to steer the questioning into an area where you do have a bit of ‘know how’.

Look the part

If you’ve got your sights set on a client facing role, don’t rock up to your interview in skinny jeans and high tops. Dress smart but casual.

If you’re really worried about what to wear, give the agency HR department a call. They’ll give you the low-down on this season’s agency fashion hits and misses.

Play the part

You’ll be judged, the second you walk through the door. You need to give off an air of ‘quiet confidence’ with quiet being the operative word. Keep your interviewer interested and engaged. Look them directly in the eye – there’s nothing more distracting than talking to a person who’s studying the floor with great interest.

Try to enjoy yourself. On the whole, if you have enjoyed the interview, it’s a pretty good measure of well it went.

Tip 7:
Make a good impression on your first day

The job’s yours. Contracts are signed. And you’re starting on Monday. Now comes the really daunting bit. All eyes will be on the new recruit - you. So how do you make sure you impress your new agency, from the minute you stroll through reception?

You never quite know what you’ll be doing, or who you’ll meet on your first day. By the end of the week you’ll have a better idea of what’s acceptable on the agency catwalks.

Be on time

Being late on your first day is the ultimate sin. You simply don’t do it. Plan your route to work. Catch an early bus or train. Better to sit in Starbucks for half an hour than arrive in a panicked, sweaty mess, half way through the induction meeting.

Be yourself

The agency wants to see the articulate, erudite individual they met at the interview. That’s the person they’ve been selling into everyone – and like you, they’re hoping they’ve made the right choice.

Be humble

You’ll find it goes a long way. You may have got yourself a first from Nottingham, but this is something very different. You’ll be working with people who have made brands famous. Listen and learn.

Be respectful

The ad industry is full of a lot of opinionated people and a lot of egos. It’s unavoidable you’ll come across some difficult characters. Make sure you don’t become one of them. You’ll find you get far more from your colleagues if you treat them as you wish to be treated yourself.

Be keen

It’s almost inevitable that your head will be fried by information overload on your first day. Don’t worry. It takes time to really get to grips with your role. As long as you’re seen to be pushing yourself, people generally understand. Remember, they were in your shoes once.

Immerse yourself in the agency – and its culture

The ad industry may demand that its people work hard – but you’ll play hard too. Every agency has its own social scene. A few drinks in the bar after work, join one of the agency sports teams. Working life doesn’t seem so much like work when you’re surrounded by friends.

Tip 08:
If at first you don’t succeed

It’s hard to get your first break in the communications industry. And if you’ve managed to open the door, it’s pretty crushing only to have it closed on you again.

Tempting though it is to kick the next door in, pick yourself up, and start politely knocking again. Straight away.

By way of encouragement, here’s a true story about one of adland’s greatest figures. A certain young creative, called Graham Fink (now Chief Creative Officer for Ogilvy in China), was told that the agency loved him and his work – but he was too young for the role. The following day, he turned up at the agency, dressed as an old lady. He got the job.

An extreme example, but you get the point. Don’t give up.

Useful advice

Sometimes, you know where it all went wrong. Other times, you don’t. Ask for feedback. People are usually more than happy to help and give advice.

Work experience

Try to get yourself some work experience. OK, this is easier said than done. As you already know, agencies are flooded with requests. A ‘Dear Sir’ letter is likely to receive a ‘Dear John’ reply – if any at all. Try something creative.

Think if you’ve made any contacts, or if friends and family know anyone in the business. Sometimes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. So network.

Training programmes

Some agencies run training programmes - often called Summer Schools, or in our case Summer Fellowship. These can be a good route into the business and often lead to the possibility of actually landing a job. As always, competition is fierce, so all the rules for applications and interviews are just as important here.

Keep in touch

Be persistent, but don’t be a pest. Try to make contact with some people in the industry – and keep those relationships alive.

Also, keep yourself informed and involved. Read all the industry press, read books, keep up with what’s going in the media. It’ll all help.

And remember, if you want something that badly, you won’t give up until you get it.