Will Work For (creative) Work
Will Work For (creative) Work
Originally uploaded by Darcie.
As I have mentioned before, I am an avid reader of Simon "Scamp" Veksner's blog. Specifically what Scamp writes and not that of all those "Anonymous'" too scared to admit to their own opinions, although, I must admit, in SOME cases, I can see why. But ALL the time?! Grow some - okay, I've done that post before, this is about something different!
Last week - yes, it is taking me at least a week to write one post... Last week Scamp posted his Tuesday Tip No. 53 - How To Turn A Placement Into A Job, by Ed Morris
I have sought refuge in Scamps Tuesday Tips. Looking for extra advise, maybe to see where I've gone wrong. Granted there are a few slants to being in Scotland vs. London and being on your lonesome vs. a partnership. However, I still find them extremely useful, educational and entertaining. So does somebody else, because he's been asked to make them into a book. Okay, no, this isn't a Scamp plug post.
This Tuesday Tip really struck me as I've been on two proper placements with top agencies in Scotland and I wanted to see where I might have improved/gone wrong/done something different. So I broke it down.
Mind you, this was written by Ed Morris, ECD at Lowe and starts "If you are a placement team at Lowe, you should do this...
Show me an idea at least every 12 hours (1 working day) without fail):
Placement 1: Could have done more of this. CD felt very unapproachable, however tried to show snr creatives work every day.
Placement 2: A basic requirement of the company. Everyone showed to the CD once a day.
Make your presence felt. out of sight out of mind. Out of mind, no job.
Both: done & done.
Fuck the system. No one in the agency should come between you & your future. Walk straight in. It doesn't matter how good you are if I don't get to find out how good you are.
Both: ummmm, manners are important to me, as well as the fact that I am far from being cocky, which is part of my problem.
Placement 1: Would see you when you came to office.
Placement 2: Same or make an appt with traffic - traffic runs your sched thru CD & CD's for CD. But CD had time when needed.
Still does and the placement was a year ago. He's good like that.
Focus on the work. Don't try to be my friend.
Both: do that everywhere
Work on briefs that you haven't been given. Run your own show, don't wait for someone to walk in and "take care of you". Respect the traffic department, but remember they work for you, you don't work for them. Ask them for the briefs you want; Tell me if you don't get them. Placement 1: I probably could have done this a bit more.
Placement 2: Are you kidding me? Traffic would have had my head and made my life miserable, plus I was already working on huge clients and live briefs for huge clients. I was lucky to be there, and the CD tells traffic to give what briefs to whom, so I would have assumed I was right where you wanted me.
Get under the skin of a product and a brief. Don't show me work that the rest of the department might do. I don't need people to do what we already can.
Placement 1: Apparently not
Placement 2: I think I tried a few times, but I was working with a strong partner and it was trying - another lesson learned.
Don't show it to me unless you like it or you think it's good. That's how I find out you're good.
Both: you tend to learn that Advertising like art is subjective by CD to CD. When traipsing your book around one will love something another will hate. So I suppose unless something is mindblowingly good, sometime you don't know what you've got.
I worked with someone once that kept showing the same stuff to the CD even after he had said "Next". Finally the CD had to physically bin it!
You're not here to solve a brief. You're here to be brilliant.
Both: I was trying to do both in a short amount of time, if not the later, at least get the former achieved. Esp @ placement 1, it was more about the brief be ing completed.
If you don't feel you can demonstrate your capabilities with the briefs we have, do it another way. Show me any idea for any brand on any problem.
Both: ummm no. I have with placement 2 since the placement ended. Maybe I should get a placement with this guy!
Don't join the club, there isn't one. You're not here to make a load of friends and get to know the local pubs. You're unemployed, remember that. And, if you are any good you should be trying to make the rest of us look stupid.
Both: Partied too much. Tried to 'make friends'. Don't have any to show for it, nor a job, so was it worth it? No.
If you put the effort into the work, I'll put the effort into you and helping you. But it works that way around. It's got to start with you.
Placement 1: meh - I didn't feel like I was wanted there.
Placement 2: Definitely
Be confident, have faith in yourselves, work hard. Look after the work and the work will look after you. A placement is a moment in time. Seize it.
....or leave."
My first placement all the creative floor would leave on the dot at 5:30. Sometimes I was the only one there staying, along with the studio and account handlers - and I wasn't being paid. It was bittersweet because they were known not to hire their placements and it was only a matter of time.
My second placement, still partner-less, I was given a seat waiting for a snr copywriter to start. It was great, I loved it, but it was trying as well. They had two junior teams already on year contracts and I knew, especially without a proper partner, that time was limited. Great experience in many ways, including difficult partners! Who knows, maybe I was the difficult one.
Where does this leave us... not going to London, but it's not for lack of passion or drive, I'm just not ready to commute to Edinburgh every weekend to see my Hubby & kitty. I plan to keep trucking in Scotland for now. I have a few fingers in a few pies, as they, disgustingly, say; and hopefully one of them will pull out something yummy.