Getting a Job in Advertising

No, this is not going to be one of those “I’m an expert and have all of the answers” kind of entries. I’ve always been quick to admit that I don’t know everything, and anyone who tells you that they do is probably lying to you.

But I can recognize useful information and advice when I see it. And this is one of those cases.

For those who may not know, John Drake, Director of Business Development & Campaign Planning at Drake Cooper, has a blog. Shocker, I know. The tagline of his blog, Campaign planning — and other stuff that might relate to that, pretty much sums up what he writes about.

Recently, I caught this entry on his blog: Getting a Job in Advertising.

In this particular post, he shares his advice for those trying to get into the agency world. Among his ten tips (which he goes into in much more detail than I am sharing with you here):

1. When you start out, move to the largest city you feel comfortable in, work at the largest agency you can, and get on the largest account you can.

4. A well-designed resume gets you considered, but YOU get the job.

5. Don’t be late, don’t be early.

The entire piece is worth a read, whether you’re just starting out in this business, or are on the other side of the table talking to those who are just starting out in this business. Too often, it’s way too easy for us to get caught up in everything else that happens in and around the marketing world, and expect that even those who are just out of school have the same knowledge and background that we do.

A good read, in my opinion. Thanks to John for sharing it with everyone.

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Rockies Award Show – The Aftermath

Well, once again the Rockies have come and gone this year.

Overall, I’d have to say that the show itself went over very well. The Big Easy (er. soon to be the Knitting Factory) seemed to be a great venue for the show. They took out the majority of the stage to allow for more tables toward the front of the room.

Another nice touch was having helpers to run awards out to the tables themselves. This kept the proceedings moving along, and avoided any awkward stumbling around chairs / tables that might have otherwise happened.

A couple of notes about the award winners:

IAF Silver Medal Award Winner: Michael Ripley of Lewiston.

Drake Cooper, Oliver Russell, and Marketing Media Group were the heavyweights of the night, but it was also nice to see others being recognized, such as Davies Rourke, Foerstel Design, The Agency Creative Network, Donahoe Pace, Rizen Creative and many, many more.

Best of Show, and a number of other awards, went to Noot Group.

Congratulations to all.

In the end, awards were won, hangovers were installed, and everyone appeared to have a good time.

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Anonymous Job Opening – Account Manager

An anonymous job listing has been posted on the Boise Craigslist for an Account Manager with a “Strategic Branding / Advertising / Marketing firm.” Full details about the position can be found here.

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The devil is in the details

This seems to be a recurring theme, but the devil really is in the details. It’s what makes the difference between good work and great work. And too many times, there seems to be examples of what not to do.

This is another one of those.

While watching the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game on Monday evening, I caught part of a spot for RC Willey at halftime. Pretty standard fare, overall, until the offer (paraphrased): Purchase any big screen TV, and we’ll deliver it in time for the big game. Again, I caught this spot at halftime of ‘the big game’.

Okay, let’s step back and take a look at this for a minute. Was it a good, compelling offer? Yes. Was it good media placement? Yes. But did they play well together in the sandbox at halftime? No.

Now I’d be willing to guess that this was one the tail end of a very effective media buy, and RC Willey probably had some brisk sales as a result. But given the size of the audience for the game, nationally as well as locally, wouldn’t it make sense to double check, and make sure that your creative is a good fit for the placement?

Am I being too critical? Probably. But put yourself in the viewer’s shoes. If you were to see that spot and hear that offer, would you be more or less likely to shop at that store? What would your reaction be?

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Job Opening – Graphic Designer

One of the aforementioned non-advertised job openings with Side Door Media is now, well, advertised.

Side Door Media in Boise has an opening for a Graphic Designer with 3 – 5 years of agency experience. Full details about the position can be found here.
(Courtesy of Craigslist)

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