After pounding the streets for two years, a certain someone I know has now reached a fork in the road and doesn't know which direction to head down.
Down one street lurks a little known integrated agency that may be willing to hire after a few weeks of hard graft and cracking briefs.
Down the other street rows of big ass ATL agencies sit side-by-side with offers of placements galore, but with the same sign hung on the front door: WE'RE NOT HIRING.
Now here come the pro's and the con's:
Small agency.
Pro's: Opportunities to be hands on, including travelling to exotic locations (not that that should matter, although with an August like this I'd be tempted), a salary you can actually live on and buy clothes and stuff (like loan cheque day at uni), and pay the rent on time. People know your name.
Con's: The work. You'll never ever produce any work worthy of putting in the book - obscure, safe clients with no desire to push boundaries or do anything remotely interesting. Boss sits about five desks away and meddles in everything you do, buggers up the briefs, directs the creative (although not a creative director).
Big agencies.
Pro's: Working alongside some of the best people in advertising, learning from the best. Opportunities to work on great briefs (you may have to steal them though), with massive clients, and under the guidance of top CD's.
Con's: No one cares who you are, you can produce more work than runs than the entire creative department combined but you still wont get hired. You're poorer than when you're on the dole, and people think you're rude when you decline after work drinks - oblivious to the fact you need that £20 for food for the next two weeks.
So here's the dilemma: Do you take the first job offered, or hold out the the job you've been aiming for for the last two(+) years?
I can't remember who once said it, but they said: In advertising, first get a job; then get the job.
I'm not sure i agree with this. Do teams from tiny little agencies get hired by big bad agencies? If you don't get hired through a placement, can you get hired through a book/reel of spec work? Is taking a job in integrated detrimental to getting that dream ATL job? Should you keep on doing the placement rounds and wait for your lucky break?
Sorry this post raises more questions than answers, but I'd love to know what the few of you that read this blog think about this subject.
東京にある特許事務所
8 years ago
10 comments:
It's really tough because only the person in the situation can really be the judge. I for example don't know what 2 years of walking pavements is like and how hard that is. In my opinion and in an idealish world you would turn down the offer and go on placement at big agencies and then win the Stella account (or something big like that thats up) single handedly and then get a job. However obviously this isn't likely to happen. But my opinion is to keep going for what you believe in and what feels right, i'm guessing you or whoever it is will know in your heart of hearts. Maybe it's a time to use your head i dunno. I'd say go for what you really want but that's not always financially or logically possible.
Hope that made sense, i'm tired.
"Down the other street rows of big ass ATL agencies sit side-by-side with offers of placements galore"
Which street are you looking on????
i had this decision to make a while ago. I had a definite offer from a small (15ish people) agency and a placement offer from a big one which i hoped would turn into a job.
I took the gamble and went for my dream and the big agency...
for me it paid off and im sat here behind the desk now. I know others who it hasn't worked for.
I would agree with Rusty, your only going to get this chance to throw yourself at this industry once, in 5-10 years time when there mortgages, kids etc it's not going to happen so go for it now, it's not easy being on placements for over 12 months, trust me. But by god is it worth it when you walk into the office on your first day.
ronnie... or whoever you are...
do you have a job? hope so as no junior without a job should be dishing out advice!
Anon 23:24
The only advice on here is quoted from, and credited to whoever i've heard it from.
I don't give advice because as you mention, juniors without jobs shouldn't give advice.
This post is asking for peoples opinions on whether it's best to hold out for the dream job or take the first one offered.
mate, get a job, win some awards then start dishing out advice.
Er okay, will do.
Until then i'll just carry on blogging if that's alright.
Hey get a job people, stop saying that, why don't you get an identity, hey? And stop staying anonymous like a mouse that's a non... a non mouse
Come on peeps lets all chill out, what would Ed Morris say here?!
My advice would be to listen to your (friends) heart and go with a flow, it might not be your own but stick to it and act. If it's a big agency then great, if it's a small one that's cool too, unless you're really tall.
Whatever you (r friend) chooses, as long as he can end his day with a sense of achievement, the work might not be award winning but hey maybe it's a client he loves working with anyway.
Aim low & shoot high.
Thanks for the (mostly) intelligent feedback. If you're interested, the creative in question (it's not me) has decided to stick it out and follow his ATL ambitions.
Good luck sir.
Get in! Nice work Ronnie's friend, I'm sure all his ATL, LOL, & AMT dreams will come true.
Another example of the strength of a creatives heart, you can't keep us down!
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