getting into advertising
Discussion
Along similar lines of the accountancy or law thread I too am the wrong side of 30 and am looking for a career change. Advertising strikes me as an interesting place to be with good money for creative directors. Ive always been a lateral thinker and would love to try it. Is it completely out for an older person and if not how do you get into it? Any views on it - anyone working in it at the mo?
Thanks
Thanks
Hi Mate, I am a senior creative director for a large agency in Dubai, i studied art for 3 years at 17 and then did a degree in graphic design after which i have worked for ten years beore making it too my dream job title i worked in small agencies all the way through to top 5 agencies in london before moving out here 3 years back, it is very very competititve even more so at the moment, remember advertising and marketing are put on back burner for alot of companies at times like this.
when it comes too recruitment your portfolio is everything qualifications don't really matter when i employ a copywriter/art director i don't care about qualifications, i can only speak from my experience and i have had too work damm hard for ten years too get too this position and also have the qualifications, it is a very tight community where people know who's who and where people are, it's like every career i guess if you want too get in you will have too start at the bottom and work your way up, if your an exceptional talent you will fasttrack, or prove me wrong and go straight in ad CD.
Hope i don't sound too negative but gotta be honest, it's a ruthless industry
Cheers Rick
when it comes too recruitment your portfolio is everything qualifications don't really matter when i employ a copywriter/art director i don't care about qualifications, i can only speak from my experience and i have had too work damm hard for ten years too get too this position and also have the qualifications, it is a very tight community where people know who's who and where people are, it's like every career i guess if you want too get in you will have too start at the bottom and work your way up, if your an exceptional talent you will fasttrack, or prove me wrong and go straight in ad CD.
Hope i don't sound too negative but gotta be honest, it's a ruthless industry
Cheers Rick
johnfm said:
Rick
How did you manage to get so far without knowing the difference between 'to' and 'too'?
I would have thought literacy may be useful in the art of copywritng.
I was going to say that!How did you manage to get so far without knowing the difference between 'to' and 'too'?
I would have thought literacy may be useful in the art of copywritng.
As far as breaking into the industry goes, I'd imagine it'll be the same as any of the media - be their b
h. Go and spend a week or two as a workie to see whether you actually like it, etc. I've been a workie (journalism and PR, not ads) at many, many places (including a stint or two writing the news for here) and each time I found out something new about the place and the business - and of course whether I actually wanted to work at that place, should something come up. Call round a bit, have an ask and see if somewhere can fit you in.
HTH,
A1
P.S. A friend of mine worked at Saatchi as a workie for a bit. His rants in the pub were most entertaining, but not complimentary.
not doing bad for someone with no gcse's To answer your question, the only way in is to write your own ads and put together your own portfolio (book)and get in to see the Creative Directors. Though getting into see them if you're not a young creative team just out of college isn't going to be easy. You need to think laterally about getting their attention. Don't just email them - unless of course it's a PDF of some fking good ads you've done.
But just occassionaly CDs like to see a different kind of thinking than the colleges churn out, so you might be in with a slim chance. But as Rick said, it is VERY tough, and the money utter crap. Think £50 a week for 6 months if you're lucky. Then probably starting on about £18k if they were to take a chance on someone with no track record and who will be seen to be past it by the age of 40.
Sorry if this is depressing, but like most industries almost every agency is shedding staff at the mo. But you never know. Good luck.
king good ads you've done.But just occassionaly CDs like to see a different kind of thinking than the colleges churn out, so you might be in with a slim chance. But as Rick said, it is VERY tough, and the money utter crap. Think £50 a week for 6 months if you're lucky. Then probably starting on about £18k if they were to take a chance on someone with no track record and who will be seen to be past it by the age of 40.
Sorry if this is depressing, but like most industries almost every agency is shedding staff at the mo. But you never know. Good luck.
Edited by Luca1973 on Saturday 31st January 16:37
I remember hearing a story about someone who wanted to get into advertising. They hacked the leg off a mannequin, fitted it with shoe, trouser leg etc, packed it up in a box along with his CV and sent it to the boss of the advertising place he wanted to work with a note about how he wanted to get a 'foot in the door' of the advertising industry.
Not sure how true the story is but if you can think of something original and clever like that then you'ver obviously got a chance. After all if you want into the advertising industry, the best example is how you sell yourself.
Not sure how true the story is but if you can think of something original and clever like that then you'ver obviously got a chance. After all if you want into the advertising industry, the best example is how you sell yourself.
We work with a lot of ad agencies and it is going to very tough right now, as advertising is one of the things which companies will cut back on to save costs.
The one thing you have going for you, is that as a new entrant, you'll be cheap to employ and thus they may take a punt on you.
Good luck.
The one thing you have going for you, is that as a new entrant, you'll be cheap to employ and thus they may take a punt on you.
Good luck.
If you have good all-round commercial awareness and can use analytics tools such as Business Objects, Cognos, SAS or SPSS, 'data planning' might be a route in. This is my gig (among other things). The exact role varies from agency to agency, however in broad laymans terms it would typically involve audience research, revenue/ROI projections, propensity modelling, data selection and campaign analysis.
However, advertising pay at the junior levels is apalling - £14k as a graduate starting salary in London isn't uncommon, and you'll be working 24/7 for it. Higher up the food chain, the headline salary looks good, but again you'll be working 24/7 for it.
On the plus side, you'll be working with some of the brightest and wackiest people you'll meet anywhere. On the negative side, you'll be working with (and if unlucky, for) some truly weapons grade t*ssers.
As a final note, if advertising were difficult to get into at the best of times, now I'd imagine that it's damn near impossible. I'm currently out of work since my last contract ended at the beginning of December. I've got 15 years experience and will take any contract at virtually any rate of pay, however no-one's hiring.
However, advertising pay at the junior levels is apalling - £14k as a graduate starting salary in London isn't uncommon, and you'll be working 24/7 for it. Higher up the food chain, the headline salary looks good, but again you'll be working 24/7 for it.
On the plus side, you'll be working with some of the brightest and wackiest people you'll meet anywhere. On the negative side, you'll be working with (and if unlucky, for) some truly weapons grade t*ssers.
As a final note, if advertising were difficult to get into at the best of times, now I'd imagine that it's damn near impossible. I'm currently out of work since my last contract ended at the beginning of December. I've got 15 years experience and will take any contract at virtually any rate of pay, however no-one's hiring.
Stay in IT.
Not only is the timing about as bad as it could be, it is a ruthless industry and you really would be starting at the bottom. If you're determined to do it, stick with your IT job and start studying. The qualification itself wouldn't necessarily be the answer to your prayers, but it would help shape you and get you going on the right track. Being able to draw is not a pre-requisite. I know a CD that draws stick men and you see his biro scamps and it's not easy to understand his concepts.
Maybe aim for a small design agency rather than an ad agency, til you get a bit more experience. Oh and don't assume a wacky mailing to an agency will serve any purpose apart from costing you money. One applicant I remember must have spent a fair whack and it got him nowhere. Though the thing he sent still sits in the creative dept 4 years later...
Not only is the timing about as bad as it could be, it is a ruthless industry and you really would be starting at the bottom. If you're determined to do it, stick with your IT job and start studying. The qualification itself wouldn't necessarily be the answer to your prayers, but it would help shape you and get you going on the right track. Being able to draw is not a pre-requisite. I know a CD that draws stick men and you see his biro scamps and it's not easy to understand his concepts.
Maybe aim for a small design agency rather than an ad agency, til you get a bit more experience. Oh and don't assume a wacky mailing to an agency will serve any purpose apart from costing you money. One applicant I remember must have spent a fair whack and it got him nowhere. Though the thing he sent still sits in the creative dept 4 years later...
I really wanted to get into advertising for a long time. I made an extensive portfolio of imaginary adverts for real products and sent them to loads of agencies. From all of this, over a period of several years, I got one letter telling me 'we're not looking for anyone right now'. It's incredibly difficult to get into - You have to be unbelievably good and then, if you're unbelievably lucky, an agency might *let* you do an internship which basically involves working for them for nothing to win the privilege of being able to put said internship on your CV. Quite how you work for nothing and manage to acquire food and shelter in one of the world's most expensive cities is something I never worked out.
MitchT is spot on, my first job in design paid less than what i earned at kwiksave whilst i studied, and my honest, honest advice don't get into it for the money as you won't cut it, like anything, do it because you really want to and you love it, and if your good the money will come! maybe 
rickybouy said:
I'm sorry H_Kan but someone with no experience is the last person we would take a punt on, we are laying off very talented people with years of experience, why would we employ someone with none or little experience. Just coz there cheap lol
Well, clearly not any old person. But more that if there is a person who shows promise and potential, then the fact they are cheap (as inexperienced) means somebody may take a punt on them. Moray Maclennan (m&c saatchi) was saying recently something to the effect that they'd be looking to recruit stars of the future as opposed to current advertising superstars.
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