HOW DO YOU GET A START IN THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT OF AN AGENCY?
Last week a parent visited Campaign Brief’s office for advice on getting their kid a placement in the creative department of an agency. I had to admit to them that I wasn’t sure many agencies still did that in Perth. The parent told me that they had been successful in getting into one agency where this student spent the better part of 4 days just flicking through old award annuals and not getting a look at any briefs or given any time by any of the creatives in the department.
My response to the parent was that no doubt this was a particularly busy week in the agency and not to give up. I then, sadly, fell back on my two habitual responses – firstly, suggesting getting into AWARD School and secondly, talking to Martin (CB’s Perth Editor) who is much more knowledgeable than me for advice in this area.
For those readers not working directly in agencies, AWARD School is a 16 week part-time course for budding creatives that has been running in most states in Australia for over 20 years and has produced many of todays top creatives including David Droga, Craig Davis, Leo Premutico and closer to Perth, Matt Eastwood, Reed Collins and Julia Elton-Bott.
Undeniably, if you impress at AWARD School this is a sure fire way to fast-track your start in a creative department.
But is it the only way to break in to an agency?
Is the creative placement system now not feasible?
Do any Perth agencies still take students on placements?
Maybe AWARD School has become so successful that it is now almost a prerequisite to a job. Or perhaps senior creatives and creative directors no longer have the time to effectively coach creatives on placement.
I’d love to get a positive discussion going on this topic so that next time I am faced with this question I can offer something more meaningful than just the AWARD School website.
What advice do senior creatives offer to budding young creatives?
What advice can any AWARD School graduates offer about the course and any future job prospects?
The same day I was trying to give career advice I read a very interesting and entertaining account of the role of a creative director in encouraging students of advertising. Dave Trott’s UK Blog is one of about 4 or 5 industry websites I regularly visit. In HIs What Makes a Creative Director posting Trott explains why he believes a CD shouldn’t pull a student’s folio apart unless they are prepared to help them put it back together. It’s a good read.
23 Comments
I thinks is easier for me to say get yourself into Award School. It’s may seem a little lazy but it is definitely the best way to get into an agency.
mind you, vinten’s has a lot of annuals.
What about doing the creative advertising major through Curtin’s School of Design? Even an entire degree doesn’t seem to mean much unless you’ve done Award School…
My advice would be to go to design school if you want to be an art director, or journalism/creative writing/comm course if you want to be a writer, then AWARD School. This you really have to win if you want any decent chance of getting the one junior job in Perth available. I think both should be mandatory, but I can tell you without AWARD School, CDs won’t think you’re serious. It’s the first question they ask. The second one is ‘How well did you do?” In other words, did you win it?
Then they’ll ask to see your folio. If it’s just ok, you’re wasting everyone’s time. I know, it’s harsh. Try dealing with clients. They knock back work that’s actually great every day for a living.
The reason I think students should do both uni and the course is because quite frankly, I’m sick of seeing kids come in who have done a 12 week AWARD School stint and think that they’re now an art director or whatever. AWARD School just teaches you the beginnings of how to think. Nowhere do they cover actually learning the craft of art direction or writing.
Then when you ask the junior to write a bit of copy or do a half decent layout, they don’t know where to start. This is not their fault, they’re under the impression that 12 weeks teaches them everything they need to know about doing their job. AWARD School should be treated like finishing school for creatives, but first you need to know your craft.
So go to Curtin, get Blair to teach you all about Advertising – and what he doesn’t know isn’t worth writing about, then do AWARD School. And win. Then pound the pavements. And when you get knockbacks, ask every CD how you can make your folio better, then go do it, and come back again and see them.
Sound hard? Fuck yeah. It’s hard to get in, it’s hard to stay in, but that’s the deal. Only the people who want it the most will actually get there. Best of luck, go get em.
What about trying to wing some freelance work?
I’m a recent grad who hasn’t gone through award school yet, will apply ’09.
I went through all my contacts, including family and friends and eventually found a couple of people who control ad budgets for privately owned sme’s ( a Northern suburbs bakery and a skydiving instructor.)
I then convinced them that I can write and create their ads just as good as any agency in town ( bollox – I know.)
So I get the chance to work with some real clients, and really work on some neat ideas for print pieces to be placed in industry type publications and community newspapers – rather than much abused briefs concerning post-it notes and tabasco sauce.
Hopefully some of the work will catch the eye of local CD’s and my folio will seem more authentic to them when it starts doing the rounds.
I’ll wait with baited breath.
Do the degree with Blair and nail him down everyday at the coffee shop.
You learn a shitload more talking to these guys out of class than in them.
Do a year’s unpaid work at an agency.
Had to work at night to pay the bills.
It’s fuckin tough but worth it in the end.
This shit is good fun.
10.33am. It’s “bated breath”, mate – short for “abated”, describing the way you hold your breath in shock, terror or awe. Good post otherwise. Now, if you can find a CD in Perth who values juniors who can actually produce everyday ads for real clients, you’ll do well.
Believe it or not, there’s still people entering the industry and doing well without AWARD School. A bit of personality and a lot of hard work will go a long way if you can sneak in past the Creative Director and do some ‘real’ work with the Creative Department.
The impression I get from the outside is AWARD is like a big long job interview, combined with a meet and greet and sharing of knowledge.
In the old days, this all happened while you were a junior…
Actually doing the work day to day learning under a CD is very rewarding.
All courses can help – from a writing course at UWA to art school at TAFE. it all contributes to your knowledge. Some of the best advertising people come diverse backgrounds.
JUST DO IT!
Thanks for the frank advice 9.36. Blair’s the man!
…. Do a year’s unpaid work at an agency.
Had to work at night to pay the bills.
We’re talking about Gen Y ‘s here right? Hmmm…
Just remember not to spit and you’ll be OK.
It doesn’t hurt to take time off after Curtin or Tafe and head out into the world. Travel, work, get experience in life. Then come back and do AWARD School.
Didn’t one of the PADC judges give a warning on Award school in his talk at the Rotto Festival of Ideas. I wasn’t there but can anyone elaborate on what he said?
Advertising isn’t rocket science, it’s just that some people seem to think it is and are very good at making things more difficult than they should. This unfortunately doesn’t make it any easier getting in.
Do wannabe copywriters go through AWARD School or is geared for aspiring art directors? Looking through the archives, it seems the last few intakes are heavy in design background…
A Bachelor of Comms – Journalism & Scriptwriting student
This is a very interesting discussion topic. Can someone from the school please provide some input? Especially to 8.55 and 8.23. And do you have to be working in an agency or be known to Creative Directors to get in to Award School?
Student
If you want to be a copywriter, you first need to work out how to do the same thing as everyone else (as this is generally what has been found to work best) Start by familiarising yourself with the 12 basic ad types as identified by Gunn (a good outline is here http://www.adesblog.com/2007/08/07/donald-gunn’s-the-12-types-of-ads/) Spend a while watching ads after this simply to find out how much is formulaic. Next, subscribe to a few blogs (bestads, bannerblog, adsof the world) and see what people like you are doing. Finally, give up any thought of becoming a copywriter for at least five years and go and do something interesting with your life, something that will give you character and depth.
“Didn’t one of the PADC judges give a warning on Award school in his talk at the Rotto Festival of Ideas. I wasn’t there but can anyone elaborate on what he said?”
They were basically saying that too many students going through award school are generating ads that look like “ads”, that all look the same with the same feel (image, small logo in bottom right corner) and wanted to get fresh blood in, people from non advertising backgrounds that will challenge the boundaries… I guess without knowing it, maybe?
Award school, Curtin, Harvard, MIT, Oxford…it won’t make a difference..
if you’re keen and work hard on coming up with great ideas then you can go anywhere. Award School gives you a great opportunity to be taught by industry leaders while Curtin gives you a degree and you’ve got Blair to deal with. If you can survive Blair..the harshest creative director will sound so romantic
Again, all it matters is your portfolio.
Don’t be put off if you can’t get a job straight away. Reed Collins went to Melbourne because no one would give him a job. Matt Eastwood got fired from JMA so left for Sydney.
Like anything in this world, it’s largely who you know. Get to know people. Do AWARD school with a view to both proving yourself to be talented but also proving that you can be a person that a CD can see you working within the agency environment. Same goes for work experience, you’ll learn more just being around people doing real work than by racking up a HECS debt. A year of work experience is probably more valuable than three of uni, and cheaper too. More chicks at uni though.
12:31 – How many times do you hear agencies say they’re looking for people who are a bit out the box etc. But the reality is while many agencies say this, most of them are like any other business in that they want people to fit in and not to challenge the norm, so nobody’s feelings get hurt.