The Best and Worst Advertising Schools in America

I’ve been touring the country for the past few weeks meeting advertising students.  I’ve met plenty of nervous graduating seniors who are worried if they have the right stuff to make it in our industry. I’ve met faculty and deans who want to know how their programs stack up against other institutions. And I’ve got to see the good, the bad and the ugly of these colleges and universities. And while my tour is not completed — I felt the need to give you my (incomplete) ranking of the schools I’ve meet.

1. SCAD – Savannah College of Art & Design – Your students were amazing. Very organized. Great questions from the faculty and students. Cool location and great housing at Magnolia Hall (even though I had to jump the fence to get in). Your students had (by far) the best portfolios and were the best prepared for the real world.  Grade A-
2. University of Texas at Austin – Go Longhorns. You get high grades for the facilities, the faculty involvement, having me meet the Dean and for organizing the students to meet.  Many students had really good portfolios. If I was born in Texas – I would want to go to UT/Austin. If only to wear a “Keep It Weird” T-shirt. Grade B+
3. University of Georgia — Go Dawgs.  I’ve now met your students several times over the past two years.  They get high scores for being really nice and very driven.  You have an amazing campus. You bring your students to the Cannes advertising festival. But while you have some stars – the quality of the student portfolios is not as good as other schools. (It hurts me to write that — because I like your students so much — they’re so NICE.)  One overarching comment I get from your students is they wish they were pushed harder.  Grade B-
4. VCU –  I’d like to thank Ariana and Connor for coming to our meeting prepared. I would also like to thank Mike from the Ad Club for arranging a meeting with some students. Even the student who fell asleep during lunch. I think he was they guy who wants to create the next Uber. You better create your own company – because you’d be fired from mine. I left VCU saying I’d never come back. But I feel that’s wrong. Because clearly Ariana, Connor and Mike really care. And really need help.  Grade D
5. FIT – Fashion Institute of Technology – Yes, I know this is not a fair assessment – in full transparency I teach a class in the Spring at FIT. But that also means I have a very good idea where they stack up on this list. I also have hired plenty of FIT students and have hosted countless FIT interns. The school does a pretty good job preparing students for the real world. Being in NYC helps. Grade B
6. Syracuse University – Go Orange. Incredible faculty. Incredible facilities. Passionate students. My only issue with Syracuse is the separation of Art and Copy Students in different schools. Many students I meet would benefit from working with either an Art or Copy partner. Figure out a way to get them together more often. But overall – they do a great job. Grade B+

My New Favorite Advertising Idea

You have to watch this video. You have to share this with everyone you know. You have to help Mollie’s Fund change behavior around the world.  The first time I watched this video my heart skipped a beat. Granted, I knew the punchline. I heard about this idea months ago in an office when the creative team was pitching the idea.  I loved it then. I loved it even more after the production.

Now it’s your turn.  Share it. View it. Spread the word.  If we can save one person, we did our job.  If we can save thousands, it would be a miracle.  If we can save hundreds of thousands, then our work would be done.

Thank you all in advance.

RL

2.10.15

Crazy, Big Ideas

It’s been a long time between posts.  I’ve been working on a new idea for the blog. Hopefully, it will launch in the new year.  Until then, I wanted to bring a new campaign to your attention. This was done to magnify the significance of type-2 diabetes in the world.

Yes, there are over 300 million people in the world with type-2 diabetes.  That more than the size of 60 Denmarks, 11 Saudi Arabias, 14 Australias, 392 Djiboutis, or 16,397 Palaus.  So yes, that’s a lot of people.

Check out the video on Vimeo:

You can also look at the website: http://thestateofdiabetes.org

And while the cause is important, the real reason I’m bringing this to your attention is that it started with a few people having a crazy idea ‘what if we try to make diabetes its own country and petition the UN for a seat at the table?’

I love this kind of thinking. I love being able to dream so big that every idea seems impossible. I love when people come to me with ideas to help draw attention to a problem, an underserved population or in this case, a global issue.

You can only hit home runs if you swing big. Go to the video. Go to the website. Like it (if you do), Share it (if you like what  you see), tweet about it.  This type of thinking has to be rewarded.  If we can’t rally around a great idea, then we have no right complaining about the state of healthcare advertising.

Enjoy

R

11.25.14

What the #@!*$#% Was Coke Thinking?

I haven’t written in a long time. But I had to write about this. I hate the new Diet Coke campaign. I’ve been walking past the same bus kiosk for weeks now and I keep looking at the campaign is disbelief.

You’re on Coke.

Really? The great American icon Coca-Cola is running a campaign with the tagline ‘You’re on Coke.’ At this moment, I feel like my father ‘I remember the good old days when Coca-Cola stood for something good in the world.’

I work in advertising. I’m familiar with the thought of getting attention. But I think this crosses the line of taste. This also seems like a bad fit for the brand. I’m a huge fan of the work done by Droga5. Not this. I don’t like this. The fact that virtually every parody online is a drug reference only makes the point – Coca-Cola Company thinks the only way to perform at your best is to be coked up.

Coca-Cola’s response? “This advertising is one part of the new campaign for Diet Coke, which is called ‘You’re On.’ It celebrates ambitious young achievers from all walks of life and reminds them that Diet Coke is there to support them in the moments when they are at their best. Diet Coke in no way endorses or supports the use of any illegal substance.”

No – that’s not what the campaign says. It doesn’t say we’re there for you when you’re at your best. It says to be at your best you need coke. The brand has become a punch line.

It’s Monday. It’s still too cold in New York. And I’m not feeling like I’m at my best. Maybe I need a Pepsi.

I start teaching again this week at FIT

This year will be different.

I will not curse within the first 5 minutes. I will not make sarcastic comments when someone says something that makes no sense at all. I won’t lock the door at 6:30 so late arrivals can’t get in the classroom. I won’t tell anyone they’re completely full of @#$#.

That’s what I keep telling myself. I will behave. I will be kinder and gentler. Unfortunately, I know the truth. This year won’t be any different. Someone will say something and I’ll jump on it. Someone will show up late for the first day of class and I will pick on them immediately to answer a question. Someone will spend the entire class looking at their laptop and I will call on them when I know they have no idea what we’ve been talking about.

But this year will be different.

This year the students will come prepared. They’ll be passionate, hard working and dedicated. They’ll want to improve and get great jobs in advertising. They’ll want to explore their own creativity. They will want to stand out. They will not give up. They won’t care that they have to work hard. Just like some of the best students from years past.

This will be my third year teaching ‘Senior Portfolio Design’ at FIT. And I’ve had some amazing students. Of the 28 students I’ve taught, 6 currently work at my agency. Ryan, Liz, Jenny, Candice from 2012. Olivia and Priscilla from 2013. All have amazing potential. All can be stars. There are several others I’ve tried to hire but lost to other agencies.

This year will be different.

This year I’ve completely changed the way I’m teaching this class. This class will be as individualized as humanly possible. Each student will be treated differently since they will all have different strengths and weaknesses. This year each will reach their maximum potential. Everyone will get an A.

Thursday is the first class. I’ll let you know how I made out. I may also ask one of my students to guess blog on this site – so you can hear their point of view.

Now that would be really different.

Stay tuned….

R

1.27.14

Be careful what you wish for.

A few nights ago, I had the strangest dream. I remember so much about it. Every detail. The people. The numbers. The decisions I had to make. And when I woke in the morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about it – as if it really happened. Did I make the correct decision? What would I really do if given the choice? Why did I make that choice?  I kept telling myself ‘it was just a dream’ but I still couldn’t shake the feeling.  Here’s the dream.

I’m asleep in my bed when a god-like figure comes to me and wakes me out of a sound sleep. “I’m here to grant you a dream,” it said. “But you can only chose one, and you can’t change your mind.” I answered, “I have so many dreams, things I’d love to do, people I’d like to see again.”  The voice answered, “I have chosen your dreams for you.”

“Here is the first dream. In January of 2014, you will win the lottery. The prize will be $883 million dollars. People all over the country will know your name. You will have financial security for the rest of your life. With the money, you can make any dream you’d like come true. You can help the poor. Be a patron of the arts. Start your own business. Some of these are also dreams of yours, but you haven’t had the financial means to make them happen. Now you will.”

“And what is the second choice?”

“You’ve always dreamed of being a better athlete – here is your chance. On January 1, 2014 you will be the world’s greatest golfer. You will be able to hit any shot you want at any time. All you have to do is think about where you want to hit the ball and it will land there. People all over the country will know your name. You will have financial security for the rest of your life. With the prize money you will win, you can make any dream you’d like come true. You can help the poor. Be a patron of the arts. Start your own business.”

I asked, “When do I have to make my decision?” The voice came back, “right now.”

I looked around, was this real? Is this a dream?  Then I answered, “I be the golfer. While you will be giving me the tools, I still have to earn it.” And then the figure said “done,” and disappeared.

The rest of my dream was about me playing golf. Hitting the ball exactly where I want to hit it. Winning tournaments. But then something else happened. Golf became less interesting to the public. Because one player (me) was dominating the sport, people stopped watching. The outcome wasn’t suspenseful or interesting. To make it better for the public, I started losing on purpose. Getting close but not winning. I would win enough to keep the reporters away, but I would lose enough to make people watch. People started rooting against me. People wanted me to lose. I stopped playing a full schedule because I couldn’t take people telling me I wasn’t good anymore. I knew I could win every time I played. But I also didn’t want to ruin a game that I loved. So I stopped playing.

And while I had all the financial security I could ever want, I was sad. People all over the country knew my name – but also remembered that I used to be really good. And while I could do anything I wanted, I didn’t want to leave my house. I felt like a prisoner.

And then I woke up.

I remembered so many details. I woke up sweating. I was confused. What just happened? For the next few days I remember thinking about this dream. If it were real, what choice would I have made? If it were real, would I still act the same way? If it were real would I keep my promises to help the poor and be a patron to the arts?

I’ve replayed this dream in my head over and over again. And then yesterday I noticed the lottery jackpot has risen past $500 million. So if it reached $883 million – you know that I will be buying a ticket.

Because I can tell you this – my golf game isn’t getting better any time soon.

R

12.18.13

One of the classiest creative directors I ever met.

I only met Mike Hughes a few times. I was working in New York; he was in Richmond, Virginia. Our companies were both owned by the same holding company, IPG. Mike passed away recently. He wrote his own obituary. I thought it was amazing. Please take the time to read it all.

R

12.16.13

Just a little over a year ago, on Dec. 12, 2012, Mr. Mike Hughes started posting his thoughts on living and dying on a blog, Unfinished Thinking, which he used as a way to update his friends and family about his health while he was in hospice.

Frank, shocking, funny, heartwarming and completely human, his reflections, ultimately, were not about death, but showed how much Mr. Hughes embraced life, love, his family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Hughes made his final post on the day of his passing today, posthumously, in an autobiographical obituary that he had asked a member of his team to put up once he passed away. We share his parting words here.

An Autobiographical Obituary by the Late Mike Hughes

After many unexplained delays, I have finally lived up to my prognosis and have at last departed this life. It’s been a life I’ve loved.

In the months leading up to this moment, I was astonished at the outpouring of love and caring and respect from hundreds of people. There were handwritten notes, emails, blog posts, comments, letters, magazine articles, personal visits and phone calls. The tsunami of glorious thoughts sent my way has made it increasingly hard to justify my deep insecurity about my place in the world—an insecurity I’ve clung to all my life.

I want to take this last opportunity to clear up one common misjudgment in the oft-repeated, highly exaggerated list of my virtues. Many of you have credited me with humility. That’s not even close to true.

No one has ever been prouder of a marriage than I’ve been of my 38 years with Ginny. There have been outrageous laughs, tears, squabbles, joys, illnesses, heartbreaks and thrills. We’ve shared eye-opening travels and surrendered to high-calorie challenges. We’ve held hands during quiet moments that I’ve treasured more than any other. Although we’ve never quite recovered from it, we somehow survived Preston’s death, holding on to each other the whole way. I’m proud of that. There’s been love and friendship and high expectations. She’s made my life feel extraordinary even in its most ordinary moments.

Our sons have been the source of unending pride. Preston, who provided some of the biggest adventures in my life, was always a handful, but he was also always his own man. What father wouldn’t be proud of that?

And Jason. Quick and smart and passionate and outspoken and funny and competent and good and nurturing. I’ve never met a better man.

Jason brought us Carley and Ella, the daughter and granddaughter we wanted and needed. There’s no room for humility in my feelings about my girls. Carley is the best baker in the world and Ella is, as she’s quick to tell you, “the best drawer in the world.” I’ve always been afraid of women and I’ve always been a feminist. These are two of the reasons why.

I’m proud to have been the son of Ann and Jim. They loved each other as much as they loved Patti and me: there’s no better gift parents can give their children. I’m proud we shared our home and I shared my room growing up with my uncle, Jim Kennedy, known to all as Foo Foo.

You can’t help being proud if Patti Hughes is your sister. My whole life has been a quest to be as funny as Patti. She’s lived a life filled to the top with great friends and great adventures around the world. She’s taken care of our mother with a gentleness and strength few people could muster.

“Uncle Doctor Todd” Jarrell is an honorary third son and I’m proud to have him in the family. And I’m equally proud to have Preston’s partner, David Jackson, as an honorary son-in-law.

I’m proud of my most intimate friends. I won’t name them all, but it would be wrong not to mention George and Megan Douglas; Craig and Beverly Bowlus; Larry Hall and Flinn Dallis; Bruce and Nancy Mansfield; Ed and Eileen Kitces. Over many years, they’ve put up with my crazy work hours and my general unreliability. The conversations we’ve had have been invigorating. I am especially proud to count many of their grown kids among my closest friends today.

I’m proud, too, to have lived and worked alongside incredibly talented people who were also incredibly good and generous people. My mentors always treated me as valued friends. Father Augustine made high school bearable and made me try new things. During my newspaper days, Jerry Finch was the editor every young reporter should have. Larry Kaplan was my first advertising boss, encouraging me early on to reach higher—even if it meant working somewhere else. Bill Wynne was my first partner/mentor. He brought out the entrepreneurial side of me.

Then there was Harry. Harry Jacobs made The Martin Agency a contender in the industry worldwide–and he made me an advertising man. He put me on a wonderful track that I’ve stayed on for 34 years. I hope he’s half as proud of me as I am of him.

I’ve learned from many of the industry leaders I’ve worked with at The Martin Agency, but none taught me more or stuck with me longer than John Adams. He’s the wonderfully stubborn, highly principled partner every creative director desperately needs. He and I have had the extreme good fortune to work side by side with the best agency management people in the business.

I’m proud to have been one of the hundreds of people who put The Martin Agency on the map. We owe a lot to our clients and stockholders, of course, but no one gets in this line in front of the men and women who earned their paychecks doing things a little group in Richmond, Virginia, wasn’t supposed to be able to do. I can’t begin to list the account, planning, media, design, tech, administration, finance and business partners who have done the work for which I’ve been given so much credit. I hope they know how much I’ve needed them and how much I’ve loved them. I can’t remember the first time I said “I do work I love with people I love,” but I know I’ve said it thousands of times. Every word is true.

A special call-out is due to the magnificent, crazy, elegant, messed-up, damn-near-perfect gaggle of creative partners who have put up with me for so long. Hundreds of writers and art directors have come through the doors of the agencies I’ve been lucky enough to serve. A huge number of those writers and art directors taught me valuable lessons—not just in advertising, but in how to live a meaningful, all-in life. The greatest joy in our business comes not from a gold medal or a place in the industry hall of fame—it comes from doing the work and from doing it with people of integrity and ambition and good humor.

I’m embarrassed that I get way too much credit for the success of the VCU Brandcenter. Diane Cook Tench, Rick Boyko, Gene Trani, Helayne Spivak, the students, the alumni, the faculty and the administration deserve all the bows. Still I’m proud (if a little self-conscious) that my name’s on the side of the building. And I proudly liberate the current administration from any obligation it might feel to keep that giant painting of me hanging over the stairway.

I should say I’m proud of all the honors I’ve been accorded in my career, but the truth is, I’ve never been sure I deserved them. I’m a Hall of Fame creative director because I’ve worked for and with Hall of Fame caliber people. My honorary doctorate—and every other citation and award I’ve collected–is also an honor for those people. I am inordinately proud to have represented the groups I’ve represented.

I’m both proud of and grateful to the people who have taken care of me in the cancer years. Julie Garner made the appointment for me to visit Johns Hopkins. Helen Vennard and Susan Lueke have been eternally patient with America’s medical systems and with me. I have no idea how they do that. They wrapped their arms around Ginny, Jason’s family and me and made us feel safe and protected and indulged.

One final thought. I hope each of you enjoys every minute of your life. You’ve all contributed so much to mine.

And one last favor. Keep me in your thoughts. I love you.

20 intern interviews later …

Over the past three weeks, I’ve interviewed 20 intern candidates for our Spring creative internship program.  The maximum number of interns I will hire is 5. That means you had a 25% chance of getting an offer letter from my agency to work here and learn from some of the best creative people in the industry.

But the odds decreased with every interview mistake.  So after meeting students from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, The University of Delaware, Temple University and the School of Visual Arts, I’ve identified 5 mistakes that most of the students made and have to correct.

Mistake #1 – The portfolios are not ready for prime time.  The most common line I heard from the students I was interviewing was “I’m still working on my portfolio.” That line was closely followed by “I plan to work on my portfolio over the break.” I find these statements incredible.  You’re an advertising student. The entire purpose of going to school is to create campaigns and ideas to fill a portfolio. Have you not noticed that you’re graduating in a few months? When were you going to put something together? After all your interviews are finished?  The best portfolio had 1 or 2 good campaigns. The worst had none. Some had no campaigns at all, but a collection of images that were supposed to be ideas.  My advice: Get to work. Now.

Mistake #2 – The ideas seemed small. In many of the portfolios, I saw ads. From time to time I saw an app or a website. Once in a while there would be an environmental idea.  But the ideas seemed confined by the page.  There was nothing that was huge.  Actually, that’s a lie – I saw one HUGE idea but the creative team that worked on it never understood how big it was, and made it very small. Instead of a movement that could change the world, they made an app. But that was the exception. Most times I saw well-crafted executions without the hint of an idea.  My advice: Know why you’re doing something, not just what you’re creating.

 Mistake #3 – Typos, typos and more typos. Virtually everyone had mistakes in their work. Resumes with really bad typos. Campaigns that spelled the name of the product incorrectly. I even saw a resume that had the name of the college misspelled. I don’t know how many times I have to say this – hire a proofreader.  You can’t see your own spelling mistakes. Trust me, I know. I’m the KING of typos. Read virtually any of my blog posts and you’ll find a typo. That’s because I don’t follow my own advice. I don’t have these posts proofread before I add them to my blog.  But I’m not looking for a job. You are.  My advice: Everything needs to be proofread. Twice.

Mistake #4 – The work lacks passion.  This was the most surprising. These students get to choose what they create – yet there wasn’t a single campaign about something they were personally passionate about. I met dancers, photographers, custom sneaker artists, improv actors, horseback riders, competitive swimmers, and women’s rights advocates. And guess how many of them created campaigns about these passions. That’s correct, zero. I told them all to create a campaign for these passions. That’s because only they could create them. Nobody else has that point of view. Nobody else knew the subject matter as well. That campaign would not (and could not) appear in any other portfolio.  My advice: dig deep inside yourself and find that campaign that only you can create.

Mistake #5 – Bad Interviews. 50% of the interviews were awful. 25% were bad. 20% were just OK. 5% were good.  Do the math, 5% of 20 people.  Yes, 1 good interview. What made these interviews so bad?  Asking no questions. Asking really dumb questions. Wearing something completely inappropriate. Not knowing anything about the agency or the work we do. Pulling a folded resume (with typos) out of a backpack as if you’re handing in a homework assignment. Having nothing interesting to say. Being bored. Being boring.  The good interview was very different. We had plenty to talk about. I gave some advice about his portfolio, and by the time he sent a follow up e-mail, he had made the corrections. Great attitude. Great work ethic.  My advice: Practice interviewing. Do research. Don’t be boring.

I am making my decisions today on who to offer and internship. I may offer 1. I may offer 2. I may offer none. I feel really torn. The teacher in me wants to take the least prepared students so I can work with them. But should I be rewarding them? This is very hard.  You would think that it was easy, but its not.

If you interviewed for an internship, good luck. If you’re thinking about a career in advertising – please pay attention to these tips. It could really help you get the job of your dreams.

Happy Wednesday,

R

12.11.13

I’m addicted to Netflix

Hello, my name is Rich and I’m a Netflixaholic.

Lately I’m always tired. And just when I think I’ve had enough for one night, a little pop up box shows up and says ‘your next episode will being in 7 seconds’ and I can’t say ‘no.’

It started with Breaking Bad.

I went away on a trip with some friends and they were all talking about how much I’d like Breaking Bad.  I had my iPad with me, so I fired up Netflix and watched Season 1, Episode 1.  By the time I finally went to sleep that night, I knew the life story of Walter White, Jesse, Skylar, Hank, Marie and Walter, Junior.  I think I also spent some quality time with Skinny Pete, Badger & Combo.  I was hooked.  Every night before I went to sleep, I would watch 2-3 episodes.  Tuco, Gus, Steve Gomez, Tio Salamanca, Krazy-8, Eliot and Gretchen Schwartz all became a part of my life. Soon I’d be quoting my favorite characters Lydia, Saul and Mike.  I loved this show.

But the bad news – try falling asleep after watching 3 episodes of Breaking Bad. It was not that easy.

Luckily, there were only 5 glorious seasons to watch.  Yes, I burned through all 5 seasons in 3 weeks. And I realized that this show was a little like driving past a car accident. You know you shouldn’t slow down and look but you always do.  You knew this show was a wreck. You knew the characters couldn’t survive all the crazy stuff. But you kept watching because you were never sure.  I was shocked by the final 5 episodes. The twists and turns were mind blowing.

But that was only the beginning of the addiction. Next up was House of Cards.

I had no intention of watching the entire first season of House of Cards in 1 week. I always liked Kevin Spacey. The Usual Suspects is one of my favorite movies. His work in the 90s is amazing. American Beauty, LA Confidential, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (love the book), Hurlyburly and of course, Glengarry Glen Ross. But he hadn’t done anything that I would call ‘amazing’ in years. I’m not a huge fan of Robin Wright. In fact, off the top of my head, the only films I could recall are The Princess Bride and Hurlyburly.

Then I watched Chapter 1. Wow. Did Kevin Spacey really do that? Did he just talk to the camera? I’m in awe of Robin Wright. I hate Zoe Barnes. I feel bad for Peter Russo. I want to punch Remy Danton. And hey, isn’t that Dana Gordon from Entourage playing a newspaper reporter?  This show is amazing. Amazing. Let me say that again. Amazing.

I’m now watching two chapters a night.  I want to watch them all before the new season starts in February. Although I can’t imagine how there’s a second season. I’ve watched the first 12 episodes. There’s only one more. The house has to fall down soon. This can’t continue.

But it seems like I said the same thing about Breaking Bad.  Hmmmm, maybe this can continue and I just enjoy watching the car wreck.

So now I’m beginning to decide what to begin next.  Yes, I’m truly a Netflixaholic.

Here are the shows everyone is telling me I should watch next. And yes, I’ve never watched a single episode all of these. (Except Newsroom – I watched 3 episodes on a plane once.)

What do you think?

Here’s to another sleepless night. And in the voice of Jesse Pinkman – Have a great weekend, bitches.

R

12.6.13

Advice for potential interns

It’s that time of year again.  The e-mails are beginning to flood the office from students looking for spring internships. We will take 4-6 interns. Over 100 will apply. What can you do to insure that you get one of the spots? I’ll provide a few tips. I’ve given many of these before, so hopefully this isn’t news to you.

Hire a proofreader

I can’t tell you how many people have typos in their resume or in their work. A famous typo that I pointed out to a student was for a ‘pro-bono’ campaign to support low-income young women who need interview clothes.  Now remember, the woman who created this campaign had looked at the headline for one of her ads 1000s of times. And this ad is targeted at other women.  Yet she failed to notice that the work ‘count’ was missing a letter. And trust me, she didn’t do it on purpose. When I asked her about it, I thought she would crawl under my sofa and hide.

Another time I was meeting with a candidate who had spelled the name of two agencies incorrectly.  He worked a McAnn Worldwide and Sattchi & Sattchi. Since he was a copywriter, it made me wonder if he really ever worked at either. Good thing he never worked at Gray. (Which in case you don’t know is spelled Grey.)

Know something about your audience

Who are you meeting? What do they do? What do they like? What type of work do they do? You can find lots of information about the people you’re scheduled to meet. ALWAYS ask, “Who will I be meeting with today?” Never accept – “You’ll be meeting with members of our creative department.” That’s too wide open. Try to get their names and titles.  I think it’s quite fair for you to ask why you’re meeting them. Do they have a similar job title? Do they come from the same school? Or do they just have down time?  Virtually everyone in the world has some form of online presence. It’s very easy to find out something about everyone.  One other thing,  don’t use a ‘familiar’ short version of someone’s name. There are plenty of Roberts who don’t like Bob. Christopher is not automatically Chris. Elizabeth is not always Liz or Betty or Betsy. Someone once called my Rick Levy.  I’m not a Rick. I’ve never been called Rick. Its best not to get your audience angry before you begin.

Write an interesting e-mail

If you want a creative position, perhaps a good way to start is with an interesting introduction. Write an e-mail like you’re trying to get a response. Don’t take the easy way out. Spend time crafting it. Show it to people. Proofread it. Revise it. Send it to one person and see how they react before you send it out to hundreds. Test and optimize. Make it personal. Don’t use the exact same e-mail for different people in the same organization. Yes, we forward e-mails to each other. If its cookie-cutter, you lose points.  Be creative. Don’t suck.

Ask your college professors to make an introduction for you

There’s a very good chance the people teaching you know a lot of people in the industry. If they like you, they will happily introduce you to a lot of their friends. It’s helpful for you. It’s good for them.  I hired someone recently simply because their college professor (who I knew) told me I’d be an idiot not to. I trusted his judgment. And he was right. This guy was amazing. I hired him. He’s been great.  Use your network. Use their network.  It’s far better than a cold call.

Have great work in your portfolio

I know this seems obvious.  But if want a job, make sure your work is really tight. Make sure the art direction is fresh and unique. Make sure you know the difference between and idea and an execution. If you’re still working on your portfolio – don’t waste anyone’s time going on an interview. You’re not ready. Again, your college professors need to give you some tough love.  Don’t let them be nice. Ask them to be brutal. Ask them if they’d hire you. Hopefully, they say yes.

Good luck. I start meeting people next week. My fingers are crossed.

R

11.21.13