The Road Ahead

We are still..open that is.

We are still here. Honestly. But more importantly, there are more agencies to apply to if you haven't found yourself a job yet. Ogilvy, Leo Burnett and Iris deadlines are coming up in February, links to them are in the Application Deadlines box on the right, click 'em, fill 'em and get 'em.

Happy 2008, Sam You're a Little Late

The sun sets on 2007, in 2007 - I took this picture, I think it rocks.

Greetings fair readers.

I've been really really slack in my posting habits and for that I apologise. I could attempt to spew a litany of excuses, but as my brother used to say 'It don't *£$%*& matter!'.

Now January exams may be on your radar / just dropping off it and some of you who haven't had any luck on the job front may be beginning to lose hope. I have one word of advice for you: don't.

There are plenty more places to apply to and even more non-traditional opportunities out there. This whole thing is far from over. I'm in Dubai at the moment causing trouble in the world's largest hard hat zone, but I'll be back later this week and should get my (more) regular posting back on.

Until then - for those of you who feel kinda like it's going nowhere, I leave you with something from Ben Stein:

"It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated...it is finished when it surrenders."

And a big thank you for all the emails you guys have sent me, I do have some things cookin' job wise, I just can't say them out loud yet. x

Nothing cures a hangover like the Imperial War Museum

Nope. The museum is NOT a client of ours, but a visit will cure your post holiday-detox boredom binge.

Be sure to see the Weapons of Mass communication exhibition before 30th March. Without giving too much a way it is an extensive collection of iconic propaganda messaging from both sides of the wall. Also includes Karmarama's Make Tea not War!

Go. And if you have no friends cool enough to go with you all of us will be happy to tag along.

If you think ‘fuck you’ in your first week you’ll probably go on to be a star

One thing is for sure this industry has enough conformists to become as boring as banking and as un-exciting as auditing. I’m not suggesting that you go in on your first day with feet on the table, chewing gum, scratching your privates and claiming to be the messiah that will save the agency, though I would love to buy you a drink if you did. What I am saying is that if you disagree with the ways things are done and have far more inspiring, creative and productive theories then you’re more than likely to be a future star.

Paul Arden tells a great tale of career paths in his book ‘Whatever you think, think the opposite’. It tells of Steady Eddie and Reckless Erica. You’ll spot the Steady Eddies in your interviews or even in your grad in take. They’ll be the well behaved one, making friends wherever they go and pretty much celebrating the work of others that when you see it you sneer with mediocre indifference – you’re a reckless Erica. Good I say, don’t lose that. You probably won’t last long at your given agency. You’ll learn what you need to know and get bored very quickly with Steady Eddies and their mediocrity church whilst you’re wanting there to be fire and brim stone falling from the sky in anarchic joy and if a creative reckons that sniffing cocaine off a hooker’s tits will inspire them then by God you don’t want him/her to be lonely whilst doing so. You may get fired before you leave. So what. You’re a survivor and you’ll find your niche creative community one way or another.

The quite patronising point I’m trying to make is never lose your ‘fuck you’. It’ll keep you pure and quicker than the Steady Eddies which you should hold nothing but brutal and warranted antipathy for. This doesn’t mean that stupid attempt at advice which goes like ‘never pretend to be someone you're not’. That is quite literally ridiculous. If you are the same person all the time then only certain people will always buy you and from you. This isn’t the kindest of industries and thin and transparent (often well being) skin is chewed upon, ironically by a Steady Eddie. Be who you need to be to get what you want, sell what you want and push what you want It’s the essence of ambition I think, to overcome any obstacle that is in your way and reach your goals (with the exception of hurting innocents in order to do so).

Happy New Year rant over and much luck with all your up coming interviews and ultimately jobs. xxxx