Successful Applications (Part One)

DOUBLE dare you.

Right, as alluded to in the comments of the last post, there's a young grad (who goes by the name of Simon - more about him here and here) that has been lucky enough to get an interview at Dare.

He's rather generously agreed to have his answers to the Dare graduate application form put up on this blog, and there's quite a lot of you who have mentioned you'd like to see some successful responses put up on the blog. I don't have time to do it now, but I'm sure I can dig out some of my old apps (which will probably lurk somewhere online/in my emails) to show you guys.

I will also add my own thoughts as to why he got invited to an interview, and if any Dare person wants to chime in to explain why they liked the app, feel free to do so.

Rightyho:

Question 1: Which brand has the most imaginative and innovative marketing and why?

The brand image of Chile has recently demonstrated imaginative and innovative marketing, which has resulted in a successful rebranding of the country.

Despite the miners’ accident, Chile have been able to use this opportunity to rebrand itself in the most unusual way. It’s innovative – because no one genuinely creates accidents to improve their brand image and they’ve capitalised on this. It’s imaginative – because who would have thought anyone could successfully rebrand following a potentially fatal accident.

The government’s reaction, determination and patience has changed the world’s perception of Chile from Pinochet’s reign of dictatorship to a country where the government acted like a fully developed nation.

The best form of product placement has to be Oakley who donated sunglasses to the miners and were told to wear them on the globally televised rescue. Front Row Analytics reported they garnered approximately $41million in equivalent advertising time from an initial $6300 expenditure.

This is a very clever, laterally minded response. Simon could have very easily have said 'Waitrose' or 'Sony', and given a stock marketing response. Instead, he thought about just why and how brands are constructed, and how country and product intertwine. Very smart thinking. The only slight amend I'd have made to this would be drawing attention to the coverage (think of the fake Chilean miner twitter account, which had tens of thousands of followers) that it received online. But that's a very, VERY minor quibble - nice thought.

Question 2: Has digital fundamentally changed marketing or simply provided a new set of tools to play with?

Digital has done both of those things.

Digital has provided a new set of tools to play with, thus a new dimension of communications. In the process, this has shifted the focus from traditional forms of advertising to digital where businesses can now reach their target audience more efficiently. Digital has changed not only where we advertise, but how we advertise and this in turn has revolutionised traditional advertising. For example, billboard adverts have been projected, newspaper ads appear in newspaper mobile apps.

Like a tree with many branches, digital has opened a variety of communication channels. Most recently, 3D advertising which, I think, could be massive in 10 years time when everyone will probably own a 3D TV (just like 10 years ago when flat screen TVs came onto the market). This has literally opened up a new dimension for creativity and advertising in general.

This is a fairly 'stock' response to what is a fairly straightforward question. Nothing is 'wrong' with it. I'm of the opinion there should always be one straight response to the questions answered, and this is it. His examples are fine - the answer could have been improved with some more salient examples of what brands are doing with these new channels, but given space, it's the right approach.

Question 3: What's the most interesting thing about you?

I can write legibly with my left hand. (I’m naturally right handed).

This is a 'silly' question. One which you can answer in any way. I think my response to this was that I had a scar shaped like a stegosaurus or something else. Basically, write anything which is more thoughtful than 'I once met...'. Think of an amusing incident, something only you can do - without sounding cliche. This is a solid response, and does well to keep it short. Brevity in your response is almost always a good thing - it means you'll probably be asked to elaborate in your interview, and shows you can 'write to the question'. Sometimes, there's nothing more to say.

Question 4: What's the most powerful number?

1032745986

This is the most powerful number in the whole of the universe. Here are the reasons why:

· The number as a whole contains all the numbers from 1-10 and therefore it has all the power it needs to defeat anything. Including Killer Su Doku. Too many of the same numbers would dilute the power of the number, apparently.

· If a=0, b=1 then 1032745986 = Bad Chef Jig = a type of dance Gordon Ramsay is reluctant to do

· 1032745986/6895472301 (backwards) = 0.14

1032745986/314159265 (π without the decimal) = 3.28

3.28 – 0.14 = 3.14 = π

This is another opportunity to think laterally or culturally. Simon answers this one extremely well. Who thinks about imbuing a number with personality, as he does here? I certainly wouldn't have thought of it. The 'Bad Chef Jig' joke is very clever too, as is the pie joke.

So then - there's one successful application. That, plus a decent online presence, is what it takes to get an interview at Dare. What do you think of it, readers? I can entirely understand why Simon got an interview. Simon - thanks for sending this in.

Ogilvy Fellowship...

You too could work here.

The Ogilvy Fellowship is acknowledged to be one of the best starts in the communications industry. And, happy day, they've just opened. I have just been sent a lot of information from the guys there, so have a butchers, and if you're interested, apply....

"Ogilvy Group UK is a communications agency that does advertising, direct marketing, interactive marketing, PR, design and promotion. We're the London outpost of Ogilvy's extensive global network of over 400 offices worldwide.

Every year we look for 5 stars of the future to join our Fellowship here in London. This year we have taken a slightly different approach to how we recruit for the Fellowship. We will be selecting 10 of the brightest and best applicants to join us at our Canary Wharf office here in east London to undertake two consecutive four-week placements. You’ll get great experience and have the opportunity to hear from some of London’s best talent in the industry while also learning about our 360 approach to advertising. We’ll then select five stars of the future to join our Fellowship programme starting in November 2010, which will see you undergo three year's training with a year in three different disciplines.

The timings for the 2010 Internship and Fellowship are as follows:

Closing date for applications: 4th May 2010 (Midnight)

Interviews: w/c 28th June 2010

Internship: 4th August 2010 – 1st October 2010

Fellows start date: 8th November 2010"

So there you have it. Best of luck.

Grad Schemes A-Go-Go

It'll be you in a year's time.

Hello there. This is meant to be a work in progress grad scheme list, so let us know if we've missed any off.

Anyway. Have a look at these (they've begun to open):

AMV BBDO have launched their graduate scheme (known as ‘the academy’). Details here. Both planning and account management. Verrry nice. The closing date is the 23^rd of October at 6pm.

BBH haven’t opened their grad scheme…yet. There’s an email for grads (grads at bbh dot co dot uk), though I’m not sure what’s happening so far this year. UPDATE: BBH aren't recruiting this year. The next intake will be at the end of 2010.

Update: BMB have just opened! Check out the 'join us' section on their site. The deadline's 30th of October.

CHI’s scheme will open up at the end of September. So keep an eye on this link.

DDB have already opened up theirs. Those scamps. The deadline’s the 6^th of November.

DLKW have also opened up. So have a squint at their grad form here.

Engine (the holding group for a heckuva lot of companies, WCRS included) have opened their doors too. Here. The deadline’s midnight of 22^nd of November.

JWT are also just about to open up their scheme. It’s not happened yet, but the very handy Facebook page is here. (Update - it's just opened here)

Leo Burnett's scheme has opened now as well. Deadline's the 23rd of October.

McCann Ericksson’s grad scheme is due to go live this month too. Another to check out – go to ‘about us’ and you can find the grad scheme link from there.

M&C Saatchi have opened as well. The deadline’s midnight on Monday 2^nd of November.

Ogilvy ‘s fellowship site is yet to go live. But it should do by the end of this month. So, again, keep your eyes peeled.

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe are yet to open. Again, worth keeping an eye on – they should be opening soon.

WPP's Fellowship has also open. The deadline's the 17th of November at 2pm (GMT).

Hope those help - and best of luck...Feel free to tell us of any we've missed.

Dare To Go Digital

The dust may have settled on the year that was but the graduate recruitment machine soldiers on. Today we have my homeboy Will Lion talking about digital agencies and why you should apply to Dare's grad scheme this year. Their application deadline was today, but has been extended to the 20th of this month, so get applying. And good luck.

Will is a graduate at Dare and his blog is here.

It might be overstated (there is probably always going to be the bed, bog, bath element) but Mr Billingsley's comment is almost certainly right: we're going to be digital advertisers because the world is now digital, and getting more so.

What does all this digital malarkey mean for people looking to get into the communications business and, before we look at that, what does digital mean anyway?

One of the lovely insights of Dare's grad video; where the parents of Dare folk gloriously fail to define what their children do, is that pinning it down is tricky.

Part of its slipperiness is that things just keep shifting. Facebook was born in 2004, YouTube in 2005, Twitter in 2006, the App Store in 2008 etc. The only constant is change.

The other thing about 'digital' is that it is polysemous; it has multiple meanings.

It is used to refer to electronic media (web, screens, mobiles, ipods, nike+ shoes etc) but also, and more importantly, the behaviours those media have unleashed and fed: interaction.

There is an important difference there that Jeremy Bullmore expressed perfectly in Campaign when he said,

There are two important things there for grads trying to get into the industry. The first is, whose roof?

Most of you will have been concentrating on the big above-the-line ones. That is a good bet for a digital future as long as that ATL agency gets digital, which means they aren't just talking about it, they're doing it (hmm, a black sheep has just popped into my head.)

On the other hand, another good bet are the agencies whose best is yet to come: the digital ones, primed as they are to thrive in the coming digital ecosystem.

And now for the second important bit of Mr Bullmore's quote: if you're worried about applying to a digital agency because it's got the word digital in it, don't be: as he says, it's not really about tech, it's about interactivity.

And what's that? It's spreading the intelligence more evenly between people who make stuff and people who consume it. Sometimes it's only a little, sometimes it's a lot.

This interactivity lets you do a lot more than you can at your typical traditional ATL agency. Or to reunite that idea with its owner:

I think that's really exciting (and Mr Tait has 9 more great reasons digital is better for those interested). In digital you're unshackled from just doing TV, print and radio to all sorts of exciting things like sites, applications, blogs, games, branded content, widgets, podcasts, social things and experimental stuff. And a lot of this (not all) is actually useful to people; it's additive rather than interruptive.

In my experience grads tend to think of digital as something on-the-sidey and techy. Maybe it once was. Now it ain't. Technology is so ubiquitous, so ready-to-hand, that it's becoming invisible and when that happens it gets socially interesting. In other words, technology and culture used to be separate, increasingly they are the same (look what you're doing now.)

It's a brilliant time to get into an industry that's only going to grow (even in these tough times) and that's much more about interesting interactive ideas than it is about tech.

Go on, apply!

Obviously, I am biased but this would be a good place to start...

(For those wanting more, I suggest you have a play in here, read this, canoe back up this and maybe watch this. That should be enough to be getting on with.)

Empty Space? No Problem...

Don't fear it...picture by stringberd, usual rules apply.

It would seem that with application season in full swing, some of you asking questions about the forms you've been asked to fill out.

Seems that the prospect of finishing off the app forms with white space has left you in something of a pickle; that you aren't quite sure of what to put. Well, here's a (slightly pointed) thought about that.

Once you finish University, you aren't going to be mollycoddled any more. Sure, many agencies will talk about their spangly recruitment programmes for grads, and will make good, i'm sure. However, advertising (or comms in general) isn't for those who like to be spoon-fed.

No, it's for those who want to take. Those who aren't satisfied with what they see on TV, in the media or just generally around them. Those who want to grab it by the scruff of the neck and make it all just a little bit better.

Blank space shouldn't be worrisome; so there's no clue as to what they want? Invent your own! There's a lot to be said for trying to make a compelling story about yourself, to explain how you came to be where you are today, and how you'll improve the agency beyond all measure.

Sam has already blogged about how he PR-ed his experiences with Saatchi & Saatchi, and how that directly led to him getting a job. There's a similar story for Anton and sort of a similar one for me (blogging does help, honest). We may not have all been on the milkround, but that doesn't really matter.

What empty space gives you is room to manoeuvre. Make the most of it - it's what you'll be doing in your advertising career.

(NB: For that JWT question - I had the same one waaay back in 2005 - which helped me get to interview/was complimented on how I answered that 'use the space' question - I basically wrote a stream of consciousness using different typefaces. Made them chuckle).

Back..

 

New beginnings and all that, picture by this guy

This is kind of an apology. Cause we've been really shit. Like really. Laziness is gross like something nasty, and I've been super lazy (and so have the rest of the guys) in not updating the blog and replying to emails and all the rest of it. So this is, in fact, an apology to all y'all and a promise that we won't be as shit in the future.

I've updated a bunch of grad schemes with their dates and links on the right, along with links to our posts on interviews, forms and such delightful things. There is more on the way, and we hope to get some more star stories up soon. Also we'll be hitting up universities in conjunction with the IPA pretty soon, if you want us to come visit, let me know.

Also just like last year, we want you guys to tell us your experiences on how applying is going, to be featured in our Diary of an Applicant flavor of posts. If you're interested in writing about how stupid application form questions are, how EVERY agency says they're the best (and they ALL do, and it's impossible for them all to be, so obviously someone's a liar) or anything that you want, send me an email and let's talk.

Don't give up, leave a comment, ask a question or send an email: samismail (at) yahoo dot com

(It's written weird so I don't get a ton of porn and emails from Africa about big bucks headed my way).

We're back and it's gonna be awesome.

Peace.

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.

Taking A Blind Corner

There was going to be a cool caption here, but I'm too tired now..

Today is kind of like the rounding the first corner of a road that is totally unknown to you. As of about 6pm tonight, there will be a handful of agencies left for us all to apply to, and many of them haven't started their respective processes yet. Off the top of my head, only DAS and Iris are open right now, with Leo Burnett, Publicis, Ogilvy and DraftFCB yet to show their hands.

I feel relieved. Out of all the applications, the only one I didn't do was BMB, because at some point I felt I had to give my degree some time before it's too late.

I think next week is chock full of interviews, so I'm hoping everyone does well in all the ones they have. As a reminder, interview advice is here and here.

Also if you haven't heard anything good from the places you've applied to, don't worry because throughout the year and the summer there will be formal and informal opportunities to get your foot in the door, we'll cover some of these in future posts.

Application season might be turning into interview season, but we're not done yet. For tonight though, I am.

Sam

I Got Some Bad News..

Even though you know it's bound to happen, it still stings..

9:25am Friday morning, and the email account I've reserved for all things application-flavored gives the little squeaky sound effect. You got mail. I open up the mail and it's the first rejection of the year from McCann. And despite the fact that I knew this was definitely going to happen with some of my applications, I felt miserable.

But the 'thanks but no thanks' message will no doubt be given to the grand majority of us applying at some point, and the best thing is to pick yourself up and get back to it. I'm a big fan of the groups on Facebook that allow us to let everyone know who's heard what from where. Yeah it's not going to change any decisions that are made, but it's easier to take waiting when you know others are waiting.

I really believe we're all in this together, it's not easy to get into advertising and I really believe that everyone who wants it enough will get in. I don't see the point and think it's so petty to sit in a corner and not share what's happening with others. If you're confident in yourself (which we all should be) then telling someone who's got an interview a day after yours what the format was isn't a big deal. One thing that's very noticeable is that people in advertising are very open to giving out advice and sharing experiences with others, our star stories are a testament to that. And all us applicants are by and large, sharing our experiences with forms and interviews, which I think is awesome.

I realise that this post has turned into a bit of a rant, because of a message I got from someone who asked what was the point in telling people about what format my RKCR interview took. Rather than send a sarcasm-laden message back to that person about how they needed to grow up, it's all come out here. I hope it kinda makes sense.

How I'd Sell Coal To Eskimos..

Some of the good stuff

I'd show them a fistful of diamonds and a handful of coal. I'd tell them 'One day, all this coal will be just like this..". Then I'd fly away and never, ever visit them again.

The Form Of Forms

Just a reminder to everyone that this week is pretty busy application deadline-wise. JWT's deadline is in the morrow (Wednesday the 7th), with M&C, AMV, BBH and DLKW all due on Friday the 9th (DLKW by noon that day) - perfectly arranged so you can mosy on down to The Green Man on Berwick Street in the evening for some AdGrads themed catharsis.

Links to applications are in the sidebar. Get them in!

And part 2 of Diary of An Applicant is live on AdGrads Brand Republic, it's from someone we'll call Bernard who's very kindly contributed some thoughts on his experiences so far. As always, email me if you want to write for future editions.

Peace out...

Sam

Likemind and Deadlines

A bunch of deadlines are coming up, and as well as putting them up on the AdGrads and Advertising Applicants 08 Facebook groups, I thought I'd whack 'em up here as well so y'all know when to get stuff done by:

RCKR: 22nd October
McCann: 4th November - Noon

AMV: 5th November
JWT: 7th November
BBH: 9th November
M&C Saatchi: 9th November
DLKW: 9th November - Noon
WPP: 21st November
DDB: 23rd November

Also I'm going to be at Likemind in Birmingham tomorrow (October 19) from around 8am (!), if you're around come say hi.

This Mad Season

I feel stupid, but I know it won't last for long,

And I've been guessing, and I coulda been guessing wrong,
You don't know me now, I kinda thought that you should somehow,
Does that whole Mad Season got you down?

The first verse of Matchbox Twenty's song Mad Season sums up how I feel right now having ploughed through a variety of agency graduate recruitment applications over the last week or so.

I personally get into a groove with these things and find I can get them done in quick succession if I'm in the mood, but then if I'm not it's useless even opening them up because questions like 'How to sell coal to an eskimo' bounce around the inside of my head and exit rapidly.

And what I and the rest of the guys all agree on is that one of the most important things you can do when filling out these applications is to let your personality shine through. Now that is infinitely easier said than done I agree, but it's crucial to you getting noticed in the piles of applications that will cross any given agency's desk.

So how do you do it? There's no magical silver bullet I'm afraid; if there was someone would be filthy-rich by now by patenting it, so it boils down to this: be you. Personality is something unique to you so don't try to find it in someone else. I would advise against typing 'How to sell coal to an Eskimo' into google and trying to use anything you find as the basis of your answer. To see how other's have attacked the question is of course, great to do. But your answer has to be all about you. Which is what will make you get an invitation to interview as well. So when it asks for your favorite song lyric think of your favorite song, why you like it and leave it all on the page (that's my way of saying that the more personal the answer the better). If you wear your heart on your sleeve in real life do the same on your form, and conversely don't try and be something you're not. Your application forms, CVs and all the rest of it should be extensions of yourself - recognisable as you.

Another thing that could be useful to keep in mind is that when faced with the blank spaces of application forms - especially the questions at the end (like 'is there anything else we should know about you?'), continuous prose may not be the best way to go about a particular question. I'm not saying do the whole thing in bullet points, but think about how to visually differentiate yourself within a written answer. Maybe do a flowchart, a mindmap, a cartoon, graffiti, a picture, maybe import a digital picture, maybe string a couple together to do a montage. Think of how you want to make it you. Graduate application forms should be something that you know you're ready to send off because you're happy you've indelibly stamped them with your personality. A friend should be able to read through your answers and know it's you who wrote it without seeing the name on the top of it.

The 'anything else' or 'use this box as you like' sections on applications are the best sections - they let you give the reader a flavor of what you're like, don't waste them.

Application Form Cool

A really good question from Gemma on the AdGrads Facebook group about application form questions got me thinking. So I wrote this over at AdLads but thought it may be pertinent to put it here as well.

How To Be Cool

A bit of an ambitious title huh? Yeah I think so too. But see, I’ve been thinking a lot about cool; not the word, maybe not even the concept, but the connotation. What is cool? It’s all so subjective right? But I think cool is pretty closely related to confidence. They even go together well in a sentence; cool and confident..see? I may be onto something. And you can make an argument about creativity being very closely related to cool and confident, maybe like first cousin-close. And then it’s pretty clear that cool, is well for want of a better expression, pretty damn cool.

What has really got me thinking about all this is the mad season that is graduate recruitment. I’m trawling through applications that ask me questions like ‘How do you sell coal to an eskimo?’ or ‘Which superhero would you be?’ and thinking ‘What the hell do I write here?’. That combined with something my main main Richy B said a while back, something along the lines of ‘We get along because we know cool when we see it’ got me thinking about what cool is and how you can be cool.It’s simple really, cool is inside every single one of us. Really. It’s about being self-aware, and being self-aware is something I go on about a lot to Anton, Will, Alex, all y’all who read the blog and pretty much everyone I know. But I’ll say it again, being self-aware, and really knowing what you’re good at and what you’re not is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your life, forget about career type things. So you’re self-aware and you know what you’re good at. Be confident in it, like really really confident. Ooze that stuff.

Confidence is one of those things that is really easy to see through if it’s false bravado, and confidence masked with arrogance is like me on a Sunday night in front of the TV watching the NFL: right in your face. So real confidence is easily spotted and comes naturally, because that’s what it’s the product of, being naturally at ease with something you know you’re good at. And that’s where creativity comes in. Think of everything you’ve seen that you consider to be creative. Was it forced? Awkwardly out of place? Not at all. It was really at ease with itself, natural even.

At this point I’m sitting here smiling because I think this post is coming together now, it’s a load of psycho-babble maybe, probably even. But I think it makes sense. And it’s right at this point where I can get to the crux of the matter, when y’all are sitting there trying to figure out a way to be creative and cool and original when answering a question on an application form / coming up with an idea for something at work / for anything at all, remember

• The things that come easiest to you are the things that are natural. No matter how people will try and put you into boxes ‘numerate’ ‘orator’ etc, everyone is creative, every single one of us. So be natural and take yourself out of the boxes that you’ve been put into, sit outside, sit on your bed, sit on a couch, sit in the bath with a notebook - wherever you feel at ease is where you’ll be in the most natural frame of mind. Go to that place (be it mental, physical or both) and just zone. And you’ll find (and trust me, every single one of us will) that you’ll be more creative than you thought you could be.
• Natural is confident, confidence is natural and both of them are pretty damn sexy.
• Natural, creative and confidence are so intertwined it’s not a coincidence, they all stem from the same thing; being at ease with yourself.
• Find out what it is about yourself that makes you without question you, like patent-pending you, what about your life has made you who you are? That’s your gold-mine and that is where you need to be knee deep in sifting for the nuggest of the good stuff, because that’s where you’ll be most confident, most unique, most effortless, most cool and most you.
• Take this feeling of confidence outside the box of ‘work’ and things will seem almost effortless compared to what they were before.

So take it from someone who used to be so uptight about things I used to work myself into a frenzy about how to be original. All you have to do is be the thing that comes most naturally to you. I’m no good at being anything but me. To everyone that matters and in everything that matters, that’s always more than enough. And that is pretty damn cool.

Something From The Weekend

Here we are.

We spent the day of rest at Anton's love shack in the East End, where he served up some rockin' salmon and played the part of the host like a pro.

In betwix the conversation and videogame themed shenanigans, we managed to record a podcast, with some (very basic) pointers on all things application forms. That podcast will be edited and whacked up here very soon. We hope.

Also we're planning an AdGrads shindig on Saturday, November 3 - it will be half work and all play, so book that day off. We're hoping to make it really useful for all of you guys. 

And finally, we've set up a Facebook group for you guys to give us some feedback on the podcast, the forthcoming (we haven't forgotten it) wiki and all things AdGrads related. 

It's a closed group and we're going to keep it totally on topic, so no spamming action will be had. 

Join it here and tell all your application-type friends.

More Graduate Schemes...

Yet more schemes have opened..check these two out:

AMV BBDO

DDB London

Feel free to shoot us an email if you have any questions about how to answer any of the questions they put forward. I think we're planning to have a stab at a few, just to give you guys an idea of how to approach them.

And So It Begins..

Ok guys as the saying goes in parts across the pond, we're officially in the ballpark. JWT and BBH have opened up their grad schemes for '08 entry. The links are below, any questions/things you're stuck on should be carefully placed in the comments - hopefully we can get some discussion going. 

Good Luck!

Edit: M&C's grad scheme is open, links below:

BBH

JWT

M&C

Nick Fell On Ideas

Nick Fell works for Ogilvy UK and is the brains behind the Facebook group 'Don't tell my mum I'm in advertising, she thinks I play piano in a brothel' - which currently has a membership of over 2,700. Nick has very kindly written us a piece about ideas.

“Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes” – Napoleon Hill

Ok, I admit it: I googled quotes with the word ‘idea’ in them. I’m not going to pretend I’d ever heard of Napoleon Hill either.

But I do think this quote is apt for summing up what I wanted to write for this blog.
In my humble opinion, the only thing that matters in advertising is producing great communications ideas that make money for your client. For me, it’s really that simple. So, if you want to work in an industry for which the most important currency is ideas, you need to prove you can have and nurture them.

The trouble is that ad agency job applications can be pretty uninspiring canvases. True, the questions are more interesting than the standard, “In no more than 500 words, tell us about a time when you proved strong leadership skills” (snore). But even the ‘wackier’ ones can lead to hundreds of carbon copy answers – it’s still just an application form after all.

So, how do you really stand out? Well, you do what they’ve asked of you, and then something completely different.

The guys who run this blog have done just that. They’ve been in Campaign and won creative awards for their ideas, before they’ve even secured a full-time job. You can read more about what they did here:

Sam's Saatchi Auction

Anton's Saatchi 'Hack'

Following their example is likely to put the fear of God into the people you’re competing with, and should ideally do the same to those individuals who are going to interview you. After all, to paraphrase David Ogilvy, your interviewers should always be looking for people who are better than them.

Be confident in your ideas and opinions. Get them out there in a courageous way. And don’t be fearful of stepping on toes or breaking convention – that’s what we get paid for.

Now, this is all very easy for me to say. Personally, I didn’t do anything that spectacular to get my job. But since starting work, I’ve realised that going beyond the call of duty to have great ideas will be valued whenever and however it’s done. Great ideas, implemented well, are timeless.

So, to my ultimate point: start thinking big now.

If you’re a student then you shouldn’t be too cynical yet, which will lead to some enthusiastic brainstorming. Plus, you have plenty of time to make things happen and no professional pride to lose. For these reasons and others, it’s probably this period of time before you even step foot in an agency when you’ve got the best chance of having wonderful thoughts and really doing them justice. Ironic, eh?

Here’s Mr. Hill again to wrap things up, “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”

Your Greatest Weapon

My rejection letter from Saatchis.

Right. I'm totally wired right now and Firefox just crashed so I've lost what I wrote. So as I try to remember what it was that got me to write something in the first place I'll apologize because this post might make less sense than usual.

Your greatest weapon in trying to break into this industry is people telling you that you can't. It's that simple. So you can quit reading this now. Still here? Well then I better tell you a story about how I got to this conclusion.

Earlier this summer I applied for the Saatchi summer scheme. I had a totally rockingly awesome idea for the application. Note how I didn't say 'I think I had' because I know my idea was awesome. Like feel-it-in-my-bones-at-4am-even-though-I'm-totally-tired-and-wired-and-I'm-writing-this-for-the-second-time know. The sob story is here and here, but what I'm trying to tell you is that when I got the letter in the picture above I was pretty much devastated. Like I'd been kicked in the gut. By a horse. But it was the best thing that's happened to me. Honestly. Failure and rejection makes you question yourself. And the one thing most people (and I'm talking about in general here) lack is a true measure of what they're about.

Failure makes you look in the damn mirror and ask yourself 'Am I really, positively sure this is what I want to do?'. Agencies will often ask, in their application forms for a lot of effort from you. And you'll get the standard letter with your name and address mail-merged in if they don't like what you do. It's pretty soul-destroying at first. But what you need to do when it happens - and chances are it will happen to each and every one of us at some point on this graduate recruitment trail, is really use it as opportunity to re-focus. Think about why you want to do this. Why you're choosing to pursue a career in advertising. It won't be the money at this stage, no chance. Not the hours either. But each and everyone of us has a reason they want to do this. Find that reason and harness it. And use that rejection to make you a little more determined.

The people that apply to grad recruitment schemes are by and large, shit. Sorry but they are, agency staff will tell you and Campaign will tell you. That's why you'll see mostly the same faces doing the rounds come interview time. It's the truth, ask Anton and Will and JB. The people who really want careers in this industry are the ones who get them ultimately. Not the people who think having champagne for lunch in Cannes is a career because (and write this down) it's not what advertising is about now, in 2007. You might have champagne for lunch in Cannes but only after having busted your ass to get into an agency and then busted it some more to convince finance and your boss that you're worthy of blowing some cash on.

The ad industry in 2007 is, in some agencies still fighting the future and in all cases trying to figure out how to grab the attention of the person on the street in this maze of communication that is modern life. You have to want to be there.

Ultimately experience, degree subject and a thousand other things are just branches of the 'applicant desirability' tree, the trunk of that baby is desire. You have to want it. And if you do, then that pile of rejection letters will become your muse, it will drive you on. And you'll feel like writing a reply to every single one, saying 'Thank you, you've made me realize how much I want a job in this industry, how good I am going to be, and how wrong you are for not taking me on because I don't tick your boxes. Thank you'

Grad season is about to begin. When you get those rejection letters remember why you want a career in advertising. And remember, all it takes is one agency to say yes, and it won't matter how many letters you had telling you that you weren't good enough, because you'll have proved them all wrong.