A grad’s guide to Australia’s top ad agencies
In this guest post, Lou Hayward, a student in the market for a job at an ad agency, says how well she thinks agencies in the Mumbrella Creative Agency Review are set up to take in new blood.
In alphabetical order, she recounts her experiences after approaching 13 of Australia’s top shops.
BMF. Take a look at the long list of ‘fun’ in the ‘join us’ section of the BMF website and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were looking at some sort of holiday resort. Pinball machines, two full-time massage therapists, pilates classes, BBQs. I’m sold!
But seriously, my chat with BMF’s head of HR, Katie McGrath, left me with no doubt that this is an agency for which graduate recruitment is a high priority. After all, Matthew Melhuish (the ‘M’ in BMF, head of Australian Agencies for the Photon Group, on the National Board of the Communications Council, chairman of the Australian Effie Awards, etc) is a product of the Comms Council’s Graduate Trainee Program. As part of the scheme, BMF will be taking on five grads in its Sydney office and up to two more in Melbourne.
Possibly more than any other agency, it seems that BMF places a real emphasis on development and learning – comfortingly, the agency’s website states “we welcome recent graduates, who we will nurture”. In fact, while other Comms Council scheme participants prepare for their AdSchool foundation course, the BMF grads will already be in the office as part of a 12-week introduction.
During this time they spend two weeks in each department. Which I think is a really great idea as they get an overview of the entire agency and have the opportunity to meet all the people they’ll be working with when they return to begin their nine-month contract.
While the Comms Council scheme is a fantastic opportunity to get paid work at Australia’s best agencies, it is (understandably) incredibly competitive and also limited to Aussie citizens and permanent residents (which counts me out). Thankfully, however, the agency also offers a mix of work experience and internship opportunities throughout the year. So you may yet get to see the BMF fussball tables for yourself.
BWM. From my first look at BWM’s rather serious-looking website I noted that they choose not to publish specific contact details on their website and, aside from including an email address for employment enquiries, make no reference to job or internship opportunities. Call the agency up, however, and it’s a different story.
Simon Hadfield, BWM’s GM, was more than happy to talk to me about opportunities at the agency, stressing that he believes it is “important to the entire industry that agencies open their doors and allow graduates to come in”.
Although BWM has previously participated in the Communications Council Graduate Trainee Scheme, the agency has opted not to this year. Which is a pity. However, they do still make a real effort to bring on graduates and are very open to work experience and internship requests.
As with all agency applications, you have to make yourself stand out from the crowd and showcase your personality when applying to BWM. In that respect, grades do not maketh the application. So Simon specifically encourages graduates to include their hobbies and interests on resumes.
What really stood out from our conversation was that unlike other agencies who claim to be snowed under by resumes and internship requests BWM actually does not get as many enquiries as you might think. For this reason alone I’d say it’s well worth making contact. Even if they aren’t going to spoon-feed you an email address.
Clemenger BBDO. With two offices in this year’s top 30 creative agencies list, Clemenger BBDO is an obvious target for graduates… and if you haven’t heard of the Clemenger Group’s ‘Seven Brains’ graduate program, well, something’s wrong with your radar.
As the ‘Brain Collector’ himself (aka Tim Parker, Clemenger group executive director, who is far more approachable than his moniker suggests) explains, what differentiates this program is that it gives candidates exposure to lots of different disciplines.
Chosen brains (around 12 each year) attend the Communication Council’s AdSchool Foundation course before working as account coordinators across three different group companies in Sydney or Melbourne. So, even if you think you have your heart set on one path, the Seven Brains program gives you a chance to explore other options, which you might not get on another, agency-specific program.
Oh, and did I mention it’s paid and there’s a high chance of a permanent job at the end of it?
The emphasis seems to be on doing, not observing, and it’s great that Clemenger aren’t afraid of giving graduates some responsibility. After all, who wants to spend all day making coffee? In fact, even the program’s initial shortlist is selected by the brains from the previous year.
There aren’t specific ‘how to apply’ instructions on the local website, but Clemenger BBDO is open to speculative applications from new talent and all the offices offer informal work experience placements throughout the year. When it comes to CVs, obviously, BBDO Clemenger is a name that’s going to look great on your CV, but there are hundreds of other people who know this as well. Competition is fierce.
Tim assures me that GPA’s aren’t everything, and that what they’re really looking for is curiosity, creativity and passion. But to prove yourself you’re going to need to try to make a connection and do your homework. Just saying “I quite like that thing you did for NAB” is not going to make your brain stand out from the crowd.
DDB. In my efforts to contact Mumbrella’s top 30 creative agencies, I have been extremely impressed at how willing many have been to talk to me about their internship and graduate training policies. I have also been disappointed at the lack of effort from some…
I think DDB deserves a special mention for the amount of information and level of detail the agency gave me in response to my questions. Thank you!
DDB is one of the few major agencies in Australia to offer its own formal, structured graduate training program. This highly regarded scheme has been in place for over 10 years and, testament to its success has resulted in about 80 people finding employment at DDB Group Sydney including many senior staff (such as the group MD, Chris Brown and the group CEO and chairman, Marty O’Halloran).
The lucky grads who make it through get a full-time role within the DDB group, which includes an eight-week internal training course and attendance at the Communication Council’s Graduate Training Program Away forum. Of course, because of the scheme’s reputation, applications are numerous and competition is fierce. Numerous hopefuls apply every year for an average of 4-7 roles. But this is advertising, so what would you expect?
For those not lucky enough to get a place on the DDB Graduate Scheme, there are other opportunities available at the agency.
DDB offers a 3-month, formal internship program called LaunchPad for aspiring creatives, designers and business managers. Unusually for a short-term placement, applicants receive an allowance during their time. Nice one DDB!
There may also be other paid and unpaid opportunities available. So it’s definitely worth making contact. Many agencies claim to offer a welcoming, supportive atmosphere. But if the effort DDB put into responding to my RFI’s is anything to go by, this is an agency that takes it one step further than the competition.
GPY&R/The Campaign Palace. Charged with overseeing all Y&R Brands agencies, it’s hardly surprising that HR Director Elvas Basile is an extremely busy man. Unfortunately for Elvas, his role means that I was pointed in his direction not once, but twice to discuss opportunities for interns and graduates at both GPY&R and sister agency The Campaign Palace. Fortunately for me, he gave me lots to write about both.
As well as offering graduate training as part of the Communication Council’s Graduate Scheme, GPY&R offers work experience and internships on an ad hoc, informal basis. These run from one to 13 weeks, which is both far more generous and flexible than other agencies I have spoken with. In addition, GPY&R Melbourne offers a local initiative for journalism students.
At the moment, The Campaign Palace is not taking on any Comms Council grads. But Elvas assures me that, as with other Y&R Brands agencies, the agency is open to applications for work experience and internships and is keen to help students “transition from the theoretical to the practical side” of advertising. I think it’s important that agencies don’t lose sight of this fact. After all, no matter how passionate and enthusiastic the graduate, real life can be a lot different from what is written in the textbooks.
An exciting development in 2012 will see both GPY&R and the The Campaign Palace participate in the ‘Z Academy’. This initiative is a global apprenticeship program that is currently offered by the Wunderman Group. But Elvas explains that next year, it will be rolled out across other Y&R Brands agencies.
The Z Academy aims to match students to agencies depending on the needs of each particular business. Importantly, because it’s all about ‘marrying’ the students’ skills with an agency’s needs, the Z Academy won’t just target those studying traditional marketing-esque subjects. As part of the Z Academy, students will spend between three and nine months with an agency providing hands-on support.
At the moment, unfortunately there is no information available online about the Z Academy’s expansion into Australia – on the GPY&R or Campaign Palace websites or elsewhere. But keep an eye out for news in the future.
Grey. Grey Melbourne has a long history of taking on interns having maintained a close association with RMIT University for close to 20 years.
I don’t understand why more high profile agencies don’t forge links with universities given that this can be such a mutually beneficial relationship.
Randal Glennon, Grey Melbourne’s GM agrees with me. Not only do students have an opportunity to form valuable contacts, but the agency has a direct route to the brightest and best of each graduating class (and can confirm or disprove this with their tutors). Randal tells me that Grey Canberra maintains similar university connections, but for some reason this is not something that JayGrey has developed to the same extent in Sydney.
In the past Grey Melbourne was happy to take on interns on a full-time basis for 6-9 months. But nowadays they usually stay for about 3 months. The prospect of working for free for 12 weeks is never going to be the most appealing career move. So I liked that Grey allows its interns a degree of flexibility. They do not have to come in for a full five days every week, so can combine their work experience with a paid job or studies.
As I’ve heard from other agencies, for Grey “single mindedness is attractive”. So it’s far better for interns to have an idea of precisely where you’d like to spend time so that the agency can plan to use them in the right areas ahead of time. The downside of this is that you may have less opportunity to see the work of other agency departments.
Grey does not currently participate in the Comms Council Graduate Trainee Scheme. But the agency is apparently in the process of developing its own program and is extremely open to receiving CVs. It’s all about timing though, and in the absence of formal programs for internships or graduates, it may simply be a case of being persistent to make those connections. After all, as Randal sees it, “we all started the same way”.
Host. Host is the recipient of my ‘two for one’ award, being the only agency to offer me a chat with not one but two bigwigs – Karen Martin, head of account management and Jodie Couzens, director of people and culture.
Currently, Host takes on graduates from the Comms Council Graduate Scheme. Which is hardly surprising given that the agency is a sponsor of the Council, their CEO Anthony Freedman is the chairman, and Host was responsible for launching Johann’s Ladyquest, a campaign to promote the scheme to grads.
Graduate training is clearly something that is taken seriously at Host, which focuses on giving participants as much exposure as possible on the understanding that “the more you put in, the more you get out”.
Host offers ad hoc work experience for up to three months, during which students are given an induction into all parts of the business, from planning to creative. The agency currently has close links to a number of universities and is looking to develop a more formal scheme. One word of warning though. Places are limited and preference is given to local students.
At present, the ‘jobs’ section of the agency’s website informs me that Host isn’t “currently searching for any new recruits, but always welcome a bright spark”, which is a nice touch. I always like to think that just because an agency doesn’t have a specific opening, it doesn’t mean that your CV will be referred to the paper shredder.
Instead, Karen and Jodie assure me, when they come across applicants they think are ambitious, resourceful and a good cultural fit they are more than happy to have a chat and keep resumes on file.
Innocean. Given that Innocean Australia has only been around for a couple of years, many graduates would be excused for being ignorant of its presence in Sydney. But they’ve grown a lot in that time and now have a staff of 45. This is small compared to many of the other agencies in the top 30. But after contacting Innocean I am inclined to think that this is a case of good things come in small packages.
The agency definitely scores highly for approachability. As well as being able to see what some of the team would look like as bobble-heads, the ‘About Us’ section of Innocean’s new website gives specific contact phone numbers and email addresses, which I’m a big fan of.
The problem is, as Innocean’s new business director James Welch explained to me, because of the agency’s size, as much as Innocean would like to offer students and graduates the opportunity to take part in a formal internship or graduate training program, they simply do not have the capacity to offer much at the moment.
That said, despite not having an official program, Innocean does take on interns and offers work experience on a needs basis. So it’s definitely worth getting in touch, just in case. Especially if you speak Korean. As a relatively young agency with potential, it is well worth keeping an eye on Innocean.
Leo Burnett. With a well-known history, an impressive clientele and a CEO on every ad student’s favourite it’s-not-just-entertainment-it’s-research TV show, the Gruen Planet (née Transfer), Leo Burnett Sydney is at the top of the hitlist for many graduates.
However, with both the Sydney and Melbourne offices being inundated with student and graduate requests to their generic office email addresses (no specific names or contact details are given on either the Sydney or Melbourne websites) based on my experience it seems the chances of your email reaching the right people are slight.
I was unable to make contact with anyone with knowledge of the HR policies of both Leo Burnett’s Sydney and Melbourne offices, but did obtain some information regarding practices in the former from Susie Henry, who has worked as an executive assistant there for more than twenty years so must know her stuff.
Susie, one of the gatekeepers of the Sydney@leoburnett email address, explained that the agency does offer informal work experience and internship opportunities, but added that they usually receive an enquiry or a request for information every couple of hours from students and graduates located both within Australia and abroad. Due to the high number of messages, those with unrealistic expectations are unlikely to make it out of the inbox. But the remainder are passed on and the ultimate selection made by Leo Burnett’s department heads.
Although Susie was unable to give me further details, the Communications Council has confirmed that Leo Burnett Melbourne is participating in next year’s Graduate Trainee Scheme. For some reason, it seems the Sydney office has elected not to this time around. However, those on the internship-trail may have noticed earlier this year that Leo Burnett Sydney’s social media director Nicola Swankie actively advertised for interns and graduates to work on digital and social media projects, which is very rare – and encouraging for those with a passion for all things digital.
There are a number of reasons to seek experience with Leo Burnett (not least the fact that Susie assures me that when interns start they don’t want to leave) and it seems the best route is to make contact with a specific department head… but be warned that making that contact in the first place may be harder than you think.
303Lowe. While researching the top 30, I’ve been surprised at how few agencies are willing to divulge specific names and contact details on its website, preferring to provide only generic info@agencyname.com.au email addresses.
Not the case for recently-merged 303Lowe, who easily scoop the award forthe most approachable agency I’ve spoken to. It’s clear from the get-go that Angela Palandri, the agency’s operations manager, is passionate about recruiting graduates, not least because she replied to my email in less than an hour – and she left me with the impression that this would be a great place to intern or work.
I particularly like that this agency really seems to understand how scary it can be to start a new job. Especially when fresh out of uni. For instance, to help them settle in, all new starters (not just grads) are aligned with a ‘buddy’ of a similar age and level.
Currently, 303Lowe does not have a formal graduate scheme or internship program. Although in the past 303 was happy to offer short and long term work experience, unfortunately the agency feels that it is now limited by the Fairwork Australia rules governing internships, vocational placements and unpaid work. So placements are now only offered to Australian students who need to do work experience as part of an educational program, which is a real shame and not a response I encountered elsewhere.
Nevertheless, as the self-described “place where bad CVs go to die”, Angela explained that they’re always on the look-out for people who are passionate, strong and both “thinkers and doers”. Openings are more likely to arise in the more established Perth branch. But a downside of the merger is that the agency is now going through a period of change, not least relocating both its Perth and Sydney offices. This means that concrete opportunities may be less easy to come by. However, Angela assured me that even if they don’t have any vacancies, CVs are kept on file for when they do.
Oddfellows. In an industry known for being hierarchical, I found it refreshing to be told by Helen Bradley, HR manager for Oddfellows, that the agency is not only “very teamy and supportive” but “low on ego and preciousness”. By way of example, you may be aware that Oddfellows recently participated in the Gruen Planet’s ‘The Pitch’. What you may not be aware of is that agency’s chosen idea was actually pitched by their receptionist.
Unfortunately, as Oddfellows does not have a formal internship or grad program of its own, it seems your main route in is via the highly competitive Comms Council Graduate Trainee Program.
That said, if you are successful, during your nine-month tenure with Oddfellows you’ll have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience working on real campaigns and real clients across all aspects of the agency. Unlike other agencies, this includes the chance to see what goes on in the in-house film production resource Rotor Studios and Oddfellows’ audio and music studio, Speed of Sound.
Helen explained that Oddfellows does take on a lot of students for work experience. Unfortunately, this is usually only for a week at a time. So while it’s a chance to learn who’s who in the Oddzoo, to be honest in that limited time you’re not really going to learn much more than what everyone’s names are and where they sit.
Ogilvy. As a truly global agency with a name synonymous with the advertising industry, it’s no surprise that Ogilvy receives a constant stream of graduate enquiries.
As well as taking on Comms Council graduates (three in Sydney, five in Melbourne), David Sayer, Ogilvy Australia’s first head of talent and performance explained that internships are also offered on an ongoing, ad hoc basis depending on the agency’s needs. His approach is that it’s “always worth meeting people, because you can’t tell a lot from a CV”. So chances are if your resume makes it past the first screening, you’ll get an interview.
That said, it’s key to specify which area you’re interested in. Because instead of simply meeting someone from HR, at Ogilvy they try to put applicants in front of the right people based on their skill set and career aspirations. Which means you probably need a more specific objective than ‘I want to get a job in advertising’.
Unfortunately, although the Ogilvy Sydney website is full of lots of fun ‘clicky’ things to play with, there’s a notable lack of contact details and only four Ogilvy ‘Dreamers and Doers’ are profiled. Worse still, the agency’s larger Melbourne office doesn’t even get a standalone site, instead being represented on a subsection of the STW Group page. This means interested grads are going to have to work a bit to make that all-important connection at the agency.
Given that no agency relishes the prospect of investing heavily in a graduate only for them to get itchy feet and swan off overseas a year or two later, liked that David described the agency as having a “responsibility to keep people engaged”. And working at a big multinational like Ogilvy means that if and when the wanderlust does strike, there is the opportunity to move to an overseas post within the network. Although telling the agency ‘I want to get a job in advertising to travel’ probably won’t get you very far.
The Monkeys. The Monkeys is seen as one of Sydney’s ‘coolest’ agencies by young people trying to get into advertising. And I suspect they receive enough applications to sink a Ship Song Project. Although according to Mark Green, the MD, he is surprised by how few applicants have actually done their research.
As with many other agencies, Sydney-based The Monkeys takes on graduates from the Comms Council Graduate Trainee Program. But importantly the agency also offers work experience on an unofficial basis with students being able to support in any capacity they can. Encouragingly, Mark told me that the agency actually looks kindly on grads who take the initiative to find a connection and make contact outside of the Comms Council Scheme.
It’s worth bearing in mind that when The Monkeys does take on interns, it does so with a view to finding the “Monkeys of the Future”. The agency wants to invest in people who could join them on a full-time basis. On the other hand, this suggests that if you get your foot in the door at The Monkeys, you do stand a good chance of getting a job where one is available.
Making a connection is, however, easier said than done using The Monkey’s enigmatic website. There are no specific contact details given for any individual Monkeys. You have to dig pretty deep to even find a name. The Monkeys are a busy bunch. So be prepared to ring a few times to catch one at his or her desk.
I get the impression that an internship at The Monkeys would be a slightly different experience to that at a larger, more traditional agency. For one thing, the design of the office is anti-hierarchical and work experience students get the opportunity to sit a few places away from the most senior people in the business. The flipside of this is that if you don’t pull your weight, you’ll quickly be found out.
Lou Hayward is studying a master’s degree in PR and advertising at the University of New South Wales
Awesome post Lou – especially as I have been chasing my tail over the whole working in Advertising thing. Although I’m still wondering what the merits are of doing a course at say, AWARD School (http://www.awardschool.com.au/) – as opposed to the Comms Council Grad Program?
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You should give McCann’s a call. They love the ‘younger’ workers! – Sorry Tim I just couldn’t resist 🙂 Feel free to not post my comment. But ya got to admit I am as funny as hell. 🙂
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Great work Lou.
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Did the article writer mention to each of the people she spoke to that she was researching an article or that the conversation was going to be paraphrased in a trade publication?
Just a question, not an accusation.
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Doing this = great way to get your name out there. Kudos.
Also, which agency did she gain employment at?
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Of course all the agencies were going to be super helpful and informative, knowing that an article was being written about this. They work in communications, they know whta good PR is. And surprise surprise, not a bad word was said about any of them.
I think it’d be a totally, entirely different story for a standard student calling up trying to find this information. And that’s speaking from experience.
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This is a great post, great job, makes me want to be a graduate all over again…. What it also does is make me wish that the Market Research industry and AMSRS put more collective thought and effort into the recruitment and training of graduates into the industry. I know AMSRS offer the graduate certificate programme but together we should be doing more.
Lou maybe you could repeat this exercise among the key MR agencies….
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Fair point JD, although it should be pointed out that Lou tried to make contact with the rest of our top 30 agencies – and didn’t hear a peep back.
These agencies were Droga 5, JWT Sydney, JWT Melbourne, M&C Saatchi Sydney, M&C Saatchi Melbourne, McCann Sydney, Publicis Mojo Sydney, Publicis Mojo Melbourne, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, Whybin\TBWA Sydney and Whybin\TBWA Melbourne.
Cheers,
Robin – Mumbrella
Hey Robin, can you please answer my earlier question,
Thanks
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Interesting read. Thanks for sharing this, Lou. Good to learn what the other agencies do / don’t do. Good luck with your current placement. And thanks for helping us out here too.
On another note, this article might give all of us (agencies) the impetus to formalise and expand the graduate training and intern programs through the Comms Council and/or as individual agencies.
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Hi Ok oK OK,
Sorry for the delay replying. Yes, Lou did declare to each of the agencies who spoke to her that she would be writing this piece for Mumbrella.
Cheers,
Robin – Mumbrella
the story should have been done as Lou just as a normal person (not someone who could carry the mumbrella badge), wonder if she’d get past the receptionist …
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Thanks for the feedback everyone, really appreciate your comments. I found the whole exercise really interesting and a great way to learn more about different agency cultures.
@Johnny: I think both are fantastic opportunities, but it might depend on which track you’re looking to go down- From my understanding the Comms Council scheme is geared towards account management, strategic planning, etc; Award School is for those with a creative bent. Either one will give you a great headstart.
@Ok oK OK Yup, I told people I was writing for mUmbrella- maybe that made some more open to comment, although as per Robin’s comment, the name wasn’t enough for some people to get back to me.
@Chris: Cheers! It’s a work in progress- I still have another semester to go at UNSW.
@JD: The same thought crossed my mind and maybe you’re right- but then not everyone elected to reply to my calls and emails. To paraphrase your comment, perhaps some agencies know what good PR is/are more helpful and informative more than others? As for the lack of bad words… Again, you make a good point, but I wanted to ‘name and fame’ more than ‘name and shame’- as a graduate I’m more interested in what opportunities there actually are out there than what is lacking.
Thanks again!
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Thanks
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Interesting read. Just a note of warning to prospective graduates, it’s pretty poor money at the start (you would be surprised how many grads think they’ll start on $50k plus… trust me lovelies, you’re looking at the $30k mark and sometimes a little lower… I speak from experience having been in a grad program in one of the top 30 a few years back). If you are aware of this from the start, it’s a good way to plan what you want to get out of the grad programs and weigh things up. If you are in the industry for the money, don’t bother going for the grad programs. In fact, don’t bother going into advertising at all if you want to make the big bucks young – I don’t say this to be nasty, advertising today is not Mad Men. If you are in it for the advertising itself, then go for it, you’ll find all the things you wanted to see and more. GOOD LUCK!
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Good job. Interesting to read.
Nice post.
As others have noted, it might have been more revealing to not announce your publishing intentions. That said, many apparently didn’t reply anyway.
Good luck in your studies.
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@sarak Cudos for putting that in writing, no one wants to talk entry level renumeration out loud. I remember having to quietly harass a fellow Award School student who was already working as a creative to give me a benchmark.
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Grad salaries (From my experience)
First year Account Management $35-40k (hours worked per week 50-60)
Second year Account Management $40-45k (same hours as above)
Entry Level Account Management (Receptionist/Mail people) $33k (hours worked 40)
From what I know
Account Co-ord $40k
Account Executive $45k -$50
Account Manager $60k – $80k
Account Director $85k to $130k
GAD >$130k to a lot more
There you go the secret is out! 🙂
obviously this is not an exact science, but these numbers will be close. Not even going to bother with Strategy/Planners/Creatives while I know them it would take more than a Mumbrella post to explain.
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Hi Lou
Good on you for having a go!
I have had a number of graduates contact me after my recent campaign to lock down a senior role. Each of them received a less than gracious reception from some of the agencies you’ve contacted. Revealing that you were writing a piece for Mumbrella will certainly have made the path smother as none of them wants a bad rap.
I would suggest talking to a number of people at different stages within agencies to find out the reality beyond the gloss.
Talk to people who have been in an agency 6 -12 months, in the industry 5 years,
10 years or more (the latter are becoming harder and harder to find!) Ask about the sensational, good, bad and indifferent so that you gain a real picture of what lies ahead of you.
It’s a great industry with a stack of work to do if it wants to continue to attract great people and actually give them a career path with longevity.
C’mon everyone…who’s willing to help Lou and give her some direction?
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Good luck with your hunt. Don’t expect agencies to fall over themselves with enthusiasm unless you’re sensational. It’s demand and supply. They get a bazillion calls and only have a few places. Many Gen Ys expect to instantly walk into an agency, be promoted within three days then CEO by the time they’re 22. It takes time. Don’t give up and be prepared to work your arse off. That’s advertising circa 2011.
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Hi Lou,
This is the first article I’ve read about grads trying to get into the advertising industry – how refreshing, thank you!
Firstly, I’d like to say ‘good on you!’. Even though you were doing it on behalf of Mumbrella, it still takes serious guts to ‘cold call’ and a thick skin, as after a few polite refusals, it’s pretty easy to think ‘what’s wrong with me?’ and ‘I am obviously not good enough’. (speaking from experience)
I have done two courses at Ad School and made some really good contacts (one of whom is now my referee). I was also lucky enough to get selected for the Com Council’s Melbourne grad program…but unfortunately didn’t get a position. I did however make some really good contacts and now have some ‘meetings’ with two agencies in January next year (when i say ‘meetings’ I definitely don’t mean ‘job interviews’, just a friendly chat….that will hopefully lead to some where). Anyway, hope that helps some of you hopefuls out there 🙂
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Oh yeah, and for those of you interested, pedestrian.tv has a really helpful ‘Jobs’ page. They have listings for everything media and creative and also have intern/graduate positions.
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Awesome article. It took me ages to learn all of this so finally, here it is in one place.
BTW Mumbrella… whats with the snub to Google+ ?! Lemme share.
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Hi again, so great to read comments- glad you like the piece. I definitely agree that this would have been harder had I not mentioned that it would be published on mUmbrella… and it wasn’t a walk in the park getting answers from some of the agencies I DID get to! For me the whole process really emphasises how important it is for grads to find an ‘in’.
@SaraK, @From My View – Interesting stuff re the salaries and thanks for the benchmark figures! I think at the start of a career, most people are eager just to find a way in and worry about the $ later, but it’s so important to have realistic expectations… That being said, I used to work in law and switched because I didn’t find it fulfilling- I think I’d have stuck with it if money was my main motivation!
@Tony Simms – Thanks so much for the advice and words of encouragement. I’m following your quest with interest and really hope you lock down something (paid!) soon.
@Wild Oscar – Very true! Everyone I spoke to emphasised the need for applicants to ‘stand out from the crowd’ and with so much competition- extremely talented competition- it can seem rather daunting. That being said, I’m already 26 so perhaps appear a slow developer to some of my Gen Y peers…
@Lara Banks – Agree with the thick skin comment- I think a couple of people thought I was just using the mUmbrella name to access the right people and not writing anything at all. Congratulations on all your achievements so far- being selected for the Comms Council Scheme is really impressive and I hope your meetings in January go well (Oh, and also a pedestrian.tv fan!)
By way of full disclosure (and in answer to those who have asked what I’m doing now), Host contacted me again after I spoke to them and asked me in for a chat. I’m delighted (and lucky) to say I started an internship with their project management team this week and am absolutely loving it. I should also add that I’d already finished writing up their agency when they made me the offer and that it in no way influenced what I wrote!!!
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I am the gatekeeper at a Sydney agency. It is very true that if (and I have had) someone called from Mumbrella I would be more likely to winch open the gates as apposed to just a random caller wanting something from us.
This article would be better suited to what different agencies offer as apposed to comparing each of their merits and downfalls.
Taking on an intern or work exp shouldn’t be seen as an expectation – should it? We are doing you a favour by offering the opportunity.
This article bugged me to be honest – and OF COURSE our email addresses are not listed on our sites – cut throat recruiters being the reason for this one
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Hi Lou,
Amazing piece (it’s a keeper) – thanks for sharing!
@Tony Simms and @Lara Banks – I concur: ‘Good on you for having a go’ chatting to top creative agencies. As current Marketing & Finance student talking from experience…it takes initiative, guts and sometimes thick skin and a deep breath to try approaching people in the industry you’ve never met before. However, only people with such initiative may impress or ‘wins’ valuable insights (or even …opportunities – I luckily got my first Marketing internship through a similar experience).
Congratulations on your internship breakthrough to Host.! That’s an amazing and oh so exciting opportunity…I’m truly happy for you and keep us updated =)
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@gate keeper – has your HR department ever hinged about having difficulty filling a role due to the lack of talent (junior or senior)? If not, then there is no expectation on you to take a grad or intern and mentor them.
If however you (like many agencies) complain about this moderately frequently, then you should see that lack of grad/intern placements and an entry-level salaries that barely keep a roof over ones head are creating this issue.
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The salary thing really is a pretty shocking side. I had about 9 years experience as a graphic designer when I thought I’d take a ‘holiday’ and work as a ‘senior designer’ in a large ad agency rather than a design firm. It was clear early on that I had good ideas and I was asked to consider moving across as “Art Director”. But since I hadn’t had the title before, it would be ‘junior’ art director.
Then, they told me that that would mean my salary was going to drop by 50%!!! Just for the privilege of having the Art Director title.
Needless to say, I remained as designer until I could quickly get outta there to a more suitable design role.
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For me the key thing has been getting as much practical work exp or doing an internship before graduating. I found agencies were generally pretty happy to talk to me on the basis of this.
It also does seem that the industry has a real issue with how the access and nurture talent. DDB and Clemenger Group stand out as exceptions.
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Hi Lou,
You might find our Makeover Night helpful.
It’s on 1 December, 6.30pm at Publicis Mojo.
http://shesaysmakeover.eventbrite.com/
It’s an informal night to get one on one feedback and advice from some of the leading ladies in the industry.
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Great article!
It truly is a struggle to get into the creative advertising industry.
Would also be very interesting if LOU compared the Media agencies policies for recruitment too, and also the PR agencies.
But once you’ve cut through, it gets much easier, and keep on reading Mumbrella, AdNews, B&T, Campaign Brief etc as your bible! It keeps you informed on who and what is out there in the industry. Which agency is doing great, who works on what, etc!
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Lou – don’t do it
Unless you want a creative position, stay away from agencies – its much better working on the client side.
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@ Yasmin
I really believe Makeover Night is a great initiative as women have it tougher than men but is this adding to a wider industry problem?
It is well known that less and less men are being attracted to the industry. Take a look at any agency staff photo and we guys are becoming a minority group. Given the number of women, it is not surprising that events like Makeover Night are occuring as women look for more guidance from other women with their careers.
It is a sensational idea as it is simply practical help where it is needed. Unfortunately there are not similar opportunities for those all too rare young guys considering the same career paths.
With the number of women entering the industry, you’d think there would be an increased number of women in senior roles. As we all know, this is not the case and this as an issue has been discussed with some passion in the last few months.
It appears that there is a serious blockage between these two scenarios.
In the last few weeks I have been running a campaign to secure a job and create discussion in the industry about the lack of senior roles in the industry. Along the way I have had the opportunity and priviledge of talking to many women in different roles in agencies along with recruiters who have shared their experience that are more than a little disturbing.
Here’s a direct word for word quote sent to me by a recruiter:
“Woman in this industry have it a lot harder than the men. I see it like this:
Agencies bring in the “Gorgeous” woman to be in the front line of a pitch to sway the client etc.
The gorgeous women become older and then become mothers. Agencies just don’t have the need for them and then hire an intern chick that can start that process again for them,
I see maternity leave candidates back on the market time and time again. It is appalling.”
I have spoken to two other female recruiters who have shared exactly the same experience along with a series of women in agencies in a variety of roles and experience levels.
Has the industry found itself a highly effective operational model driven naturally by life’s circumstances to keep costs down?
Is it any wonder that there are so few women in senior roles?
And imagine how difficult it is for young guys to enter the industry when they have an inate inability to adapt to the operational model?
What are your thoughts in these issues? Has it affected you or someone else you know in the industry?
Cheers
Tony Simms
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Good post Lou. I teach in the RMIT Advanced Diploma of Business – Advertising and each year all of the staff leverage as many of their contacts as possible to get our graduates an interview.
They are job ready, well trained and ready to roll and still many of the best find it tough to get a foot in the door and each year we lose many to other industries, which is a waste of the fine young talent the course delivers.
In my experience, media businesses are much more likely to offer work experience and positions than creative agencies, which is great. The creative agencies need to catch up and deliver greater graduate programs and opportunities.
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Hi Lou,
In one of the agency reviews you mention the necessity to hold either Australian citizenship or a PR. Did you come across any agency that’s eager to hire international graduates if they are a good match for the role ?
As you can imagine, I’m an international postgrad looking for a position in Australia, and it is quite of a challenge to find employers ready to check my resume and have a chat with me because of the visa situation.
Thanks for your article,
cheers
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Great article!
I mentored a graduate this year who’s sole purpose was to be an agency ‘suit’.
The best advice I can give is don’t email your resume and assume it’s 1/ being received, 2/ opened and 3/ actually read.
If you want a job at a creative agency be creative! Let your imagination shine through when it comes to getting your CV to your desired agency.
PS: My graduate is now happily employed.
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The best advice I could give to a grad is GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR.
I graduated from a creative degree last year, and like many of my classmates have aspirations of being an art director/copywriter. I decided the easiest way to do this was to get myself in an agency anyway possible, meet the important people and go from there.
I had pretty excellent grades and got myself an interview for a graduate accounts position at one of the above agencies, and convinced the interviewer that I could do just as good a job as any marketing/business grad.
I’ve slowly been getting to know the creative department, working on their old briefs and hitting up the CD for feedback whenever he has a spare moment. I may not be working in creative yet, but at least I’m working in a top 30 agency in some capacity!
I think I’m in a much better position to score that coveted creative gig than the majority of my fellow classmates who are sitting around at home eating 2 minute noodles and working part-time in retail whilst waiting for their creative opportunity to come along!!
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Thanks all for more great advice 🙂
@Lisa – Apologies for the tardy response! In terms of agencies who are ‘eager to hire international graduates if they are a good match for the role’… Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t think there’s a straightforward answer to that one.
I appreciate where you are coming from, as I am also an international student and sometimes get the feeling that some people don’t see beyond my visa status. That being said, given the added cost and complication, I can completely understand why an agency would be hesitant to take on a non-resident (especially for an entry-level position) just as they probably would be in our home countries… There are, after all, a great many talented and eager Aussie grads also looking for positions.
Ultimately, I think it depends on the particular agency and on the qualifications/skills/experience/personality of the individual applicant- if you’re fabulous and show a lot of potential or could bring something totally unique to the agency, maybe the visa challenges can be overcome? Again (apologies if this sounds like a broken record), I really reckon the key thing is to be dedicated, persistent, and get as much experience/as many contacts as you can… and to find a way to differentiate yourself, stand out from the crowd and prove to potential employers that you’re something special.
I have my fingers crossed for you and wish you all the best!
@Yasmin – Thanks so much for getting in touch about SheSays. Makeover Night was great and I picked up loads of useful tips. Can’t wait until the next one!
@SneakyGrad – I’d say that’s more smart than sneaky- good effort!
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