Job Advice? All You Gotta Do is Ask.

By The Denver Egotist / / Yo twenty-something, have you been slamming your smooth-as-a-baby’s butt forehead into a desktop notched with dead end job applications? It’s okay, cause if you’re sweating over questions like – Is my career screwed if I take time off to travel? Should I take the unpaid internship at the shiny shop, or the paid one at the mid-tier agency? What if I accidentally spent some interview time talking about my, you know, feelings? – then we’ve gotcha covered. We’re not saying we’ve got all the answers , but we’ve probably got a better one than your under-invested guidance counselor. Post your inquisitions in the comments section, then we’ll do our best to defuzz your befuddlements in an upcoming post. Adderral bribes accepted.

Comments

  1. Jon March 1, 2011

    When all you have are school
    When all you have are school projects and self-initiated pieces, how can you prove to an employer that you can withstand constructive, or even harsh criticism from their actual clients?

    What matters more: credentials or talent?

  2. UnsureMarketer March 1, 2011

    Is it better to work for a
    Is it better to work for a particular brand or work for an agency? Specifically, in the long term, is it better to say “I worked for X company and built them to be what they are” or “I worked at X agency and did X, X, and X campaigns that you’ve heard of.”

  3. Anonymous March 1, 2011

    How do I apply for a specific
    How do I apply for a specific job when I don’t know what, specifically, I want to do within an agency?

  4. Anonymous March 1, 2011

    I have 4-5 years of
    I have 4-5 years of experience working at very small agencies (2-5 people) and now I would like to make that step and work for a big agency. Because I’ve had to wear many hats, my portfolio doesn’t scream mid-level Art Director. How can I get my foot in the door at a bigger agency when my level of experience takes me out of the running for entry level positions but at the same time, I’m being passed over for mid-level positions because my experience is too broad.

  5. subject2approval March 1, 2011

    Ditto on the question from
    Ditto on the question from Anonymous #2. I’m in a similar situation, only difference is I’ve been working for small companies trying to build the brand from the ground up and I’ve been primarily on the strategy side of things.

    Some questions of my own:

    – How can you convey an ability to develop promotional concepts even though your design skills get picked on like they’re that booger eating kid in 4th grade?

    – Is it necessary to have a journalism degree to be a copywriter?

    – In addition to a well written and creative cover letter, what would be a good way to show an ability and desire to write?

    Thanks!

    – Terry

  6. jzmorgan March 2, 2011

    Copywriting? How do you get
    Copywriting? How do you get into it if you didn’t get a degree in journalism and barely know the difference between a headline and body? Are there any good places to start?

  7. kp March 2, 2011

    Why are all the jobs I see
    Why are all the jobs I see postings for mid-level? Is it that all entry-level jobs are filled by interns or not-so-qualified applicants for the mid-level ones, or do they just not exist? What’s a gal supposed to do until I magically accrue 5 years of agency experience?

  8. Brett March 2, 2011

    I’m in between careers at the
    I’m in between careers at the moment and want to get into the ad biz. I’ve always been deft at writing, but never went to school to officially hone my craft. I did go to school to be a civil engineer but realized that I hate that. Going back to school is a bit of a stretch right now, but I was wondering what your advice would be for someone in my shoes. Looking to get in the door of an ad shop without a portfolio… Would general examples of my writing suffice, or would I need to make up some phony briefs and write ads that execute on that brief or should I just expel into my briefs and give up the whole thing?

    -Brett

  9. JenniferAnne87 March 3, 2011

    I have a degree in
    I have a degree in advertising/ communications from Boston University, and I’m now attending the Art Institute of CO for web design… killer degrees, right? Except I don’t feel knowledgable in (almost) anything! I’ve had one internship experience before (a complete BS one in Australia) so I really don’t have experience in the working field. I REALLY want an internship with a web design firm where I can actually LEARN as I go – not have them expect me to know everything right off the bat. Is this even possible? How the hell am I supposed to get experience for a real job if no one will ever accept me as an intern without experience?

    =( I’m pretty lost…

  10. Dan W. March 3, 2011

    HI, in the market for a job.
    HI, in the market for a job. a job that entails me working on branding, logo development and page/catalog layouts Have an BS in Recreation. Have a couple years of experience and currently in a marketing position. self taught in the adobe creative suite and currently in school for graphic design at the Art Institute. WHERE ARE THESE JOBS??? and how do it get a foot in the door? i know networking is key, so where are the graphic design networking meetings, events, etc?

  11. Jamie Jo Vittetoe March 3, 2011

    How do I make the transition
    How do I make the transition from Designer to Art Director?

    I’m a pretty stellar designer, with 5+ years experience in just about every medium. But I love creating the concepts and big picture ideas.

    How do I make my design/production skills appeal to an agency looking for an Art Director?

  12. The Denver Egotist March 4, 2011

    Hey everyone.
    Thanks for all

    Hey everyone.

    Thanks for all your questions. We’re closing comments on this thread for now. We’ll answer all these questions in a post. If there continues to be interest and more questions, we’ll do this again soon.

    Look for the post soon. Thanks.

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