Goodbye uni Hello job.

Siobhan Long, NABS Career consultant s.long@.uk .uk 0207 292 7330

Goodbye uni... Hello job.

Bonnie Harold , LIZ H Consultant

bonnieh@lizh.co.uk lizh.co.uk 0207 437 7863

Amanda Wallace, Creative client services manager

amanda@ 0207 290 2711

Many thanks to all the creatives whose words of wisdom have been used in this guide. And, special thanks to Caroline Pay, Peter Harold and Savvas Voudouris for sprinkling their magic throughout.

design by

peel-

10 steps to making it as a creative.

Your university days (the fun bit) are over, now it's time to get a job (the serious bit). How hard it is and how long it takes is kind of up to you, your talent and your dedication. The good news is, with a little help from us, and this survival guide, you will be well on your way. Good luck!

Find out who can help you and how.

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Be one half of a dream team.

In this game, two heads are always better than one. Never underestimate the value of someone to bounce ideas off/argue with. You'll also need someone to help carry all your awards home, right?

Before you set off you'll need to find your perfect partner- in a work way. Your partner says a lot about you, so here are a few things to consider on the search for your other half:

Can I really spend 95% of my waking hours with this person?

Do I like them?

Do I rate their thinking?

Can I hear them out?

Can I be really honest with them?

Are we better together?

Can they do all the things I can't?

Are they at least as good as me?

Do we want to work in the same places?

Do I fancy them? (Always a bad idea) If this simple test means

you are now sans partner, don't fret. Bonnie at Liz H can hook you up with other single creatives and NABS runs the `Lonely Hearts Book Club' with Kendall Tarrant-a great chance to meet your new partner and check out guest speakers, set briefs and Q&A sessions.

Listen up.

Always listen to advice; most people you meet were in your shoes not too long ago. And if you think they're talking twaddle, take great pleasure in proving them wrong.

"It's easy to say you're creative. Genuinely creative people don't just talk the talk. They walk the walk.

They write, paint, blog, take photos, make short films, build websites." Gerry Farrell ? creative director, Leith Agency leith.co.uk/geezajob/index.html

"Never be afraid to fail." Owen Lee, creative director, Farm

"Show some passion. A clich?? Perhaps. But, it's the thing I look for most in any young team - a bit of hunger; fire in their belly; a bit of energy; that little spark. Very few teams

can rely purely on talent to secure their first job. Creative directors are always looking for a little bit

more and for me it's a teams passion that will be the deciding factor." Nick Studzinski, creative director, Publicis

"Have a point of view. Opinions are just opinions, but you have to start somewhere. You have to

believe in something." Simon Learman, executive creative director, McCann Erickson, London

"It's up to you. Nobody will call you, reply to your letters, ask to look at your book; you've got to keep the pressure on... email your book to creative directors... post copies of it to creative directors...

pester their secretaries? pester headhunters... look enthusiastic? don't lose heart...

walk those streets? see those teams... it's all down to you... go for it." Andy Dibb, creative director, O&M

Make sure you are carrying the best book in town.

"Pick everyday products - stuff you find in the supermarkets and on the high street. Don't finish ads up to a high standard it's the ideas that matter at this stage. Neat line drawing or scrap art will do. Stick to posters - if you do TV, keep it to 3 or 4 frames and don't put radio in.

Matt Lee and Peter Heyes ? creatives, DDB London

"Go for a crit. Then go back again with a totally new book. Then do it again, and again, and again. The point isn't to end up with the mythical perfect portfolio. It's about practice, practice and being seen to practice. Do lots of crits, listen to everybody, take everything in. But, hold firm to what you believe. Don't let your book become a portfolio by committee."

Markham Smith ? senior copywriter, AMV BBDO

"Don't just have ads in your book. If you're trying to get a job as an advertising creative, it's probably because you have a love of ideas. Media is changing and what advertising agencies need is people who come up with ideas no matter what the media is. So, demonstrate this in your book. The madder the better."

Kim Papworth ? creative director, Wieden and Kennedy

"Keep it simple. Don't be precious. If you've seen it before, take it out. Ten campaigns is enough. It has to be self-explanatory. Always try and be there when people see your book. You can always improve your book. Pick the agencies you want to work at and focus on impressing the teams there. Make sure your briefs aren't the same as everyone else's."

Caroline Pay ? Senior Creative (formerly BBH and Mother)

At the end of the day, it's your thinking that will get you hired, promoted and awarded. Your book has to do the talking, so make sure it's saying the right things.

"Think about where and when people use digital media and how you'll make them want to interact with your ad. Be realistic ask yourself if you would interact with your own idea. Some great ideas are too complicated to be effective. Innovate. We've all heard of MySpace and Second Life. What do you think will be next - and how can you use it to promote your brand? Make sure the person viewing your concept understands what's meant to be happening, even if you're there to explain it."

Gavin Gordon-Rogers and Gemma Butler ? creative directors, Agency Republic

"Demonstrate your best skill and show what you've got that's different. E.g. writing, humour, design, etc. Your book should represent you. Be prepared to work harder, for longer, and for less money, than at any time in your life. Have fun and enjoy it! Because this is the only time in your career where you'll never have to do what clients, planners, account handlers, creative directors and basically anybody else who's in the room at the time, tell you to do."

Anson Harris ? creative director, Meme, part of WCRS

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