Checklist for Getting a Job in Advertising

For the past few weeks, I have been thinking about creative ways of cutting through the clutter and getting my dream job in a communications agency. From a certain individual on my university course to resume songs posted on YouTube, I have seen a decent amount of attempts from others to persuade potential employers that they are perfect for the creative communications agency.

A certain individual on my course has gone to town on their application and it has proved worthwhile with a job offer at a top london agency. The individual in question delivered a few strategies for getting the attention of his favourite agency. The first was to stand outside the office building and hand his CV to every single person who came out, a tactic I'm guessing that would annoy most but would surely make people remember him over everyone else who simply sends their CV in the post or via e-mail. Another tactic employed by my coursemate was to send the agency a mobile phone with only one number on the sim card. An expensive way to cut through the clutter.

Other stories I've heard from the various blogs I read, have included one guy who got all his friends to pester the CEO of an agency through Twitter, trying to convince him that he was worthy of a job. Another attention grabbing tactic used by an advertising job seeker was to recreate a 1972 Cosmo centrefold featuring Burt Reynolds in which the copywriter posed nude with only a Television set masking his modesty. As the individual had only just been laid off by his previous agency, he was established enough for the picture to build momentum and get people talking about him.



The video application is something I've seen spring up a few times across various blogs and it's a simple and great way to visualise a dull CV. The video below is by an american marketing student showing potential employers what he has to offer in a creative and engaging way.