Advertising is a fickle beast and because of this, those who depend on its bounty for their livelihood must be able to act with fluidity when it comes to change. Especially in the first five years of an advertising career. One must build a strong, diverse portfolio as well as a respectable resume. To ensure […]

We all had that one middle school teacher who made our life absolutely miserable.  I know I did.  Her name was Mrs. Steinberg and, to this day, I still have nightmares about her class.  Looking back, I realize that she was a very nice lady and an exceptional teacher who only wanted the best for […]

I have received a flurry of emails and comments from various candidates regarding our “recession.” Many creatives are afraid to leave their current jobs, current homes, and are spooked by the impending change. The truth, change is inevitable – the economy, the market, and advertising ebbs and flows in different seasons. The key is learning […]

The rare and beautiful species of the qualified candidate can also be a volatile predator. When in the safety of their job nest they are jovial, upbeat, and creative. They prey on new advertising positions, stalking, watching, learning. However, if that prey is removed from their grasp, even if it’s their own heavy footsteps that […]

Most of us in the advertising industry think that we are masters of the interviewing universe. We’ve been through the interview process at least two dozen times. We’ve faced the firing squad and we know that we can charm the pants off of any HR Director or hiring manager that presents a challenge. That being […]

As we start approaching tough times in our economy, it might be a good time to re-asses your current career situation. With companies in every industry looking for ways to cut budgets, letting go of certain superfluous costs will become a priority…and if there’s a chance you are, in fact, superfluous to the bottom line […]

Lately, I have been battling candidates over the concept of an online portfolio.  I get it, we live in the Digital Age but we all don’t have to put on our robot suits just yet.  I know it would seem that displaying traditional work in the interactive medium would give you an edge but if […]

Here’s the scenario…
A TZ recruiter calls you to see if you’d be interested in a certain job opportunity.  The more you learn about the job, the more you feel that it’s the PERFECT next step for you.  You ask us to immediately submit your resume to the agency and you email me a cover letter, […]

Lying is consdered morally and ethically wrong by most people. If you aren’t one of those people, there are other tangible reasons not to lie on your resume. It will come back to to haunt you…

I have seen this go wrong - attenging a university or specialized school is not the same thing as graduating. […]

While many things have changed in recruiting business over the years, there are some things that will never change and knowing the difference is how the “best” keep their winning edge in this business. In a recent article on www.ere.net, Lou Adler, a noted recruiting industry expert, shares a few recruiting ideas that have stood […]

Is it really so much to ask for candidates to know the industry their in? This is advertising. Remember? You probably went to school with the ultimate goal of breaking into said industry. It is rare that someone stumbles upon an agency one day and the Creative Director decided to role the dice and hire […]

Candidates… we love you. We simply would not have jobs without you. We will do most anything for you. We will connect you with amazing opportunities. We will talk you through interview hardships. We will get you as much money as possible. That being said, we beg you to be realistic with your requests.
Ad agencies […]

Far too often I watch talented candidates make professional decisions based on fear and emotional motivators. While fear can sometimes be a healthy motivator, more often than that it can prohibit the growth that comes from stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a calculated risk. The most prevalent fear I see in my […]

Personal style rocks. I love me some creative expression. I challenge those of you out there to take on the task of seeing if you can express your creative side in words in an interview setting as opposed to in clothing. Making yourself into a “things I like” collage and waltzing into your interview might […]

Anyone who has been in advertising for more than 3 seconds knows that our industry is always changing. New agencies appear overnight, accounts change hands and new mediums are constantly being explored. Our industry is not one for complacent people. Advertising is evolving and we must evolve with it.
Okay, I’m jumping off my soapbox now. […]

We all want to put our best out there when dating and interviewing.
We all want to be the best versions of ourselves, certainly.
What’s important is to actually BE a version of you rather than some fictional character…it’s also important to not bend the truth or hide it until the last minute.
We all have things we […]

I have been finding recently that candidates are getting bent out of shape and turning down positions because of a “title discrepancy”. I understand that one aspect of career progress is moving up the ranks. However, if you have the option to be an ACD at a shop that produces low-budget dairy ads or a […]

Unfortunately, layoffs are commonplace in the advertising industry.  They can occur for any number of reasons.  The agency execs usually blame layoffs on the loss of one or more accounts, restructuring, budget cuts, etc.  Call it what you will… the fact of the matter is that it’s a crappy situation for anyone to be faced […]

Finding out WHO is interviewing you is just as important as trying to guess the questions and know all trivia about the agency in question. Not only is it important to have the full name of your interviewer, thanks to Linked In, you can also have their resume, bio and details of their college and […]

You would be surprised at what a difference it makes when you are ruthlessly, passionately and energetically chasing down your dream job. As a Creative Recruiter, I have seen several candidates have great success because they cared enough to follow up and follow through. They were happy to endure multiple phone interviews, technology expertise questioning, […]