Landing an Agency Job (in memes)

 So, you’ve decided to pledge your eternal soul to the ad industry? Good choice. Welcome.

But this life is by invite only. If you want in, you first have to attract the attention of an agency. How? By proving you can do the very thing you’re applying for – advertising (your work).

Most people will tell you that it’s all about your portfolio of work, and they’re absolutely right. Good portfolios get people hired. They prove more than anything else that you have talent, a good work ethic and that you’re capable of finishing what you started. But how do you convince someone yours is worth looking at in the first place?

After all, you may have the best portfolio in all of Inscape, but it doesn’t help if no one wants to see it.

Enter the almighty CV. Think of it as an ad, an ad that helps you advertise your advertising work so that you can be added to an advertising agency who’ll pay you to advertise someone else’s work.

To help you along, I’m going to give you 5 tips on how to craft the perfect piece of agency bait.

1. Keep it relevant. Your resume is not an ad for you, it’s an ad for your portfolio. Although a short blurb about yourself is a nice idea, no one has the time to hear about your pugs. (Except me. I will never not want to hear about your dogs.)

2. Keep it factual. The first person to see your CV won’t be a creative, so if your CV lacks substance, fancy graphics won’t be enough to save it. Remember to include your intern experience and any awards you may have – they highlight your ambition.

3. Keep it classy. A headshot helps the reader form a mental image of you. Use a well-lit picture that reflects your professional self, not a thirst trap that reflects your lit self. Save it for Insta.

4. Keep it minimalist. Agency recruiters receive a metric ton of applications every week if yours isn’t immediately clear then it’s already out. Use only one page and tell them what they want to know with as little as possible.

5. Keep it crafted. This is the first piece of design that your potential employers will ever see, so make it promise of the work they can expect to find inside your portfolio. Never start the design process before you’ve written down everything you want to include – and remember kids, always use a concept.

Written By 

Gregory Walker