Archive for the ‘thoughts’ Category

work hard and play nice

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I had several partners that I worked with during my time in London. Some only for a few days, some for longer.
You are looking for a person that drives you creatively, that challenges you to do better.
One partner I had, seemed to be that person. He had drive and a good book. We started working and quickly came up with several solid ideas. We went to bookcrits that went quite well but, as so often when you have just teamed up, it didn’t turn into placements straight away.
Work was still ahead of us, a lot of it.
I can’t really remember how long we had worked as a team. I think it must have been two or three months.
One day I wasn’t able to get hold of him. Same thing the next day and the day after.
Sent him an email, no reply. After several days he finally got in touch and explained that us not having been able to secure a placement was eating away at his confidence and that he needed a time-out. Effectively that ended our partnership but he proposed to take out the things we’d worked on together or compiled from each others books. I agreed.
The end to our partnership came at a bad time because we’d been offered a placement at an agency. Fortunately the agency said it was okay for me to do it alone.
Weeks later I found out through friends of mine that he’d attended a portfolio exhibition with CDs from several agencies. With his book he secured a job.
The problem was that, despite our agreement, he had displayed a practically unchanged portfolio. That made me quite angry but that wasn’t the end of it.
He had also told people I know, that he had stopped working with me because he felt that I was slowing him down and that I wasn’t as creative as he was. And herein lies the problem. The advertising world is a small one.
He got a job at an agency at which he didn’t stay for very long. He claimed he had been poached by another.
Through coincidence I met someone who worked at his first agency. That person said that he got fired. Not because of lay-offs or politics but because he wasn’t a very pleasant person and twisted the truth. I already noticed this tendency while working with him. One example was that he’d tried to persuade me to lie at book crits about us having job offers and the likes.
He’s still at that new agency Not sure how well he’s doing but since he is quite talented he’ll continue to work in advertising.
The question is at what cost.

the good, the bad and the ugly - an observation on getting a job in hamburg and london

Getting your first gig in advertising is a challenging full-time job. At least in the U.K. Having spent three years there and now having returned to Hamburg puts everything into perspective.
The differences are numerous. Some things are better in Germany, others are better in London.
The first trouble one runs into in London is that one needs a partner to start off. A bit of a problem when you have no contacts and no clue when you arrive.
In general, getting your first job in Germany is pretty straight-forward. You graduate, you apply, you get an interview. Then you’ll be told you get a job. At least most of the time and providing you haven’t made yourself look like an idiot.
Then you are taught within the agency. Not as a creative… but as a graphic designer (I’m an Art Director, so no idea how it works on the CW side).
After you’ve done some years pushing pixels and following orders you might get a shot at actually doing something creative, solving briefs and all that.

In London you find a partner, constantly work on your book, have it torn apart, work some more on your book, go to a lot of placements and eventually you might be given a shot and offered a job. Average time spent: about two to three years.

There are pros and cons for both approaches.

Let’s start with the obvious. Getting a job goes quickly in Germany, a good thing. Not having to look for a brainstorm counterpart as well. Agencies generally reply fast and tell you if they have a job or not, also very good.
From an Art Directors point of view it does however cause a few problems.
You are sentenced to two years Photoshop and Co.
The problem lies, in my opinion, with ad schools. They are not sufficient and more often than not go for style over substance. You may have cracking skills on a Mac but no idea how to develop a strategy, a big idea. Generally you solve problems by doing a ‘funny visual pun’ or a quirky line.
This is different in the U.K.
The universities are slightly better and you find a creative partner that you work with quite well, something you’ll need anyway at some point.
The real learning process begins once you’ve graduated.
Doing book rounds means you get the insight and wisdom (at least one hopes) from some of the best creatives in the industry.
Then you take what you’ve learned back to the drawing board and start from scratch. This means that you are strategically sound and perfectly capable of coming up with great ideas once you’ve signed a contract.
But most of the time you’re flying blind. They may offer you a placement but that doesn’t mean you’ll be offered a job. What really annoyed me is trying to get hold of someone in an agency. They hardly ever pick up their phones and a thousand obstacles are put in your way until you get to speak with someone important.
No one REALLY tells you the truth either.
As Graham Fink (CD of M&C Saatchi) once said to me: ‘It’s not really about being creative, it’s about being persistent’. I think that really says it.

U.K.

Pro’s:

- strategic thinking, big ideas
- you’re ready for everything they throw at you
- you’ve got a partner you work well with
- great contacts through book crits
- if you’ve made it in London you’ll make it anywhere

Con’s:

- no job, no money
- 2 - 3 years before you get your first job
- annoying answering machines and dead phone lines
- no one REALLY tells you the truth

Germany

Pro’s:

- takes a few weeks to get a job
- everyone’s straight-forward
- no partner needed for first job (helpful when you’re from overseas)

Con’s:

- you’re condemned to pushing pixels for 2 years (AD)
- education is poor unless you teach yourself
- no partner

At least that’s what I’ve learned so far. Maybe someone has something to add.
Also, it’ll be great to find out how it works in other countries.

Helpful when you get to London: Nabs
Helpful when you get to Hamburg: research and Designerdock