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A lot of the comms industry is a walled garden, given its small size and focus on major, expensive cities.
Here’s a thread about barriers and solutions to compliment the excellent mentor list. Hopefully this helps a bit.
Here’s a thread about barriers and solutions to compliment the excellent mentor list. Hopefully this helps a bit.
1. “London / <city> is expensive. I can’t just move there. What should I do?”
a) There’s almost always budget accommodation if you look for it. I worked at home and spent my cash on youth hostels (YHA) who gave me a roof and breakfast whilst interning.
a) There’s almost always budget accommodation if you look for it. I worked at home and spent my cash on youth hostels (YHA) who gave me a roof and breakfast whilst interning.
b) If that isn’t possible, try and get to know the agency or agencies you admire. They will have paid internships - you just need to learn the sort of things which stand out, and that means immersing yourself in the industry press, awards and headlines.
c) Getting experience is the thing here. Don’t be sniffy about a research agency, or PR agency or client that’s local to you. The basic skills are largely the same (clarity of thought, writing, lateral thinking). Hone those. Collect little case studies of what you did.
d) Also, the n word. Networking. Try and find peers of yours / people from a similar background or geography who’ve done it. They’ll, in all likelihood, be more inclined to help. Do not be afraid to get in touch and (succinctly) state your case!
e) Finally, there are very much agency cultures. Have a look at who works where, the sort of work they make and anything written about how they did it. This will give a bit of a clue about more creative, more strategic, more account handling led agencies.
2. “I don’t know where to begin with which job I’m suited for...!” A common one, and not one you can just read about and know instantaneously - I thought I wanted to be a copywriter at 16, account mgt at 20 and planning at 23.
a) There are multiple sources you can turn to in order to find out (most notably, the IPA’s site) who does what. Agency account handling by Michael Sims is a good primer/overview too.
b) Have a think about your experiences to date. What was it you enjoyed? Was it making money? Creating? Understanding people? Craft those into little pithy anecdotes and look out for agency internships, which are advertised on Twitter. Any experience in an agency will help.
c) A final word of caution. People are self serving - of course the strategist will say their job is the best. You need to meet a few of them and know yourself. I knew I wasn’t a copywriter as I couldn’t come up with ideas on demand!
3. “How do I prove I’d be good at the job without access to the environment?”
Tricky, this. But it can be done.
Tricky, this. But it can be done.
a) Boil down what skills the job you want requires. If it’s strategy, it’s about clarity and lateral thinking - problem definition and interesting solves. If it’s acc management, it’s about entrepreneurial behaviour. Creative, well. You know that one. :)
b) Define and answer problems. These can be from unpacking the problem behind ads, or looking at the business pages to seeing what’s happening. How might you solve it? What’re the market dynamics? Why do you think people aren’t buying?
c) Keep a little, simple portfolio which documents your problem solving and relevant experience. Don’t go too complex, but any proof you can do the job in a small industry will make you a compelling hire.
d) Finally, you can peer into the environment online. There are things like the Young Creative Council or my @GGettingon which offer free exposure to how practitioners think. Go to those. See who you admire. If they agree to chat, be focused with what you want to know! Good luck.
