Well, well, well.
It turns out most ad agencies have been sensible enough to recongise that if they cut their grad schemes in the recession, they won't have anyone to run their accounts in a few years time. So they haven't. The result: Some of you have got job offers! Hurrah!
AMV and McCann, to name a just a couple, have already sieved and sifted and sorted their wheat. More to follow later about how to get into advertising if you didn't get on a scheme, but for now let's look at the other end of the spectrum. For some lucky buggers, you'll now have a choice of jobs, and this is the most important career decision you'll have had to make since you decided what to study at which uni. I'd love to say it's exactly the same and whichever one you go to you'll love it. But it's not that simple this time round.
If you have a few job offers you MUST find someone relatively impartial in the industry and ask their advice. Just looking at the top agencies by billings is not enough evidence on which to base your choice. You want to join the best, most creative, most strategically excellent agency you can. There's a saying among some grads that training schemes give you chips to cash in at other agencies if you decide to leave the one you started at. Some agencies' chips are worth more than others. A bit of research and you'll be a high roller in no time.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and give you a simple list of the agencies that I think would be most exciting to join at the moment. Obviously view this as a subjective rundown, but I'm trying not to be bias and there are no ulterior motives...
So, in alphabetical order, the best agencies to join at the moment are:
AMV BBDO
BBH
BMB
Fallon
Mother
W&K
The training at Ogilvy is also supposed to be very good, but they're not really picking up awards at the moment.
If you get offered any of those, I'd go for them. If you get offered more than one of those, you're either very good or a lucky sod.
Once you get offered a job, agencies will want you to confirm very quickly whether you want it or not. This is to make you commit to them, because they know that if you're good the chances are you'll be offed jobs elsewhere, too. That's not a bad thing. Think about it like this: If you've got a girlfriend that everyone else fancies, it proves she's a hot girlfriend and you've done well. You just don't want her skipping town with anyone else. In most industries this analogy would die at marriage, but with the amount of time admen spend in the office, it's probably not too far off the truth...
If you get offered a job but have other interviews coming up and don't want to commit, that's fine. If the agency that offered you a job is worth their salt and really want you, they should accept that you want to keep your options open. After all, you've just spent lots of time and money at university opening as many doors as possible for yourself. Why close them all straight away? Just be open and honest with everyone. A friend was offered AMV before his McCann second round. He knew 99% that he wanted to go to AMV, but asked them for an extension to his decision to focus on the McCann interview. There was no problem at all. He got both.
Do remember that a verbal agreement, or even signing a contract, does not mean you HAVE to work there. If they get arsey, just accept the job and turn it down at a later date. They shouldn't pressurise you in that way. You've been offered a job because the agency sees you as a serious potential asset. They put a hell of a lot of time and money into identifying people like you, and now they have they don't want you escaping. If you do, not only will they have lost that asset, one of their competitors will have gained it. Double whammy.
Finally, if you have been rejected or not heard back, there is still a glimmer of hope. When the lucky buggers mentioned above who have more than one job offer turn one agency down, that agency looks at the next person down their list and goes after them. That very thing happened to this humble blogger at one London agency. So remember, if you don't want a job for sure, let the agency know asap, because there'll be someone else who'd be overjoyed with it.
As always, if you do have any questions or want advice, or just want to correct or argue with me, email me at admadillo@googlemail.com
Friday, 12 December 2008
Monday, 1 December 2008
Ding Ding - Round Two...
So. The likes of AMV and BBH have spoken. How were the first rounds? There'll be some of you who thought it all went swimmingly, who dazzled the interviewers, who said all the right things and have heard..... Nothing. Or just bad news.
It's tough when that happens. Sometimes you just can't understand why they didn't want to ask you back. Hopefully they'll offer some feedback, but most won't for first rounds, which is even more frustrating when you can't pinpoint where things went wrong. And as the interviews are so subjective, even asking other people in the industry what they think of what you said (if you can remember after all those nerves died down...) may not reveal any answers. If you'd like any impartial advice, do message me at admadillo@googlemail.com, but again, it will only be my subjective opinion versus that of your interviewer.
But, there'll be a lucky few of you who probably thought it all was a bit dodgy, you didn't quite say what you wanted to and you had a strong feeling when you left the building that the interviewers thought you were an idiot. As far as you were concerned, their next move was almost certainly going to be to ring up all the other agencies you applied to and tell them to put a big red cross next to your name and draw a dunce hat on your photo. Maybe a comedy moustache. That's how most second rounders felt when this humble blogger went through all this malarkey. But, after all that, you've got a second round interview, and you're so close to getting on a grad scheme! It's now the final furlong. Here's some advice about getting to the winning post.
Most second rounds happen over one day. JWT was slightly different, in that theirs covered two days and they put you up in a hotel overnight. Some of you might be unlucky enough to have a clash in second rounds, such as that between M&C Saatchi and JWT last year. While this makes very little sense to anyone applying and really should be orgnanised better, you simply have to choose which agency you want to work for more. It's tough. Again, if you want inevitably subjective advice choosing between two, drop me a message. There'll be more about what to do if you get more than one job offer in a few weeks, but for now, on to the experience of the second round interview.
If there's one thing to remember at a second round interview, it's that you can probably all do the job. The agency is looking for people who will fit into their business. they've approved and personally checked your academic credentials and extra curricular interests during the application and first round interviews. They want to give you a job. They want to trust you with the future of their business. They're not going to do that until they like you, see potential in you and are sure that you'll do well working and, more importantly, learning in their business.
When you turn up at the agency, there's a feeling of achievement among everyone. You've all done very well to get there. Often there will have been over 1000 applicants, in some cases as many as 1300, and you're now down to the last 30 or so. Most second round days will not have more than 15 - 20 people there and they will probably be running two or three separate days. People tend to be friendly because there is no point competing against each other and anyone who has an air of tosser about them will have probably been weedled out at first round stage. If you want a job in advertising, you have to be nice, because however much working in one is about working long hours and getting a job done well, people want to know that if they're sitting next to you you'll be a friendly face on a Monday morning to have a chat with. Advertising is full of very clever people who could be making much more money in management consultancies or law, but they stay in advertising because they like the atmosphere. They can be quite intimidating, but you'll be expected to add to that atmosphere. So be friendly or be gone!
What you do first will depend on the agency. Often you'll have a chat from someone senior, who might fire questions at you, which happened at DDB. He or she is just there to get you warmed up and give you a feel of the agency ethos. You'll be told what the day will consist of and possibly shown a showreel of their work, which you should have researched and viewed on the internet before anyway.
At most interviews you'll be asked to do a spoken, stand up presentation. At AMV this year, for example, it's on 'Something You're Proud Of'. At M&C last year it was 'My Hero'. You'll be doing these in front of a group of other second rounders, so don't be thrown when they tell you you won't be just in front of a couple of interviewers. The presentation topic is important, but what's more important is your demeanour, structure and communication. Choose a topic you genuinely care about, as they'll want to see what you're like when you're enthusiastic about something. If you can show your enthusiasm can be effectively communicated, you will be setting off a little flashing sign in their heads that says "If s/he can transfer this enthusiasm to my business, they'll be an asset'. Be confident in what you're saying and rehearse. If you don't, you'll feel like an idiot. If you've ever done drama or presentations before, you'll be at an advantage, but don't worry if you haven't, everyone will be on your side and wanting you to do well in them. After you're done, there will be questions from the audience. This is your time to shine, as how you answer them is hugely important. In a real life situation, clients will only ask questions after a presentation if they don't understand something. You must understand what they're asking, by asking what they mean if necessary, identify the problem the client (or interviewer) sees and address it promptly, without waffling. If you can do this in your second round, you'll get lots of ticks, gold stars and smiley faces next to your name.
After the presentations, there will be, in most cases, a mock pitch. You are given a business problem, given an hour or so to come up with a solution and then you present back to senior people and possibly the other interviewees. Depending on what the problem is, you'll have to address different aspects of communications, but I advise doing the following:
1. Identify the business problem and where you have to get from and to. Tell your audience this, ie "I understand you are trying to launch a new Russian beer in the UK. However, the problem is that nobody knows that beer in this country and people associate Russia with vodka. We are aiming to make people aware of the brand and change their perception that Russian alcoholic beverages are limited to vodka.' It's simple stuff, but doing this will help you build your brand campaign.
2. Manage your time. The person who keeps checking the clock is not anal. They are employable. You have been given a time limit for a reason. divide it up sensibly and stick to it. You are given too short a time period on purpose to see how you react.
3. Don't push. The problem with mock pitches is that you all sit in a room chatting about ideas, often without an observer. When the observer comes in, there's a huge rush to 'show off' all the ideas each person has had. It gets a bit bitchy. Remember, you're working as a team. Don't claim every single idea and do not, under any circumstances, try to cut down or publicly humiliate someone else in hope of getting one over on them. The tallest tree in a forest gets tall by growing well, not by poisoning all the other trees.
4. Know when to cut the crap. If an idea is rubbish, get rid of it, don't plug away at it. Cut it. Start again. Don't hold onto a rubbish idea just because it's yours.
5. When it comes to the presentation, work as a team during it and show off during the questions, as above. Do not undermine other members of the team. It's better to say 'I'd just like to add..." rather than "I actually don't think that's right..." after a team mate has just buggered up an answer.
6. Make sure everyone's happy. Understand what your team members want and what the audience expects. If you don't know, ask. If you get a job, you'll be encouraged to ask about anything you're unsure of. It's fine to do so now and shows interest and common sense.
There may a short maths or reasoning test during the day. There is no way I can give advice about these, suffice to say it is better to do five out of ten and get them right than do seven out of ten and get three wrong. Take your time. They're not expecting maths geniuses, they just want common sense.
When you eventually get to interview with senior management, try and work out what each one wants. If it's the MD, they want to see ambition because they themselves were ambitious. If it's the planning director, they'll want to see some analytical and intelligent thought about the future of a brand or analysis of a past campaign from a strategic point of view. If it's account management, they'll want some business knowledge and to know that you'll work your socks off for the company. So tell them you will. Remember what each person does for a living and try and 'fit' their idea of a good grad. Show interest in them and they're more likely to be interested in you.
Finally, you do not have to know whether you want to be a planner or an account manager, but it helps to know what they do. Planning is strategy. They find out what the consumer wants. They do research and analyse market conditions. Managers are much more practical. They represent the client to the agency and the agency to the client. They make sure everything happens on time and on budget. They are a 'safe pair of hands' who tend to get blamed if something goes wrong. It's the best way to learn about advertising. I would always suggest a safe answer is 'I know account management is the best way to learn the ropes, so I think I should try that for a year or so and then decide'. It shows you're realistic.
Good luck, more to follow.
It's tough when that happens. Sometimes you just can't understand why they didn't want to ask you back. Hopefully they'll offer some feedback, but most won't for first rounds, which is even more frustrating when you can't pinpoint where things went wrong. And as the interviews are so subjective, even asking other people in the industry what they think of what you said (if you can remember after all those nerves died down...) may not reveal any answers. If you'd like any impartial advice, do message me at admadillo@googlemail.com, but again, it will only be my subjective opinion versus that of your interviewer.
But, there'll be a lucky few of you who probably thought it all was a bit dodgy, you didn't quite say what you wanted to and you had a strong feeling when you left the building that the interviewers thought you were an idiot. As far as you were concerned, their next move was almost certainly going to be to ring up all the other agencies you applied to and tell them to put a big red cross next to your name and draw a dunce hat on your photo. Maybe a comedy moustache. That's how most second rounders felt when this humble blogger went through all this malarkey. But, after all that, you've got a second round interview, and you're so close to getting on a grad scheme! It's now the final furlong. Here's some advice about getting to the winning post.
Most second rounds happen over one day. JWT was slightly different, in that theirs covered two days and they put you up in a hotel overnight. Some of you might be unlucky enough to have a clash in second rounds, such as that between M&C Saatchi and JWT last year. While this makes very little sense to anyone applying and really should be orgnanised better, you simply have to choose which agency you want to work for more. It's tough. Again, if you want inevitably subjective advice choosing between two, drop me a message. There'll be more about what to do if you get more than one job offer in a few weeks, but for now, on to the experience of the second round interview.
If there's one thing to remember at a second round interview, it's that you can probably all do the job. The agency is looking for people who will fit into their business. they've approved and personally checked your academic credentials and extra curricular interests during the application and first round interviews. They want to give you a job. They want to trust you with the future of their business. They're not going to do that until they like you, see potential in you and are sure that you'll do well working and, more importantly, learning in their business.
When you turn up at the agency, there's a feeling of achievement among everyone. You've all done very well to get there. Often there will have been over 1000 applicants, in some cases as many as 1300, and you're now down to the last 30 or so. Most second round days will not have more than 15 - 20 people there and they will probably be running two or three separate days. People tend to be friendly because there is no point competing against each other and anyone who has an air of tosser about them will have probably been weedled out at first round stage. If you want a job in advertising, you have to be nice, because however much working in one is about working long hours and getting a job done well, people want to know that if they're sitting next to you you'll be a friendly face on a Monday morning to have a chat with. Advertising is full of very clever people who could be making much more money in management consultancies or law, but they stay in advertising because they like the atmosphere. They can be quite intimidating, but you'll be expected to add to that atmosphere. So be friendly or be gone!
What you do first will depend on the agency. Often you'll have a chat from someone senior, who might fire questions at you, which happened at DDB. He or she is just there to get you warmed up and give you a feel of the agency ethos. You'll be told what the day will consist of and possibly shown a showreel of their work, which you should have researched and viewed on the internet before anyway.
At most interviews you'll be asked to do a spoken, stand up presentation. At AMV this year, for example, it's on 'Something You're Proud Of'. At M&C last year it was 'My Hero'. You'll be doing these in front of a group of other second rounders, so don't be thrown when they tell you you won't be just in front of a couple of interviewers. The presentation topic is important, but what's more important is your demeanour, structure and communication. Choose a topic you genuinely care about, as they'll want to see what you're like when you're enthusiastic about something. If you can show your enthusiasm can be effectively communicated, you will be setting off a little flashing sign in their heads that says "If s/he can transfer this enthusiasm to my business, they'll be an asset'. Be confident in what you're saying and rehearse. If you don't, you'll feel like an idiot. If you've ever done drama or presentations before, you'll be at an advantage, but don't worry if you haven't, everyone will be on your side and wanting you to do well in them. After you're done, there will be questions from the audience. This is your time to shine, as how you answer them is hugely important. In a real life situation, clients will only ask questions after a presentation if they don't understand something. You must understand what they're asking, by asking what they mean if necessary, identify the problem the client (or interviewer) sees and address it promptly, without waffling. If you can do this in your second round, you'll get lots of ticks, gold stars and smiley faces next to your name.
After the presentations, there will be, in most cases, a mock pitch. You are given a business problem, given an hour or so to come up with a solution and then you present back to senior people and possibly the other interviewees. Depending on what the problem is, you'll have to address different aspects of communications, but I advise doing the following:
1. Identify the business problem and where you have to get from and to. Tell your audience this, ie "I understand you are trying to launch a new Russian beer in the UK. However, the problem is that nobody knows that beer in this country and people associate Russia with vodka. We are aiming to make people aware of the brand and change their perception that Russian alcoholic beverages are limited to vodka.' It's simple stuff, but doing this will help you build your brand campaign.
2. Manage your time. The person who keeps checking the clock is not anal. They are employable. You have been given a time limit for a reason. divide it up sensibly and stick to it. You are given too short a time period on purpose to see how you react.
3. Don't push. The problem with mock pitches is that you all sit in a room chatting about ideas, often without an observer. When the observer comes in, there's a huge rush to 'show off' all the ideas each person has had. It gets a bit bitchy. Remember, you're working as a team. Don't claim every single idea and do not, under any circumstances, try to cut down or publicly humiliate someone else in hope of getting one over on them. The tallest tree in a forest gets tall by growing well, not by poisoning all the other trees.
4. Know when to cut the crap. If an idea is rubbish, get rid of it, don't plug away at it. Cut it. Start again. Don't hold onto a rubbish idea just because it's yours.
5. When it comes to the presentation, work as a team during it and show off during the questions, as above. Do not undermine other members of the team. It's better to say 'I'd just like to add..." rather than "I actually don't think that's right..." after a team mate has just buggered up an answer.
6. Make sure everyone's happy. Understand what your team members want and what the audience expects. If you don't know, ask. If you get a job, you'll be encouraged to ask about anything you're unsure of. It's fine to do so now and shows interest and common sense.
There may a short maths or reasoning test during the day. There is no way I can give advice about these, suffice to say it is better to do five out of ten and get them right than do seven out of ten and get three wrong. Take your time. They're not expecting maths geniuses, they just want common sense.
When you eventually get to interview with senior management, try and work out what each one wants. If it's the MD, they want to see ambition because they themselves were ambitious. If it's the planning director, they'll want to see some analytical and intelligent thought about the future of a brand or analysis of a past campaign from a strategic point of view. If it's account management, they'll want some business knowledge and to know that you'll work your socks off for the company. So tell them you will. Remember what each person does for a living and try and 'fit' their idea of a good grad. Show interest in them and they're more likely to be interested in you.
Finally, you do not have to know whether you want to be a planner or an account manager, but it helps to know what they do. Planning is strategy. They find out what the consumer wants. They do research and analyse market conditions. Managers are much more practical. They represent the client to the agency and the agency to the client. They make sure everything happens on time and on budget. They are a 'safe pair of hands' who tend to get blamed if something goes wrong. It's the best way to learn about advertising. I would always suggest a safe answer is 'I know account management is the best way to learn the ropes, so I think I should try that for a year or so and then decide'. It shows you're realistic.
Good luck, more to follow.
Friday, 21 November 2008
Dress Code
I've had a few questions about dress code. In general, people tend to dress smart casual. A shirt, jeans and smart shoes is great. A suit is fine, you might want to take the tie off. Very few people wear suits in ad agencies. There are, on the other hand, enouch Converse in the ad industry to see a small country well-shod.
I'm not Gok or Trinny or that other one, so girls, I'm sure you don't need my advice. Smart. Confident. If you want to go goth or Nu Rave, good luck, but you better be pretty sure about your reasons. If in doubt, play it safe. You can show everyone how quirky you are once you've signed the contract...
I'm not Gok or Trinny or that other one, so girls, I'm sure you don't need my advice. Smart. Confident. If you want to go goth or Nu Rave, good luck, but you better be pretty sure about your reasons. If in doubt, play it safe. You can show everyone how quirky you are once you've signed the contract...
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Interview or no Interview?
This blog is dedicated to helping you through your advertising grad scheme interviews.
By now some of you will have received first round interview offer from the likes of DLKW, AMV and McCann. Congratulations.
If you have heard back, post your name and which agencies you've heard from in the comments. It'll help others work out where they stand.
If you haven't don't worry. If you're really keen on getting into advertising then you will. If you get onto a grad scheme, brilliant, if you don't there are other magical ways in. These will be explained, but for now, let's talk, or type, interviews...
The advertising grad recruitment process is normally split into three parts. The first is your application form. Only you can really know how you want to go about filling these odd concoctions of bizarre questions in (Q: "How would you advertise beer if alcohol advertsing was banned?" A: "What the bejesus is this supposed to mean? *cries*"). Suffice to say, an agency somewhere will be looking for someone like you. Therefore, try not to be to tactical and change how you come accross in each application, because if you're just yourself, the agency that you best suit and best suits you will pick you up.
When you're through that bit, the surreal bit stops. For a while.
The first round interviews are designed to make sure that what you said on you application was true (although this is not a consultancy, they won't check. At one particular consultancy, let's call it MkCinsey, your CV is guilty until proved innocent.). They'll ask you about what's on there.
This means two things. Firstly, make a list of things from you application form you want to go into more detail about. Talk about specific examples of things that you think will impress them and show your personality. Secondly, have a think about anything that wasn't on there that you want to slip into conversation. You first round interview is a big chance. Remember, they still don't know if you can do the job or not. They want to invite you back for second round, but you need to prove to them that the potential they saw in your application form is a true reflection of you.
When you turn up at the interview, you'll sign in and wait in reception. It's a bit daunting, but with any luck you won't have to wait more than half an hour. There might be other grads there and you'll all be nervous. Don't worry about the ones who appear to be full of confidence and very loud, bragging about everything they've ever done to anyone who will listen. They are normally the most nervous ones, and don't let it put you off.
You'll probably be interviewed by two people, either together or one at a time. They will most likely be the people who are running the scheme, and are unlikely to be senior mangement. They may even be grads from the years before, so will know what you're going through. Remember, it's their job to make a good impression on you as well as vice versa. The best candidates will get job offers from more than one place, so if you're good this will be the first round in the fight for you. While this gets more intense after second round interviews (when, for example, DDB give you champagne and M&C Saatchi take you all out for a cracking dinner), do remember that you're checking them out as well. More about second round interviews next week.
Your whole first round interview will probably last no more than 45 minutes, and will normally be less. You could be hanging around for half an hour or so, so the whole process should take no longer than 90 minutes.
Be confident, but not cocky. If you get an interview, you're the (wo)man. The people who you sent your application form to think you might be the future of the industry. And you might be. But you've gotta show it.
Always try and answer questions in the following way:
a) What you DID (eg, I was vice-captain of the hockey team at university)
b) WHY you did it (eg, I wanted the responsibility and got voted in)
c) What you CHANGED ( eg, I realised we weren't training enough so got funding for extra sessions)
d) What that ACHIEVED (We came second in a national competition that we'd only ever come 10th in before).
They'll be looking for measurable examples of your character. The key here is MEASURABLE. If you can show that you had a positive effect on something, and only you could have had that effect, you'll be in.
Always remember that the people running the grad scheme will be assessed on the quality of the candidates they put in front of their seniors at the second round interviews. If you can make them look good, the decision to offer you a second round will be easy for them.
"So", I hear you cry, "quit your waffling and tell me what questions they're going to ask!" Well, here goes:
1. They will ask about their own agency's work. This may be print, or TV, or even online. Look at their website, look at their accounts, look at their adverts. This will help you understand what your interviewer does for a job: Make great (hopefully) ads. If you know what they're passionate about, you can be passionate about it too. If you're both passionate about the same things, you'll be best of friends.
Or at least get a second round interview.
2. When you're looking at their adverts, try to understand what they concept, or 'big idea' is behind them. That is what the interviewer will be trying to find out from you. For example, the concept behind Lynx advertising at BBH is seduction. This leads to the Lynx effect. If you start an answer about Lynx (or Axe, outside the UK) advertising with this, you can only do well. Another example would be HSBC. The 'big idea' is that they are a truly international organisation and that benefits customers. This leads to 'The World's Local Bank'. With Sainsbury's, the 'big idea' is to try and get people spending more by buying more items. This leads to 'Try Something New Today'. I'm sure you're beginning to get the picture...
3. Look at the following competency based questions. Almost all interviewers, for all good industries, will use them in some form. There are only a few different topics they can ask about (team work, leadership, respect for others, etc) but lots of different ways they can ask them. If you can identify which area you're being asked about and have an example in mind, you'll rock it.
These are the areas that may be assessed, in one way or another, at your interview:
Adaptability
Communication
Conflict management
Creativity and Innovation
Decisiveness
Delegation
External awareness
Flexibility
Independence
Influencing
Integrity
Leadership
Organisational awareness
Resilience and tenacity
Risk taking
Sensitivity to others
Team work
Don't worry. This is not a bank. Their is room for you to be human in the interviews, you don't have to have a robotic response and they'll be much more interested in you and how interesting and creative you are than your answers to these, but it will help to have a think about them.
The following are some examples of questions, you'll see how the same question can be asked several different ways. They are written for people who have been working, but if you have come straight from uni, use examples from there if you feel like it :
Core Competencies:
Please remember that these are examples and may not all be appropriate to your specific interview! You certainly won't get all of them!
Adaptability
-Tell me about a time when you changed your priorities to meet others' expectations.
-Describe a time when you altered your own behaviour to fit the situation.
-Tell me about a time when you had to change your point of view or your plans to take into account new information or changing priorities.
Client Focus
-Give an example of how you provided service to a client/stakeholder beyond their expectations. -How did you identify the need? How did you respond?
-Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a client/stakeholder service issue.
-Describe a situation in which you acted as an advocate within your organization for your stakeholder’s needs, where there was some organizational resistance to be overcome.
Communication
-Describe a situation you were involved in that required a multi-dimensional communication strategy.
-Give an example of a difficult or sensitive situation that required extensive communication.
-Tell me about a time when you really had to pay attention to what someone else was saying, actively seeking to understand their message.
Organizational Awareness
-Describe the culture of your organization and give an example of how you work within this culture to achieve a goal.
-Describe the things you consider and the steps you take in assessing the viability of a new idea or initiative.
-Tell me about a time when you used your knowledge of the organization to get what you needed.
Problem Solving and Judgment
-Tell me about a time when you had to identify the underlying causes to a problem.
-Describe a time when you had to analyze a problem and generate a solution.
-Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a problem or make a decision that required careful thought. What did you do?
Results Orientation
-Tell me about a time when you set and achieved a goal.
-Tell me about a time when you improved the way things were typically done on the job.
-Describe something you have done to improve the performance of your work unit.
-Describe something you have done to maximize or improve the use of resources beyond your own work unit to achieve improved results.
Teamwork
-Tell me about a time when you worked successfully as a member of a team.
-Describe a situation where you were successful in getting people to work together effectively.
-Describe a situation in which you were a member (not a leader) of a team, and a conflict arose within the team. What did you do?
Developing Others
-Tell me about a time when you coached someone to help them improve their skills or job performance. What did you do?
- Describe a time when you provided feedback to someone about their performance.
- Give me an example of a time when you recognized that a member of your team had a performance difficulty/deficiency. What did you do?
Impact and Influence -Describe a recent situation in which you convinced an individual or a group to do something.
-Describe a time when you went through a series of steps to influence an individual or a group on an important issue.
-Describe a situation in which you needed to influence different stakeholders with differing perspectives.
Innovation
-Describe something you have done that was new and different for your organization, that improved performance and/or productivity.
-Tell me about a time when you identified a new, unusual or different approach for addressing a problem or task.
-Tell me about a recent problem in which old solutions wouldn't work. How did you solve the problem?
Leadership
-Tell me about a time when you had to lead a group to achieve an objective.
-Describe a situation where you had to ensure that your "actions spoke louder than your words" to a team.
-Describe a situation where you inspired others to meet a common goal.
Relationship Building
-Describe a situation in which you developed an effective win/win relationship with a stakeholder or client. How did you go about building the relationship?
-Tell me about a time when you relied on a contact in your network to help you with a work-related task or problem.
-Give me an example of a time when you deliberately attempted to build rapport with a co-worker or customer.
Resource Management
-Describe a situation in which you took a creative approach to resourcing to achieve a goal.
-Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particular resource management issue regarding either people, materials or assets.
-Describe the options you would consider to resource a project or goal if you did not have the available resources within your own span of control.
-Describe a situation in which you established a partnership with another organization or stakeholder to achieve a mutual goal. What steps did you take to ensure the partnership was effective?
Self-Management
-Describe the level of stress in your job and what you do to manage it.
-Describe a time when you were in a high pressure situation.
-Describe a time when things didn't turn out as you had planned and you had to analyze the situation to address the issue.
Strategic Thinking
-Describe a challenge or opportunity you identified based on your industry knowledge, and how you developed a strategy to respond to it.
-Describe a time you created a strategy to achieve a longer term business objective.
-Describe a time when you used your business knowledge to understand a specific business situation.
If you can think of decent examples for all of these, you'll be able to rock any interview and do whatever job you want. Obviously, some are more relevant than others. You almost definitely will be asked about innovative and strategic thinking. You almost definitely won't get asked about resource management.
So get thinking.
More to follow...
By now some of you will have received first round interview offer from the likes of DLKW, AMV and McCann. Congratulations.
If you have heard back, post your name and which agencies you've heard from in the comments. It'll help others work out where they stand.
If you haven't don't worry. If you're really keen on getting into advertising then you will. If you get onto a grad scheme, brilliant, if you don't there are other magical ways in. These will be explained, but for now, let's talk, or type, interviews...
The advertising grad recruitment process is normally split into three parts. The first is your application form. Only you can really know how you want to go about filling these odd concoctions of bizarre questions in (Q: "How would you advertise beer if alcohol advertsing was banned?" A: "What the bejesus is this supposed to mean? *cries*"). Suffice to say, an agency somewhere will be looking for someone like you. Therefore, try not to be to tactical and change how you come accross in each application, because if you're just yourself, the agency that you best suit and best suits you will pick you up.
When you're through that bit, the surreal bit stops. For a while.
The first round interviews are designed to make sure that what you said on you application was true (although this is not a consultancy, they won't check. At one particular consultancy, let's call it MkCinsey, your CV is guilty until proved innocent.). They'll ask you about what's on there.
This means two things. Firstly, make a list of things from you application form you want to go into more detail about. Talk about specific examples of things that you think will impress them and show your personality. Secondly, have a think about anything that wasn't on there that you want to slip into conversation. You first round interview is a big chance. Remember, they still don't know if you can do the job or not. They want to invite you back for second round, but you need to prove to them that the potential they saw in your application form is a true reflection of you.
When you turn up at the interview, you'll sign in and wait in reception. It's a bit daunting, but with any luck you won't have to wait more than half an hour. There might be other grads there and you'll all be nervous. Don't worry about the ones who appear to be full of confidence and very loud, bragging about everything they've ever done to anyone who will listen. They are normally the most nervous ones, and don't let it put you off.
You'll probably be interviewed by two people, either together or one at a time. They will most likely be the people who are running the scheme, and are unlikely to be senior mangement. They may even be grads from the years before, so will know what you're going through. Remember, it's their job to make a good impression on you as well as vice versa. The best candidates will get job offers from more than one place, so if you're good this will be the first round in the fight for you. While this gets more intense after second round interviews (when, for example, DDB give you champagne and M&C Saatchi take you all out for a cracking dinner), do remember that you're checking them out as well. More about second round interviews next week.
Your whole first round interview will probably last no more than 45 minutes, and will normally be less. You could be hanging around for half an hour or so, so the whole process should take no longer than 90 minutes.
Be confident, but not cocky. If you get an interview, you're the (wo)man. The people who you sent your application form to think you might be the future of the industry. And you might be. But you've gotta show it.
Always try and answer questions in the following way:
a) What you DID (eg, I was vice-captain of the hockey team at university)
b) WHY you did it (eg, I wanted the responsibility and got voted in)
c) What you CHANGED ( eg, I realised we weren't training enough so got funding for extra sessions)
d) What that ACHIEVED (We came second in a national competition that we'd only ever come 10th in before).
They'll be looking for measurable examples of your character. The key here is MEASURABLE. If you can show that you had a positive effect on something, and only you could have had that effect, you'll be in.
Always remember that the people running the grad scheme will be assessed on the quality of the candidates they put in front of their seniors at the second round interviews. If you can make them look good, the decision to offer you a second round will be easy for them.
"So", I hear you cry, "quit your waffling and tell me what questions they're going to ask!" Well, here goes:
1. They will ask about their own agency's work. This may be print, or TV, or even online. Look at their website, look at their accounts, look at their adverts. This will help you understand what your interviewer does for a job: Make great (hopefully) ads. If you know what they're passionate about, you can be passionate about it too. If you're both passionate about the same things, you'll be best of friends.
Or at least get a second round interview.
2. When you're looking at their adverts, try to understand what they concept, or 'big idea' is behind them. That is what the interviewer will be trying to find out from you. For example, the concept behind Lynx advertising at BBH is seduction. This leads to the Lynx effect. If you start an answer about Lynx (or Axe, outside the UK) advertising with this, you can only do well. Another example would be HSBC. The 'big idea' is that they are a truly international organisation and that benefits customers. This leads to 'The World's Local Bank'. With Sainsbury's, the 'big idea' is to try and get people spending more by buying more items. This leads to 'Try Something New Today'. I'm sure you're beginning to get the picture...
3. Look at the following competency based questions. Almost all interviewers, for all good industries, will use them in some form. There are only a few different topics they can ask about (team work, leadership, respect for others, etc) but lots of different ways they can ask them. If you can identify which area you're being asked about and have an example in mind, you'll rock it.
These are the areas that may be assessed, in one way or another, at your interview:
Adaptability
Communication
Conflict management
Creativity and Innovation
Decisiveness
Delegation
External awareness
Flexibility
Independence
Influencing
Integrity
Leadership
Organisational awareness
Resilience and tenacity
Risk taking
Sensitivity to others
Team work
Don't worry. This is not a bank. Their is room for you to be human in the interviews, you don't have to have a robotic response and they'll be much more interested in you and how interesting and creative you are than your answers to these, but it will help to have a think about them.
The following are some examples of questions, you'll see how the same question can be asked several different ways. They are written for people who have been working, but if you have come straight from uni, use examples from there if you feel like it :
Core Competencies:
Please remember that these are examples and may not all be appropriate to your specific interview! You certainly won't get all of them!
Adaptability
-Tell me about a time when you changed your priorities to meet others' expectations.
-Describe a time when you altered your own behaviour to fit the situation.
-Tell me about a time when you had to change your point of view or your plans to take into account new information or changing priorities.
Client Focus
-Give an example of how you provided service to a client/stakeholder beyond their expectations. -How did you identify the need? How did you respond?
-Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a client/stakeholder service issue.
-Describe a situation in which you acted as an advocate within your organization for your stakeholder’s needs, where there was some organizational resistance to be overcome.
Communication
-Describe a situation you were involved in that required a multi-dimensional communication strategy.
-Give an example of a difficult or sensitive situation that required extensive communication.
-Tell me about a time when you really had to pay attention to what someone else was saying, actively seeking to understand their message.
Organizational Awareness
-Describe the culture of your organization and give an example of how you work within this culture to achieve a goal.
-Describe the things you consider and the steps you take in assessing the viability of a new idea or initiative.
-Tell me about a time when you used your knowledge of the organization to get what you needed.
Problem Solving and Judgment
-Tell me about a time when you had to identify the underlying causes to a problem.
-Describe a time when you had to analyze a problem and generate a solution.
-Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a problem or make a decision that required careful thought. What did you do?
Results Orientation
-Tell me about a time when you set and achieved a goal.
-Tell me about a time when you improved the way things were typically done on the job.
-Describe something you have done to improve the performance of your work unit.
-Describe something you have done to maximize or improve the use of resources beyond your own work unit to achieve improved results.
Teamwork
-Tell me about a time when you worked successfully as a member of a team.
-Describe a situation where you were successful in getting people to work together effectively.
-Describe a situation in which you were a member (not a leader) of a team, and a conflict arose within the team. What did you do?
Developing Others
-Tell me about a time when you coached someone to help them improve their skills or job performance. What did you do?
- Describe a time when you provided feedback to someone about their performance.
- Give me an example of a time when you recognized that a member of your team had a performance difficulty/deficiency. What did you do?
Impact and Influence -Describe a recent situation in which you convinced an individual or a group to do something.
-Describe a time when you went through a series of steps to influence an individual or a group on an important issue.
-Describe a situation in which you needed to influence different stakeholders with differing perspectives.
Innovation
-Describe something you have done that was new and different for your organization, that improved performance and/or productivity.
-Tell me about a time when you identified a new, unusual or different approach for addressing a problem or task.
-Tell me about a recent problem in which old solutions wouldn't work. How did you solve the problem?
Leadership
-Tell me about a time when you had to lead a group to achieve an objective.
-Describe a situation where you had to ensure that your "actions spoke louder than your words" to a team.
-Describe a situation where you inspired others to meet a common goal.
Relationship Building
-Describe a situation in which you developed an effective win/win relationship with a stakeholder or client. How did you go about building the relationship?
-Tell me about a time when you relied on a contact in your network to help you with a work-related task or problem.
-Give me an example of a time when you deliberately attempted to build rapport with a co-worker or customer.
Resource Management
-Describe a situation in which you took a creative approach to resourcing to achieve a goal.
-Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particular resource management issue regarding either people, materials or assets.
-Describe the options you would consider to resource a project or goal if you did not have the available resources within your own span of control.
-Describe a situation in which you established a partnership with another organization or stakeholder to achieve a mutual goal. What steps did you take to ensure the partnership was effective?
Self-Management
-Describe the level of stress in your job and what you do to manage it.
-Describe a time when you were in a high pressure situation.
-Describe a time when things didn't turn out as you had planned and you had to analyze the situation to address the issue.
Strategic Thinking
-Describe a challenge or opportunity you identified based on your industry knowledge, and how you developed a strategy to respond to it.
-Describe a time you created a strategy to achieve a longer term business objective.
-Describe a time when you used your business knowledge to understand a specific business situation.
If you can think of decent examples for all of these, you'll be able to rock any interview and do whatever job you want. Obviously, some are more relevant than others. You almost definitely will be asked about innovative and strategic thinking. You almost definitely won't get asked about resource management.
So get thinking.
More to follow...
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