After reading this post on How to get a Job in Advertising I wanted to share this.
The best thing I’ve ever seen written for people on placements was written by Ed Morris, the creative director of Lowe. This is it:
“If you are a placement team at Lowe you should do this…
Show me an idea at least every 12 hours (1 working day) without fail.
Make your presence felt. Out of sight out of mind. Out of mind, no job.
Fuck the system. No one in the agency should come between you and your future. Walk straight in. It doesn’t matter how good you are if I don’t get to find out how good you are.
Focus on the work. Don’t try and be my friend.
Work on briefs that you haven’t been given. Run your own show, don’t wait for someone to walk in and “take care of you”. Respect the traffic department, but remember thy work for you, you don’t work for them. Ask them for the briefs you want; tell me if you don’t get them.
Get under the skin of a product and a brief. Don’t show me work that the rest of the department might do. I don’t need people to do what we already can.
Don’t show it to me unless you like it or you think it’s good. That’s how I find out if you’re good.
You’re not here to solve a brief. You’re here to be brilliant.
If you don’t feel you can demonstrate your capabilities with the briefs we have, do it another way. Show me any idea for any brand on any problem.
Don’t join the club, there isn’t one. You’re not here to make a load of friends and get to know the local pubs. You’re unemployed, remember that. And, if you are any good you should be trying to make the rest of us look stupid.
If you put the effort into the work I’ll put the effort into you and helping you.
But it works that way around. It’s got to start with you.
Be confident, have faith in yourselves, work hard. Look after the work and the work will look after you. A placement is a moment in time. Seize it.
…or leave.”