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How to Land an Interview with an Ad Agency

How to Land an Interview with an Ad Agency
From Apryl Duncan, Your Guide to Advertising. FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now.
Whether you’re pursuing an ad agency position as an account executive or a copywriter, you have to land that face-to-face interview before you can get the job. Help increase your chances.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: The More Time You Spend on Researching, the Better
Here’s How:
1. Be realistic. If you live in New York, have no experience and have only been submitting your info to top agencies, it’s time to re-evaluate your plan.
2. Contact a variety of agencies by mail. No one likes receiving cold calls or Emails from someone they don’t know. If you insist on calling, send a letter first. Wait a few weeks and then call to introduce yourself and verify they received your materials.
3. There’s no harm in contacting a variety of agencies but do your research. Check advertising job Web sites and your local newspaper to see whose hiring. If someone’s got a position available, you’ve got a greater chance of being contacted than by someone you’ve blindly sent materials to.
4. Don’t be afraid to intern. Holding out for a paid position may sound like a great idea but think of all the experience you could’ve gained with an agency while you were waiting for the phone to ring.
5. Use your time wisely. Many agencies turn their interns into paid employees. But at the very least, you’ll be able to add this experience to your resume.
6. Don’t call out your lack of experience in a cover letter. It’s better to say nothing at all than to say, “While I have no experience...”
7. Don’t lie in your cover letter and resume. If you’ve been selling shoes for the past 10 years, don’t worry about sending a resume unless a job listing specifically tells you to do so. It may sound like an obvious no-no but many potential employees haven’t been hired because of untruthful info. Don’t get bitten by lies. Just be honest.
8. If you’re seeking a position as a copywriter or graphic designer, send SPEC ads as part of your package. (For more information on how SPEC ads can help, see the Related Resources at the bottom of this page.)
9. Contact the right person. Who’s the Creative Director? Don’t know? Find out. Always use the person’s name instead of “To Whom It May Concern.” And don’t use “Dear Joe” instead of Dear Mr. Smith.”
10. Contact smaller agencies. They may be short-handed at certain times of the year and need extra help. This could lead to a regular paying position.
11. Be persistent. Don’t hound an ad agency with mailing after mailing and call after call. But do be persistent and continue to mail an agency periodically if you’re still seeking a position. Eventually, your name will keep coming up and the appropriate person will know who you are.
Tips:
1.Be professional. Dress like you want the job. It may seem like a no-brainer but many job candidates have blown it by mistaking ad agencies as casual and laid back. If you find out everyone wears jeans to the office after you’ve got the job, that’s one thing.
2. Why do you want this job? Why are you the right person for it? What makes you think you’d be a good fit for the agency? These are all questions that you should know the answers to. Prepare ahead of time. You never know if they’ll come up during the interview.
3. If asked if you have any questions, don’t say, “When do I start?” You don’t want to come off arrogant or cocky. You can show confidence in yourself without being conceited.
4. Don’t call right after an interview. They told you they’d have a decision by Wednesday. Don’t call on Tuesday or even Wednesday morning to find out if you got the job. Call late Wednesday afternoon, if you must, but waiting until Thursday or Friday is even better. You never know their schedule. They may have had to delay their decision because of an unforeseen problem.
5. Bring a portfolio if you have one. How good you will look if you bring samples of your work. (Help on creating a portfolio can be found in the Related Resources below.) This will really help you stand out against the other candidates.
10 Ways to Get a Job at an Ad Agency
working in advertising is rewarding and challenging. But for many people just starting out, the challenge seems to be getting that first big break into an ad agency’s door. There are many ways you can overcome that barrier and land a job at an advertising agency.
1. Intern
Agencies look at interns as potential employees. If you have the opportunity to intern, by all means, you should.
Interning will help you get an “in” to the agency but you’ll also be able to work in various areas you wouldn’t otherwise. Speak up and let the agency know you’re eager and willing to learn to get the most out of your internship. The experience you gain as an intern is invaluable and could lead to a permanent position.
2. Take an Entry Level Position
It would be nice to walk right into a corner office with a view, plop down in your leather chair and start working with big name clients. Of course, it doesn’t work that way in the real world.
Many people have successfully started their career in advertising by taking any job in an agency and working their way up. Don’t be afraid to work outside of your job description. Get in there and learn everything you can. If you’re unable to move up within that particular agency, you can still use that experience to get you a job somewhere else.
3. Freelance
If you’re interested in being a copywriter or graphic designer, consider freelancing as a way to get into the business. Coming up with your own rates, your own campaign to advertise yourself and approaching small businesses and even agencies are all tools you can use in your agency job hunt.
4. Create SPEC ADS
SPEC ADS are simply your version of a published ad. You might think that you can do better than a major automaker’s print ads running in your favorite magazine. Or your local barber shop’s newspaper ads might need some reworking.
SPEC ADS are known in the industry as work you’ve done on your own. It’s basically pretend copywriting or graphic design but if you have no published work, it’s vital to showing your talent.
5. Contact Radio and Television Stations
Many radio and TV stations have employees who specifically write commercials. They may also produce certain types of shows for the station. This is a great opportunity for you to get started in the business.
Since most radio and TV stations don’t pay very much for these types of positions, there’s both a high turnover and an opportunity for people with little or no experience to break into the field
6. Schooling
Getting an education in advertising doesn’t just apply to college students. If you’re serious about working in an agency, you can learn a lot by taking a course.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pack up and move to your closest advertising school. The Internet has given so many people the opportunity to learn about advertising and what it takes to make it in the business from the comfort of their own home.
7. Introduce Yourself
If you’re looking for a position on the creative side of advertising, write a letter to the Creative Director. Introduce yourself in a friendly, professional tone and give a brief bio.
Be sure you find out who the Creative Director is and not just address your letter: “To Whom It May Concern.” You want to approach this person just as you would a friend so get their name and the spelling right.
You can follow up in a few weeks with an additional letter or you can give the Creative Director a call. Just don’t cold call them first. Anyone in an agency is going to be busy and especially someone in a management position who is juggling many projects at once.
8. Network
Look for opportunities to meet with people in your area that are actively working in the industry. Many cities have local advertising clubs that sponsor special events, educational seminars and professional workshops. Get out there and meet the people who could be your next potential employer.
9. Work in Sales
There’s a big difference between advertising and sales but being an account executive at a car dealership, for example, can help you bridge the gap between no experience and working in an agency.
10. Enthusiasm
Are you passionate about working in advertising? Really passionate? Do you see commercials on TV and think:
“I could do so much better than that.”
Are you a hard worker that’s willing to commit to the job, even when that means you’re working well past the typical 9-5?
These are just some of the questions you have to really evaluate if you want to pursue a career in advertising. If you can honestly say, “Yes, absolutely,” then you need to convey that to a potential employer.
Even in this day and age of hustle and bustle, employers are excited to see someone with genuine passion and enthusiasm. There’s a reason they got into the field and your energy is a reminder of that.
People with a lot of experience have still been beaten out of the job by someone with less experience but a lot of heart.

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