10 tips to help you land a great job

October 3, 2013richlevyfcb Madison Avenue Leave a comment

Tuesday at Syracuse, I spoke about how great I think it is to work in healthcare advertising. My topic was called “Healthcare advertising doesn’t suck.” I showed lots of examples, talked about the myths surrounding healthcare advertising, and tried to show 200 students the path to getting a great job. Since Tuesday, I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails from those students asking questions about a career in healthcare, about getting internships, about getting jobs.

But many have requested I publish my 10 tips for getting a great job. These are very simple and basic, but you’d be surprised at how many people blow an interview by not following these simple principles.

So here they are:

1) Have 6 great campaigns in your portfolio (website and PDF). You are only as good as the worst thing in your portfolio. You need at least 6 great campaigns. Your interviewers will probably only look at 2 or 3 campaigns. But you need at least 6. If you don’t have 6, get to work.

2) Control the conversation. Make sure your portfolio or website is set-up in a way that you control where the viewer goes. If you leave it up to me, I may look at the worst work in your portfolio by chance. Don’t leave anything to chance. Make sure I see your best work.

3) Research. Know as much as you can about the agency and their work. And absolutely know as much as you can about the person interviewing you. Google is an amazing tool for interviewing. Use it.

4) Hire a proofreader. Nobody knows more about typos than me. But you can lose a job opportunity because of a typo in your resume or in your work. Trust me, you can’t see your own mistakes. Your brain fills in the correct word. Hire a friend. Pay them in pizza. Do their laundry. But have someone proof your work.

5) Rehearse. Practice, practice, practice. Know what you want to say about yourself, your campaigns, the agency, even your life story. Talk out loud. Have a friend interview you. Video the interview. Watch yourself. You may notice something you want to hide.

6) Know what you’re wearing before the morning of the interview. I can’t tell you how many people wear completely inappropriate things to an interview. If you have to tug on your skirt – it’s too short. If you have to pull up in the neckline – it’s too low. If you can’t sit on the floor and be comfortable, you’re wearing the wrong thing. Wear what you would wear on your first day of work – and then make it a little nicer. No suits. No party dresses. Something fun. Interesting. Stylish. Your first advertising campaign is yourself. How do you want to package it? How do you want people to remember you? Consider everything.

7) Prepare questions. I asked everyone I meet if they have any questions. If they have none, I don’t hire them. People who are really interested in a job have questions. Prepare 3 to 4 questions. Write them down if you have to. Bring a pad. But ask something.

8) Don’t be boring. Advertising is not a career for boring people. Have a story. Have an interesting hobby. Ask fun and interesting questions. Make it up if you have to. After all, I’ve just met you; I don’t know anything about you. But don’t just sit there. An agency should be made up of interesting people. If you’re boring, don’t apply.

9) Don’t be late. Pretty self-explanatory.

10) Intern and never leave. The best way to get hired is to intern and never leave. Some students graduate and won’t accept a summer internship. That’s foolish. We hire many of our summer interns. Intern at an agency where you want a full time job, and plan on staying. Move in. Work your internship like it’s a full time job.

There you have it. Pretty simple stuff. Think of it as a checklist for interviewing.

Good luck. And if I see you, you’ll be ready.

10.03.13

Let me introduce you to ‘Brian’ from the Hotel Skylar

October 2, 2013richlevyfcb Advertising, Ramblings Leave a comment

Did you ever meet someone who instantly ruined an entire experience with their attitude? You know, someone in a position of power who thinks it’s their job to tell you they’re in charge? If this sounds familiar, then you’ve met someone like ‘Brian’ the front desk clerk at the Hotel Skylar.

Yesterday, I was in Syracuse, New York to speak with the advertising students of Syracuse University and help them learn from my experience and provide some wisdom about advertising. Tips on how to get a job. Introduce them to the wonders of healthcare advertising. You know, helping them see what’s possible in their future.

My first meeting with the students was at 5 PM. When I arrived at the hotel at 2:05 PM, Brian informed me that I couldn’t check-in, since check-in time began at 3 PM. He didn’t look to see if my room happened to be ready. He didn’t even ask me for my name. He just saw someone approaching the front desk with a suitcase and decided that I must be trying to check-in.

I told him I would wait, and sat quietly in the corner of the lobby reading and responding to e-mails.

After 10 minutes, he came over and asked if I’d like something to drink or eat. I thought, OK, maybe he’s not a total jerk. I told him I’d love a bottle of water. He pointed to a little room, where they sold drinks and snacks. “Water? We sell that, help yourself and I can charge it to your room.” He continued, “we also sell premium coffee or you can have the cheap stuff for free.” Isn’t that special. He’s trying to up sell me on drinks while I’m waiting to check in.

“Ahhh, no thank you.”

It’s now 2:20 PM, Brian comes over again and suggests I walk around campus while I’m waiting. “Wouldn’t you like to stroll around campus? It’s just outside the front door.” I once again declined. I was happy to sit and read e-mail. Even though I was getting very thirsty.

Fifteen more minutes go by. 2:35 PM. Brian comes over and informs me that my room is now ready for early check-in, if I’d like to check-in now. I told him I’d be over in a minute, once I finished reading e-mail. At 2:40 PM I came over to the desk. Filled out the paper work. Got my room key. Then Brian said something incredible.

He said, “Mr. Levy, we’re going to waive to early check-in fee for you today.”

Excuse me? You were going to charge me an early check-in fee for 20 minutes? Really? I can’t believe how kind he was. I’m shocked that he had the authorization to make that call on his own. Perhaps we should check with senior management at the hotel just to make sure we’re not getting poor Brian in trouble.

So I decided to call the 800 number to check the policy. Sure enough, the woman on the phone told me that there was indeed a 3 PM check-in time and there would be no exceptions. But then I asked, “Lets say I showed up at 2:30 PM and the room was available, could I pay to check-in early?” She thought for a moment then said, “Sir, I’m sure if the room was available, we’d let you check-in” And the cost? “Sir, there would be no additional cost to you.”

So Brian, what were you trying to pull? Did you think that by giving me something for nothing, I would feel better about my experience? “Wow, that guy let me check-in 20 minutes early, and didn’t charge me.”

I can’t let this go. Brian, I can’t let you waive the mysterious check-in fee. So, I’m going to pay for my 20 minutes. Since the room was $189/night – with a check-in at 3 PM, and check-out at 11 AM – that means the room is mine for 20 hours. That’s $189, divide it by 20 hours, and you get $9.45/hour. Since I’m only using the room for and additional 20 minutes, you divide again by .33 and get $3.12.

Yes Brian, I’m sending the Hotel Skylar a check for $3.12. I will write you a personal note of apology. I don’t know what I was thinking, you know, trying to check-in early.

I also plan to write a little review on TripAdvisor.com and any other website that asks for hotel recommendations. So how was the hotel? It was fine. How was the service? Do you really need to ask?

Oh, and by the way – I think my speech was great.

10.02.13

800 Post-It Notes. 75 Campaigns. 6 Countries. 3 Days.

September 26, 2013richlevyfcb Advertising, Design, Ramblings Leave a comment

What happens when you get creative teams from six countries in a room together and ask them to solve a global creative problem?

In a word: magic.

For the past few days, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some incredibly talented people. We gathered in a conference room at the Westin hotel in Hamburg, Germany. Creative teams from the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil and Argentina were represented. Planning and Account from the USA were also on hand. I was the host and session moderator.

We began with a simple briefing. Our creative brief was easy to understand and everyone instantly got it. The charge was given. Then the exercises began.

We began with a post-it note exercise that everyone felt was silly. We did this for what seemed like an eternity. Nobody was sure what we were trying to accomplish. “Trust the process,” I kept saying. “It will all eventually make sense.”

Next we took our 800 post it notes and divided them into categories. The stranger the name of the category, the better. Think outside the box. Stop thinking logically. There was lots of laughter. An equal amount of confusion. “Trust the process,” I asked. “It will all eventually make sense.”

Next we chose random post-in notes and wrote stories. The stories were interesting and revealing about the type of work we would create. My favorite story was titled “The Silence of the Dolphins” about a woman who works with hearing impaired dolphins. Almost 20 stories were written. “Trust the process,” I said again. “It will all eventually make sense.”

But now the fun part began. Take everything we’ve created. The categories. The brief. The stories. And whip them into a brand manifesto for our product. I could see it in their eyes. It was beginning to make sense. Everything we had created to this point had a purpose. To add dimension to the brief. To give it a tone. To give it language. To give it passion. Now, we were about to give it a point of view.

The teams went off to work. Over dinner that night, we read our manifestos to each other. We drank wine. We sang opera. Reading manifestos in a 17^th century, candle lit, wine cellar in Germany was surreal. You could feel the passion. You could feel the stake being planted in the ground. You could feel ideas beginning to be created.

But most of all, you could feel a team coming together.

Over the next 36 hours, we created over 75 campaign ideas. They came from the brief. They came from the categories. They came from the manifestos. But mostly they came from the brilliant minds of the teams. But not just the creative teams. Our planners jumping in with teams to create. Our branding director drew ads. The account leads wrote headlines, too. And yes, even I threw in an idea or two. We laughed. We worked. We presented. Eventually we voted.

15 campaigns made the next round. We refined a little. We pushed. We pulled.

Then we presented to the clients. Nine clients from four separate global regions. We presented for almost two hours. We talked. We agreed. We disagreed. And in the end, we all aligned on 5 concepts to move forward.

We all stepped back and said, “The process worked.” I smiled as it all really did make perfect sense.

At the end of the three days, we did more than create a lot of work. We created global bonds that will help us stay on course as the work progresses. There is a lot yet to do. The timeline is very short. But we’re confident in where we are heading.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Thank you to everyone who worked over the weekend to help out.

And thank you to our client who trusted a process that they have never done before.

It was a fun few days.

9.26.13

SIDE BAR: A meeting like this is impossible to coordinate. We brought in a professional meeting planner from our of our companies. Everything ran like clockwork. Amazing job. Holly – if you’re reading this – you were the secret weapon. Thank you so much!

I just got a gift: 45 minutes

September 18, 2013richlevyfcb Ramblings Leave a comment

The greatest thing just happened. Someone booked a meeting for 90 minutes and the meeting ended in 45 minutes. So I was given a gift of 45 minutes with nothing scheduled. If that doesn’t sound like a big deal to you, it only means one thing; you are not in meetings all day long. For me, it was a huge break in my day.

I am in a meeting from the moment I arrive until the moment I leave. As an example, on Monday my calendar looked like this:

8:30 – 10 AM

9:30 – 11 AM (Yes, I was double booked for 30 minutes)

11 – 11:30 AM

11:30 – 12:30 PM

Noon – 12:30 PM (Double booked again)

1 – 2:30 PM

1 – 2:30 PM (Double booked again)

2:30 – 3:30 PM

3:30 – 4 PM

4 – 5 PM

4 – 5 PM (Double booked again)

5:15 – 5:45 PM

5:30 – 6 PM

6 – 6:30 PM

My meeting calendar has gotten so bad that I’ve begun scheduling 15-minute meetings. Get in. Get out. Made a decision. Move on. While very efficient, it’s not very personal.

I have tried to keep every day from noon – 1 PM free from any meetings to allow myself time to meet with people one-on-one. But something always pops up.

So I have to start doing something differently. I need to stop scheduling meetings in my office, as there are days when I never leave my personal space. I need to get off my backside and walk around a bit more. But mostly, I need to insist on shorter meetings. A shorter meeting will mean more holes in my schedule and more time to do other things.

Now you may be thinking – “I have an idea, I’ll book Rich into 60 minute meetings when I only need 15 minutes, and I’ll be a hero.” Please don’t. That only means that I’ve schedule other people on other days to provide you with 60 minutes. So now while I may have a few minutes free today – tomorrow is shot to hell.

And I do want to compliment two people who have figured out the how to get in to see me without an appointment. One person shows up at 5 minutes before the hour or 25 minutes after the hour hoping that what ever meeting I was in ended 5 minutes early. And virtually 100% of the time he’s right. The other person has taken the time to book lunch with me once every few months. No agenda. No bitching. Just lunch. And I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a real lunch and a real break in the day. I’ve had three lunches outside of the office in 2013. Two have been with her.

So, what did I do with my 45 minutes?

1) Had a phone call with a freelance team about an upcoming project.

2) Spoke to a client about a workshop I’m hosting next week.

3) Met with three creatives about a new training program.

4) Did my timesheets.

5) Approved expense reports.

6) Went to the bathroom.

7) Answered 17 e-mails (By the way, I get hundreds of e-mails a day).

8) Met with a member of the account team about a competitive campaign.

9) Registered for a seminar.

Oh, and I did one other thing. I wrote this post. But now I have to go, I don’t want to be late for my next meeting.

9.17.13

I’ve created a fantasy football monster.

September 16, 2013richlevyfcb Ramblings Tags: fantasy football Leave a comment

I introduced my son to Fantasy Football. Now we have two people addicted to the score and stats of the NFL. Him and me.

The fantasy league actually began several years ago by my nieces and nephews. They thought it would be fun to have a custom league that is made up only of family and friends. After a few years, I was invited to join. And I will admit, it is a lot of fun. And while the football part is competitive, the real fun is the smack talk between family members and the funny team names people give their individual teams.

Some of the names that have appeared in the league over the past few years:

Tebowners

Tampon Monsters

Dan’s Pillow Biters

Vaginal Infectionist

Baron Uterus

Green Bowl Packers

Beeej’s JOO’s

Atomic Punk

Aggravated Mayhem

Hold Mah Vick

Thunderlips

Electric Boogaloo

& I Did Big Ben

I know, low-ball humor (no pun intended) – but what can you expect from a league named ‘the cumbacks.’

But now that my 11-year-old is in the league (named Max-imum Velocity), I’ve noticed the names have calmed down a bit. But the smack talk has not let up a bit. In fact, my son is about to go 2-0 on our league – and he’s dishing it out.

The other thing I’ve noticed is how excited and nervous he gets on game day. Yesterday, after the first 3 minutes of the 1^st quarter, my son announced to me that he was ‘benching Aaron Rogers next week, and playing Eli Manning instead.’ Of course by the end of the first half, he was claiming how brilliant he was for picking Aaron Rogers. (Rogers-54.20 points, Manning-21.73) He also was talking about cutting his tight end Jermichael Finley – right up until he starting catching passes and a touchdown.

I’ve also noticed he’s a shrewd GM. Last week, he picked up the Kansas City defense because they were playing Jacksonville. And what happened? KC promptly has 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. All while holding Jacksonville to 2 points. In the entire Yahoo Fantasy universe – only 4% of people started the Kansas City defense. My son scored 34.00 points.

But now, in typical fantasy football team owner – he’s taking it a bit too far. He’s beginning to look ahead. “Dad, I play Atomic Punk on a week when New Orleans has a bye week – so he has to sit Drew Brees. I think I can win that game….”

Right now, all is good in the world. His team is undefeated. He’s sitting at #2 in the league. The schedule looks good for the next few weeks.

That is until week #9. That’ll be the interesting week. That’s when Max-imum Velocity plays Tastee Sub Shop.

Yes, that week – he plays me. Let the smack talk begin.

— to be continued.

9.16.13

19 hours from Kansas City to New York City – 9/11/2001

September 11, 2013richlevyfcb Madison Avenue 2 Comments

I was on an airplane flying to focus groups in Phoenix on September 11, 2001. I left Newark Airport on Continental Airlines flight CO1535 at 7:00 AM. I was sitting in seat 9D, next to the window. We were going to test concepts for a new campaign that was about to launch for Verizon wireless.

We never made it.

When the pilot came over the public address system and told us we were landing, we had no idea of the horror that was happening back in New York. We had no idea that we were the lucky ones. We had no idea that hundreds of people had already lost their lives. All we knew that “due to a national emergency, we are instructed by the FAA to land at the closest possible airport.” We were about to land in Kansas City.

I was flying with three co-workers, John, Rick and Dave. While the announcement got our attention, the speed at which we landed was scary. I have flown hundreds of flights, but never before had I been on a commercial airliner that landed so quickly.

Only when we were getting off the plane did we find out what had happened. Shock. Tears. Concern. The first tower had already fallen by the time we got out of the terminal. We made it to Avis, rented a minivan to begin the long drive home. By the time we left the parking lot, the second tower was gone, too.

Four co-workers in a minivan, starting a long drive home to our families. For the first few hours we barely spoke. We listened to the radio. We saw Air Force One and its fighter escort in the sky over Iowa. We saw American Flags being hung on every overpass along the interstate. We had a deep feeling of loss.

We drove in shifts. We barely ate. We stopped only to get gas and to find a car lighter adapter for our cell phones at a local Wal-Mart off of Interstate 35, ironically near the town of Liberty.

At some point our cell phones began to work. We had a very hard time getting through and it was hours until our friends and families knew we were safe. We didn’t have a plan except to get home. We had an overwhelming feeling that we needed to get home. No matter what it took. No matter what roads may be closed. No matter how long the drive. We needed to get home.

We drove all day and all night. From Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Near the Delaware Water Gap we started to make plans on how we would get home. The bridges and tunnels were still closed. Nothing was running. But we kept driving. We noticed at a gas station in New Jersey that the post cards of the Twin Towers had been sold. People were beginning to fill up spare gas tanks. People were bracing for the worst.

I dropped off Rick and then Dave. John somehow got home to Brooklyn from some place in New Jersey that he thought he could get in. I was now alone. I was also one of the first vehicles allowed over the recently reopened George Washington Bridge.

That’s when I saw the smoke.

That’s when the tears started to flow. I had driven over 1,300 miles and was emotionally spent. Everything that had happened over the past 19 hours finally descended on me. I was alone. I was tired. I was in shock.

I’ve never been able to go downtown to look at the 9/11 Memorial. Maybe someday I’ll be able to do it. But not yet. I do carry with me one reminder of that day. In my wallet I have my boarding pass. Flight 1535. Seat 9D. I keep it with me as a reminder of that day. As a reminder of people who were not as lucky. As a reminder of the bond that was formed with John and Rick and Dave.

Today, in Phoenix, our agency is testing work for a new television campaign for one of our clients. I couldn’t bring myself to go.

09.11.2013

The Blank Page

August 28, 2013richlevyfcb Ramblings 1 Comment

Much has been written about the blank page. Many people fear a page that is completely empty. I can’t understand that. To me, a blank page is the beginning of a great adventure. You’re ready to go, you’ve made all the plans and now all you have to do is walk out the door. And the best part, you don’t know how or when it’s going to end.

How did I get over my fear of the blank page? It wasn’t easy. I had to learn to just begin writing words on a page. What words I write almost don’t matter. Just write something. I don’t leave the page blank. I don’t plan on where I’m going. I just write. And eventually something comes out that I think is interesting and I erase everything that came before that thought.

For example, today’s post didn’t begin as a story about the blank page. It began about the excitement I’m feeling about our new company website that will be launching in a few weeks. And how exciting it is to watch something grow from nothing into something. Somewhere in writing that story was the phrase ‘and it all started with the imagination of two people and a blank page, actually many blank pages.’ I stared at that sentence for a long time and realized that for every person who looks at a blank page as the ultimate opportunity, there’s someone who looks at the very same page in fear.

I’m going to Syracuse University in a few weeks, and will be speaking about blank pages. And how to fill them with amazing ideas. So I decided to ask a few people what comes to mind when I say the phrase ‘the blank page.’ Here’s a little of what they said.

“A blank page is exciting. It’s begging for an idea to be sketched, developed.”

“A blank page is the opportunity to truly leave a mark”

“I always think – wow – what can I do with this opportunity. I have complete control. It can now be my vision. A blank page is always positive.”

“The smell of sharpies and finger puppets”

“Terror”

“An interesting progression; nothing, void, stark, stuck, free, limitless.”

“A chance to do it better.”

“Overwhelmed & infinite possibility”

“Opportunity”

“In my mind, I’m half way there, on paper I haven’t started.”

“Scared to death in the first 30 seconds”

“The beginning of something (hopefully) brilliant”

“Creation, Possibility, New Beginnings.”

“@#$%#!”

“I avoid the blank page. Sometime I’d even just write my name, or doodle, or a not-so-relevant poem, just to avoid the blank page.”

“I hate the blank page. The way it looks at you, sneeringly, questioning your creativity, challenging you to fill it. A blank page is my nemesis – I know I have ideas in me somewhere. Great ones, too, if they would just come forth. What’s the trick this time around? What insight will spark me? Invigorate me? How long do I have to wait? Finally, you pull on the right twig and the dam comes crashing down, a deluge of ideas.”

I find these responses so interesting. Hope. Possibility. Terror. Fear. These are responses from people who always deliver amazing ideas. These are people who haven’t failed on a project in years. In fact, some have probably never failed. And yet the blank page still gives them a pit in the middle of their stomach.

I have a simple proposal. Let’s stop thinking about a blank page as blank. The artist Michelangelo once said about a block of marble “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Therefore, the words are there. The story is already on the page. Your job is to write enough to set it free.

Dorothy Parker may have said it best, “I hate writing, I love having written.”

Embrace the blank page. For within it, there is beauty, truth and a whole lot of fun.

09.28.13

Three Things You’ll Need To Accept

August 21, 2013richlevyfcb Ramblings 4 Comments

If you are going to read my blog, there are several things you’ll have to accept. After getting hundred of comments, I’ve decided that no matter how hard I try, I can’t change these three things. So, you’ll just have to know that these things are probably never, ever going to change.

Ready, here they are.

1) Typos. I try. Really. I do try. I do read what I’ve written and I do try not to have any typos in my blog. But in virtually every post there’s a typo. It drives me crazy. And I know it drives you crazy. Of the hundreds of responses I get, 80% are about typos. In my last post, someone didn’t even bother telling me if they liked what I wrote. But they did tell me there was a typo in the last sentence.

I’ve tried all the usual tricks to avoid typos. I read what I’ve written line by line. I read the post backwards. I read it out loud. And nothing helps. In fact, I bet you there’s probably at least one typo in this blog post already. I’m sorry. All I can say is that I really try. My excuse is that I’ve spent my entire career with a proofreader looking at my work, so I’ve gotten lazy about proofreading. Guilty as charged. My fault. My bad. Get over it.

2) I think the company where I work is @#$%#@ing amazing. I look at other healthcare agency’s work and I think their work is OK. I look at our work and think we’re great. I know we haven’t cornered the market on creativity. I know there are a lot of amazing agencies and amazing work. But day in and day out, the work we do around here is just better. In my opinion. And that’s the thing about advertising, it’s 100% subjective. What I think is great, you might think it sucks. I know people show me work that they love and I hate. Doesn’t mean it’s bad work. It just means that for some reason it doesn’t have the special ‘something’ that makes it stand out.

When I look at our body of work, I really like what I see. So you’ll just have to accept that when I write about my company, I’m going to say nice things. A lot of you write to me that you disagree with some of the things I like. I’m glad. I want the work we do to have an edge that some people will love and some people will hate. Work that is so boring that nobody has any problems – is just that – boring. (Any typos yet?)

3) I hold a grudge forever. I know that’s awful. I know how wrong that is. I know that I should be a much bigger person. But I have a hard time letting things go. If I feel like you intentionally did something to hurt my family, my friends, my co-workers, or me you are now dead to me. Someone says something bad about healthcare advertising in an interview. Dead. Someone questions my integrity. Dead. Someone takes advantage of someone because they can. Dead. There are several people in my past who make me want to vomit every time I hear their names. I’m sure they know that I probably don’t like them. But they probably don’t know how much I don’t like them. In fact, there’s one person who recently sent me a Linkedin update – and I was shocked. I couldn’t believe after everything that we went through, this person wanted to ‘connect with me.’ Are you nuts??? No way. Why, so you can look at my connections and recruit people? So I can help you find a job? I’m sorry. There are a few people I can never forgive. And this person happens to be one of them. (By the way – I get over 20 Linkedin requests a day. I have a simple rule, if we’ve never met, I don’t accept your request. So, if I have accepted your request – don’t worry – the person I described probably isn’t you.)

Now there are hundred of other things about me that are never going to change. I’ll always love the Yankees and the Colts. (My father’s favorite teams) I’ll always defend New Jersey. (I grew up there – exit 10) I’m loyal to my creative teams to a fault. (And I expect it in return) I love the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and everything Motown. (The soundtrack of my youth) And my family is talented and amazing. (Of course) And you don’t have to accept any of that. But typos, my company and my grudges, well, you’ll just have to let me have those.

After all, you don’t have much choice.

PS: Please feel free to point out all the typos in this post. I promise not to hold a grudge.

8.21.13

How to screw up a job interview

August 16, 2013richlevyfcb Madison Avenue 1 Comment

I interview a lot of people. On average, I meet at least 2-3 people a week. I meet senior level people. And junior level people. I meet people on the way up. And people on the way down. All of these people are talented. They wouldn’t make it in for an interview if they didn’t have talent. Virtually 100% of the time, I’ve already looked at their work and liked enough of what I saw to have them come in and meet with me.

And yet, I still hire a small percentage of these people.

Why? Because the vast majority of the people I meet mess up the interview. These people make big, huge mistakes that make it hard for me to hire them. So, to make my life easier, I’m going to tell you the questions I will ask during an interview. You will still need to come up with the answers. I will even tell you why I’m asking these questions.

Ready. Here we go.

1) Tell me something about yourself. Why do I ask this question? I believe an agency should be made up of interesting people. I like people with interesting backgrounds. People who do weird things on weekends. Who have unusual hobbies. Why? Because interesting people bring all of their passions to the office and its reflected in their work. Boring people do boring work. Interesting people do interesting work. Now, I’m sure there are plenty of boring people who do great work. But I play the percentages. I’d rather have an agency of interesting people. So what does that mean for your answer? Don’t bore me with what I already know. “Hi, my name is Rich, I went to Temple University, I majored in journalism, and I’m hoping to find a job as a copywriter.” That sentence is on a resume. I knew that already. Tell me something I don’t know. And here’s a trick. I have 107 blog posts on this site. If you read past posts, you’ll know the things I like. Perhaps saying something like “There are three jobs I felt I was born to do: Be the Pope, be a guitar playing rock star, or be someone who changes the face of healthcare advertising forever.” That’s a conversation starter. I already like you. This is selling 101 — know your audience.

2) Why do want to join us? Why do I ask this? Because you’re interviewing me as much as I’m interviewing you. Do your homework. We’re not the right fit for everyone. Don’t waste my time if you’re not sure you want the job. If you don’t know why you’d want this job, you probably don’t want it. And I probably will be able to tell. Find out as much as you can about us. Read industry publications. Read blogs and websites. Know at least 3 campaigns we’ve created. I love what I do. I’m passionate about what I do. I’m looking for people who are equally passionate. Make sure you know why you’re coming in to see me.

3) What’s your favorite campaign that you’ve created and why? Why do I ask this? To see if you recognize good work. What was the insight that drove the campaign idea. Do you know what the main idea is? Do you go immediately to explaining the execution and not the idea. Can you sell your own work. 90% of the people say “I love everything in my portfolio.” Yet, the moment I challenge something in their book, they say something like “yeah, that wasn’t my favorite campaign.”

4) Do you have any questions? Why do I ask this? I want to know what’s really on your mind. Always have 2-3 questions ready. Write them on a pad if you have to. But ask something. But never ask any of these questions: What’s the starting salary? How many vacation days to I get? What are the office hours? When and if we offer you a job, someone will discuss all these things with you. When you’re trying to get the job, these don’t matter at all. (And by the way — the answer to those questions are on multiple job sites — so a little research will help you figure those out in advance.)

What are some great questions? Why did you come here? What is a typical career path? What is your personal creative philosophy? Why type of person succeeds here? Was there a campaign in my portfolio that you loved? Hated? Would immediately remove from my book? Those are all great. I like those.

At this point in the interview — if things are going well — we’ll have plenty to talk about. If things are not going well — we’ll have nothing else to talk about. If our interview ends long before our time is up – you probably blew it. If our interview goes long – you probably did really well.

That’s it. Now if you’re reading this and you have an interview with me in the next few weeks, you have no excuse. You should nail it. This is like going to take a test and knowing the answers.

Oh, and one last thing. I work for a healthcare agency. Not a general advertising agency. If you’re not interested in doing the best healthcare advertising in the world, please, please don’t come in for the interview. The shortest interview I ever conducted was with someone who told me they were not sure if they ‘wanted to do the healthcare thing.’ The interview lasted less than 5 minutes.

Good luck. I hope you get the job of your dreams.

8.16.13

I’ve never watched a single episode of Breaking Bad (and other things I’ve never watched)

August 14, 2013richlevyfcb Madison Avenue 9 Comments

I haven’t watched Breaking Bad. Whew, I needed to get that off my chest. I also need to admit that I feel really bad about not making the commitment to watch the show. I’ve heard its really, really good. It also means I can’t be a part of the final season, since I’ve never watched any of the seasons. And I know I’ll eventually watch it on Netflix, but I can’t seem to get started.

But then I started thinking about all the other things I’ve never watched. The classic movies. The great TV shows. So here’s a list of some of the things I really have to watch.

The Movies:

• The Godfather, Part 2 – I can’t believe that I’ve never sat through the entire thing from start to finish. And since its been on TV 10 million times, I’ve probably watched the entire thing – just not in one sitting. I really need to see this one.

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s – I just can’t seem to sit through this film from beginning to end. I always tune out as soon as George Peppard starts to talk. I guess I can’t get past the “A-Team” with him. Most people tell me this movie is pretty good.

• Fight Club – Don’t know why – I have no interest. I like Ed Norton. I like Helena Bonham Carter. I like Brad Pitt. Can’t watch it.

• To Kill a Mockingbird – At least I know why I won’t watch this movie – its because the book is one of my favorites of all time. I don’t think I can watch this movie without destroying the image that’s in my head. I have a picture in my mind of Scout and Jem and don’t want the movie to change that image. I’m probably wrong. Is this movie good?

• Raging Bull – Just like The Godfather, Part 2, I’ve probably watched this entire movie – just not in one sitting. I think DeNiro is amazing. As is Joe Pesci. I think I really need to watch this one.

• The Big Lebowski and Fargo – Don’t know why. Never got to ‘em. And I know they’re both great. Please tell me I’m an idiot and need to watch these immediately.

• The Graduate – OK – I actually think I saw this film. I just don’t remember anything about it. Except the party “Plastics” scene – and the “Cross in the door” at the end. Everything in between is a blur.

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Redford and Newman. Nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Never saw it. I know I should. But I haven’t.

TV Shows:

• Game of Thrones – I’ve never watched a single episode. I don’t even know what it’s about. And yet everyone tells me I’d love it.

• Arrested Development – I don’t think I could deal with another dysfunctional family

• Dexter – Heard it was good.

• Six Feet Under – I feel bad about this one. I heard it was amazing. I really have to go back to the beginning and watch this one.

• The Walking Dead – Zombies? Really? Is it that good?

• Boardwalk Empire – After the Sopranos I turned off HBO . I love Steve Buscemi. So I think I really have to watch this one.

I’m sure there are hundreds of other shows I should watch and missed. Hundred of movies that I would love. But there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything. So unless you tell me otherwise, I’m going to beginning watching Breaking Bad this weekend. A Netflix marathon.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

PS: If you have any suggestions on something I should be watching, please let me know in the comment box below.

Thanks

8.14.13