BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE CAREER IN ADLAND

OUR GUIDE TO CREATING A LASTING CAREER IN ADLAND, with advice from those doing the hiring.

GETTING INTO THE FIELD, from diplomas to internships

WWhat are the routes to a career in advertising that agency HR execs value? There are different paths but most people will start with a bachelor’s degree in advertising, communications, marketing or a related field which can provide a foundation in the creative, management, interpersonal and analytical skills required to work in the field, says Esnath Simon, Wunderman Thompson South Africa group senior HR business partner. “Most will then follow this with an internship and then an entry-level role before finally specialising in a field of interest out of the eight broad areas: new business, account services, planning, creative, production, interactive, media and social media.” Khanyisile Mathang, M&C Saatchi Abel Johannesburg HR manager, offers several tips for those newly entering the industry: as an intern, rotate through departments to have an understanding of what each department entails and figure out whether it’s something you would find an interest in; and use the power of social media and get in contact with not only HR professionals but the people who work at the agency that you would like to work at. She subscribes to the mantra of KNOW. LIKE. TRUST. “Do we know you? Do we like you? Do we trust you? You don’t have to have all three,” she says, “and having all three is often difficult if you’re new to the agency or the industry, but finding inroads to help grow these helps.”

Finally, she notes that “receiving a formal education from advertising schools fast-tracks your entry into the industry, but this is usually helpful for when you know what you would like to specialise in. Tertiary institutions have also played their part by introducing workplace learning, which allows you to complete your practicals in order to obtain your qualification and allows for agencies to retain fresh talent.”

Gillian Rightford, Adtherapy MD, advises candidates to ideally have a relevant undergraduate degree or diploma, or a strong portfolio of creative work. “If you want to get into account management or strategy or media, it is useful to have a business degree with marketing, but also degrees in social science, anthropology, psychology are useful. Some agencies (not enough) offer internship programmes and that’s really the best way to get started, if you can.” According to Peter Khoury, TBWA\ Hunt Lascaris chief creative officer, creative agencies are looking for people with talent in their craft and the ability to think laterally; the most important characteristic is attitude in terms of ambition and self-motivation, he adds. “Data and tech are trying to woo us into thinking that they should be the centre

WHAT AGENCIES are looking for

of gravity but, eventually, every company will have access to similar data points or tools and then the sea of sameness kicks in. I am always looking for people who collide old ideas into spectacular new ideas — this is your most powerful ability and asset when it is informed by data, strategy and insights, and it solves business problems.”

Over at M&C Saatchi Abel, someone outside of just the traditional advertising hard worker is looked for, says Mathang, in order to build a diverse pool of people from a variety of backgrounds and interests. “[W]e want individuals who will express their views and opinions in a constructive way…,” she says. “You also need to have a ‘love what you do’ attitude and allow yourself to be open to learning and growing.”

Faith Ramuhala, Publicis Groupe Africa talent partner, says the network wants candidates with a willingness to excel, creative mentality (regardless of role) and who can work under pressure.

According to Simon, Wunderman Thompson seeks candidates who’re able to focus and deliver, are resilient and dedicated, are great communicators (team players and communicators who can work with people of varied skillsets), and think local on a global scale. They should understand different consumer groups, be curious, be willing to become uncomfortable, and have a growth mindset.

“Relevant experience, reliability, loyalty and the same end-goal in mind” are all important to recruiters says Bronwen Davison, WinWin International marketing manager and former Ad Talent recruitment specialist. “[Agencies] are looking for candidates who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get the job done. In this current environment, they would be looking for flexibility, adaptability and proactivity.”

And what are candidates looking for in terms of the agencies they want to work for? An investment in mutual success, great mentors and accomplished supervisors, an environment that will challenge them, and a culture of diversity and inclusion, says Simon.

Tammy Lehnberg, Avatar South Africa head of HR, notes that many agencies these days don’t have the luxury of big HR departments; for many, it’s a one- or two-person show. “When we advertise for a role, we get hundreds of CVs; the last round we did, we got over 2 000 CVs. Now imagine one person... having to sift through that amount of CVs. If you have not caught my eye in the first 10 seconds of opening your CV, I move on. Long gone are the days of 10-page CVs — maximum two pages but one is better. And don’t be afraid to be creative; we are, after all, in the creative industry.”

Remember, too, that HR will scroll through candidates’ social media profiles during the final stages of the interviewing process, says Mathang; “therefore, it

STANDING OUT from the crowd

is crucial to ensure that you represent yourself well on social as it could be one of the determining factors of whether you receive the role. Does that mean you can’t show you have fun? Of course not, but just be conscious of what you put out and what that says about you.” Also ensure your CV is up to date and relevant to the position that you’re gunning for, she says, although it’s also important to highlight your breadth of talent. Finding a mentor to help guide and navigate through the industry is important, she adds: “And there are many who are open to helping and offering advice, particularly about specific disciplines or within specific agencies.”

Prior research on where you apply to is advantageous, notes Ramuhala, as is showing the willingness to subscribe to the company vision: “Always stay ahead of the curve by upskilling yourself, keep apprised [of] agency trends locally and globally, and always learn more and advance personal skills.”

Although digital experience is incredibly sought after at this time, “companies also like people who are multiskilled, such as a hybrid of traditional and digital, or a multimedia creative. Basically, companies want bang for their bucks, so the more skills someone brings to the table, the better their chances of being chosen,” says Jacqui Loudon, Ad Talent consultant. “Awards are always a selling point but a quality portfolio or showreel (that is regularly maintained) should be every creative’s top priority.”

“You’re living in the most fragmented and mixed-media time that there has ever been,” says Khoury. “You need to learn how to do more things and understand how they work. You may be exceptional at one particular something like writing, where you can go deeply into your craft. But you need to be able to do more in this day and age, things like editing, photography, illustration, animation, making music, writing code, etc. You don’t need to be the best at these; you just need to be able to do them to some degree. Your work will be better for it. Your adaptability will make you an asset, especially if you’re exceptional in more than one thing.”

The revolving door that seems to exist at many agencies is an issue both for employees and employers. What needs to change in the advertising business for this issue to be resolved?

“Talent is what drives ad agencies so, ideally, talented and committed people are strategically more important to the agency,” notes Simon. “The agencies with the best people are the ones that will do well on the market.”

To fix the agency revolving door takes leadership, mentoring and coaching, training, variety, growth, challenge, respect and money. “Great ad people value good leadership and like to win, so they are looking for leaders who will help them achieve this but also bring balance into their work lives,” she says. “There is

RESOLVING the revolving door

a need to ensure employees understand that they are not viewed as just an interchangeable production tool. We see that leaders [who] continually provide growth opportunities for their people, and challenge them to actually grow, create more stable teams.”

Industry leaders, she continues, need to make proactive efforts to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation of leaders: “This should be understood as a long-term process that requires patience from agency leaders. If you think of great advertising people, you will tend to find that they had great mentors. All good professionals need intellectual stimulation to continue improving their craft.”

According to Faye Ross, Ad Talent lead creative recruiter, agencies need to pay attention to the reasonable needs of their employees. “The industry is notorious for paying creatives badly. They also need to stop ‘glamourising’ overworking — this is a huge reason why agencies lose excellent creatives. Overtime should be paid for. Creative burnout is real and, when an agency gets a reputation for being a sweatshop, it’s a hard one to shake.”

“The revolving door is never a bad thing, especially in the advertising industry — even though it’s a huge industry, the market place is actually very small, and candidates are also individuals who have their [eye] on career paths and aspirations,” says Warren Volkwyn, The Talent Boom global creative recruiter. “So, they might be doing really well at one agency, and contributing meaningfully, [then] another opportunity might arise, and they move on — and then, sometimes, they go back to the agency they left after some time. It’s just the nature of the beast. Most agencies take care of their employees really well but, of course, individuals’ needs change together with their lifestyles so, more often than not, a business doesn’t always cater to the individual needs. I think that one of the most important things for both employers and employees is transparency; if things aren’t being delivered as promised, or you’re just not in it anymore, you should feel free enough to have [these] conversations, and take it from there. Sometimes, the problem can be easily addressed, and works for both parties; other times, that might not be the case. Honestly, transparency is the key, as is awareness of your own blindspots.”

“Try not to job hop, especially with a sideways movement,” advises Davison. “If you are going to move, try and make sure that the move is upwards and that you will be learning new skills in your new role. Build and sustain good internal and external relationships. Always leave a company on good terms.”

Says Loudon, “Be as selective as possible about where you choose to work; your portfolio will only be as good as the clients you have. Loyalty is important but do not stay in one position for so long that you stop learning and growing.

TIPS FOR BUILDING a sustainable career

Upskill yourself constantly, and explore a variety of skills if you can.”

“Keep learning — ask for a mentorship with a senior person, build relationships across the functional areas in the business — ask questions, learn — read,” Rightford encourages. “Sign up for the best newsletters: MarkLives, Adweek, Campaign, Cannes. Study advertising. Watch Mark Ritson, Scott Galloway; sign up for conferences. Read the best books on brand building, advertising, creativity, data, consumer behaviour. Get stuck into your client’s business. Understand how their consumers buy. Ask questions. Network in the industry. Connect with people on LinkedIn. Be seen. Have an opinion.” She also recommends attending trade shows, many of which are now virtual, event openings (ditto) and meeting people when it’s safe again to do so.

“Don’t wear a chip of entitlement on your shoulder; there are literally thousands of talented young people out there,” adds Lehnberg. “Be prepared to put in the hard work and miles. In my years in advertising, I have seen how people try and move too quickly from one agency to the next in pursuit of titles and money. I guarantee you, you are going to crash and burn or, worse, find yourself on the wrong side of poor performance hearings. Make sure you have mastered each part of your KPA before moving onto the next level of your career and never be ignorant of your own blindspots.”

“Moving around, especially when you are young, exposing yourself to different company cultures and different ways of working and thinking can open your mind,” says Khoury. “But choose wisely. At the beginning of your career, it must be all about working under the best people, even if that means working somewhere for longer than you thought you wanted to. For example, earning less money in a high-performing creative company will set the foundation for you to earn more in the long run, because you’ll grow into someone [who’s] damn good and wellrounded because you learnt from the best. If you went to a mediocre place for more money in the short term, your career will probably plateau because you’re surrounded by and are doing mediocre things every day. You may not even rise much further than where you are, or you may even get disillusioned and take on another career. Don’t have goals to be an ECD or CCO by 30; rather try to be the most fulfilled creative that you can be. If you’re a maker, make more interesting things, be like plastic. Or you can be like water. Bruce Lee would tell you to be more like water.

“In this industry,” he continues, “the most-effective creative leaders are the ones who immerse themselves [in] the strategy and business of advertising as much as they do in the ideas. They are the most effective because they know how to sell ideas so [they become] real. So, don’t ignore that side of the industry for too long. The sooner you understand the way it works, the more powerful you become.

“Lastly, it’s a small industry, so don’t be a dick. The likelihood of you working with people again and again is very real — you don’t want old baggage weighing you down — you have bigger, more important things to worry about.”