Call ahead and make an appointment to come into each agency for an informational interview. This is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door and get to know the people at an agency. An informational interview is a "no strings attached" opportunity for you to come in and just talk to someone like the art director, copy director, or agency principal. Obviously, an interview with an agency principal is the ideal situation, but if that is not possible, take anyone who will give you even five minutes. When the time comes, do not take a portfolio or samples of your work. Remember, an informational interview is your chance to look the agency over and talk with someone at the agency about their work and their clients. This is your opportunity to find out what the job market in advertising is right now. This is not an interview to sell someone on you!
As you make the rounds of each agency, trust your intuition to tell you whether an agency has the right feel for you or not. We all have that "little feeling" we get right in the pit of our stomachs. It gives us an immediate "yes or no" reaction to anything we are about to do. Whenever I have tried to justify a decision while my stomach was doing NO, NO, NO somersaults, I have always lived to regret it. So pay attention to that little feeling. It is your intuition trying its best to hold you back or move you forward.
If you call an agency for an informational interview and are told that they do not do them, do not be discouraged or get angry. Agencies are always fighting the clock to beat impending deadlines. If they were to offer informational interviews to everyone who called, they would have time for little else. So you may have to be mildly persistent.
For instance, if the receptionist is not responsive to setting up an interview or even a brief tour of the agency's facilities, ask if you can just come by and pick up an agency brochure and save them a stamp. You may not get a tour out of the deal, but at least you will get a fleeting glance at the office. Plus, once you are there in person, there is always a chance that the receptionist or secretary will take a liking to you and start talking. Just in case that happens, have some questions ready to ask. You want to be able to take advantage of the situation, but just be careful that you do not come on too strong. Try asking some personal but professional questions like, "How long have you been working here?" "Where did you work before?" "How does this job compare to your previous one?" Keep your questions light and non-threatening. Resist the urge to tell your life story, even if asked. It is always better to play yourself down. You will get a lot further by being interested in others. If you really hit it off, then do not hesitate to ask that person to lunch. It is an excellent way to get inside information on that agency and find out if there are any job openings.
Scout the territory
If you do have the opportunity to get an informational interview and tour the agency, pay careful attention to the people you meet. Try to sense their feelings about the agency. If someone hates the job, it usually shows. Enthusiastic employees will be an agency's best recommendation. Does anyone strike you as over-worked and stressed out? Is there an atmosphere of friendliness in the office? Observe the attitude of the person you are talking with. Is that person relaxed, yet businesslike? Once you get inside an agency, look around and take in every little detail. Do the offices look well-organized, professional, and attractive? Does the atmosphere appear comfortable and inviting? Is the employee work space adequate or cramped?
During your investigative tour, try and get answers to as many of the following questions as possible. The answers will help you understand what this agency is all about and how you may fit into it.
- Who are the owners or principals of the agency?
- How did they get involved in this company-did they start it, buy it, or inherit it?
- What is their business philosophy?
- What are the short- and long-range goals of the company?
- What is the company's history with their present accounts?
- What accounts has the agency had in the past?
- What accounts have they lost and why?
- What is the agency's strongest feature-creative, size, service, experience, political or social connections, etc.?
- Who is their competition and why?
Did I like the work the agency produced?
If you find that some of these questions are still left unanswered, you may have to look elsewhere for your answers. In fact, even if you did succeed in getting all the questions answered during your informational interview, it is still a good idea to check around and ask these same questions to people outside the agency. If you depend exclusively on agency people as your sole source of information, you are only getting one side of the story. Your best bet, when it comes to getting objective answers about a particular agency, could come from the printers.
