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<janelle> Hello! I wanted to know how
you felt about jobs in the ad industry now that a slight recession
is upon us.
<rbruce> Hi everyone, thanks for joining me. Janelle,
that's a great question. We are still hiring entry level people
into our agency despite this slight recession. We feel that
it is important to "feed our pipeline" with great
employees to keep the industry fresh with new talent.
<moderator> Question from cleancut: What exactly are
ad agencies looking for?
<rbruce> What agencies are looking for depends on what
area of advertising you are interested in working in.
<sbradley> How does your company operate as far as job
security?
<rbruce> As for job security, we try to provide feedback
to employees as they progress throughout their careers so
they know how they are performing. We have been very successful
over the past few years in retaining our strong performers
and assigning them to different accounts in the event their
account leaves the agency.
<janelle> I heard that 85% of jobs are unlisted- they
are through networking. Do you believe that is true? Do you
hire more people that 'know people'?
<rbruce> Janelle, to answer your question about networking,
I don't think that is entirely true. We have college recruiting
effort where we visit a number of schools and select our entry
level candidates from that pool. However, networking is a
great way to also get your foot in the door.
<Moderator> Question from dkraut: I am interesting in
finding out information about media planning opportunities
with Saatchi.
<rbruce> We do have entry level media planning opportunities
at our agency. You can send your resume to the address listed
on our website (RBruce@saatchiny.com) and someone will get
in touch with you.
<dkraut> Thank you. I've actually met you once before
at a visit that my college marketing club did to saatchi,
thanks for the advice.
<edd> What type of HR programs does Saatchi & Saatchi
implement?
<rbruce> I'm not sure exactly what you mean by HR programs.
We have a very strong training program and we also assign
mentors to our new Assistants. Are these the types of programs
you are referring to?
<edd> Yes. Thank you
<moderator> Question from cleancut: Advertising agencies
do not recruit at my school does this mean I can not be selected
for an Account Management position?
<rbruce> No, it just means that you need to be creative
and persevere in getting your resume into the hands of advertising
recruiters. Some ideas for doing this are to search websites
and send it to the contact person listed. Also, this is where
networking can be very helpful. Talk to friends and see if
anyone knows someone in advertising. Call your alumni office
and see if they can give you a list of alums from your school
and contact them.
<suskop2> Does Saatchi & Saatchi hire Account Coordinators
right out of college or do they have to work in an administrative
position first?
<rbruce> suskop2- We hire most of our new grads into
Assistant Account Executive positions.
<suskop2> okay, thank you
<cleancut> I was a MAIP intern last year but have only
received one recruitment letter. Do the agencies receive the
the MAIP resume book and if so do they recruit from it?
<rbruce> I think MAIP is a great internship program
and one in which we participate. We have hired several of
our MAIP interns into full time positions. The participating
agencies do receive the resume book and we do look at it.
However, if you were an intern last year, you still need to
do some legwork this year to get your resume in front of people
again.
<cleancut> The MAIP internship was the only one I have
had during school. I have had to wait tables to get by. Do
recruiters view this as an asset or liability?
<rbruce> cleancut: I think the fact that you had an
internship at all is very positive. Waiting tables to help
support yourself in college can be indicative of a strong
work ethic. If you position your experiences, whatever they
are, as positive learning experiences, recruiters will appreciate
that.
<jdcappelen> What is MAIP?
<rbruce> MAIP is the Multicultural Advertising Internship
Program through the AAAA's.
<Moderator> Question from jonnyringo: Are there more
internships in account services/mgmt. than in copywriting/art
direction? If you start as a creative, are you sort of pigeonholed
in that dept. because I am interested in both creative work
and working with clients/accounts.
<rbruce> I would say in general that there are probably
more internships at the larger agencies in account management
and media planning. We do have people move between departments
on occasion, but it generally happens between Account and
Media departments. It is not completely unheard of to move
from creative into another area, but the skills required for
account and creative are quite different
<j_baptist> What is the starting salary of assistant
account executive positions?
<rbruce> j-baptist- entry level salaries range throughout
the country, but I would say in New York they are in the hi
20's-low30's.
<jdcappelen> As far as internships are concerned, what
is the number one agency you can recommend for a media planning
internship. Also, where is that agency located? Do you know
if Orlando, Florida is a good area for the advertising field?
I haven't heard much about that area.
<rbruce> jdcappelen- I can't necessarily recommend the
best internship program, but I think any experience can be
worthwhile. I don't know much about Florida.
<jdcappelen> What are some things that companies look
for on internship resumes that could really help get one's
foot in the door?
<rbruce> jdcappelen: As for internship resumes, we look
for people who have demonstrated leadership skills in their
schools, who have good GPAs and who have diverse experiences.
Also, don't underestimate the importance of a good cover letter.
<Moderator> Question from dkraut: Hello, I'm going to
be going to Europe this summer and can't start working til
August, is this going to hurt my chance of getting a job cause
I can't start in June right after graduation?
<rbruce> d kraut: It really depends on the agency and
what their policies are. We start our training program in
August, so I'm expecting all our new hires to start by the
end of July. I think you should still pursue opportunities
to interview now though.
<dkraut> thank you. I am looking for media planning,
I will be in touch.....
<matthewh> Would you be receptive to graduates of a
combination business/school? Kind of like a farm league for
agencies, so you get entry level talent that already has experience?
<rbruce> Matthew: We are certainly open to a people
with a variety of backgrounds, including prior experience
and graduate degrees. We sometimes run into difficulty with
hiring people with these backgrounds due to their salary expectations.
<cmoney> how important are grades in school when getting
a job in corporate America?
<rbruce> Regarding the question about grades, they are
important but they are not the only thing we consider. We
look for the complete package including good grades, activities,
interests, work experiences, etc.
<jdcappelen> What do you mean by a good cover letter-
text, or creativity?
<rbruce> jdcappelen: A good cover letter should combine
creativity and good grammar, etc. We read lots of cover letters,
so it's always nice when you get one that is interesting and
stands apart from the others.
<suskop2> What skills or qualities do you look for when
hiring an Assistant Account Executive?
<rbruce> There are lots of things we look for in AAE's,
but I think some essential skills include: organizational
skills, the ability to be diplomatic and handle difficult
situations and people, the ability to juggle a lot of tasks,
people who are both analytical and creative and, particularly
at Saatchi & Saatchi, people who have great IDEAS.
<Moderator> Question from jonnyringo, How would you
suggest starting out my career as a college junior (# and
type of internships) if I'm interested in gaining experience
in creative and account svcs? What path would you recommend?
<rbruce> I would suggest that you get as many varied
experiences as you can. Try to get an internship this summer
or during the school year in acct. mgmt. or creative. When
you graduate, it's important that you go into interviews with
a clear sense of your goals regarding a career in creative
or acct. mgmt. But for now, get as much experience as you
can.
<Moderator> Question from priscillablue, Does the work
experience have to be within advertising?
<rbruce> Not necessarily. We have many people who come
to us with experience on the client side in marketing departments,
or at PR firms, or even non-communications related fields.
These experiences may help you define why you DON'T want to
work in them and why you would prefer advertising.
<Moderator> Question from edd, What would you say are
the main challenges in your HR dept? Environmental, organizational
or individual?
<rbruce> That's a tough question and it varies at different
times. I'm not sure I can give you a clear cut answer on that.
<Moderator> suskop2, When receiving a cover ltr and
resume, do you prefer traditional mail or email?
<rbruce> It's very easy to get things over email and
respond quickly and forward the resumes to people as appropriate.
The only downside to email is that it is sometimes difficult
to open all attachments.
<Moderator> Question from j_Baptist, I know experience
is important, but how do you sell yourself to companies without
experience? Do you think that really determines how far you
can go?
<rbruce> You have to find a way to get an interview.
Experience is important because all we have to go on at first
is your resume. But once you get in the door, you can sell
yourself based on your passion and other experiences.
<cleancut> Are the internet job sites such as Hotjobs
and Monster.com viable avenues for a job hunt? In other words,
do ad recruiters hire people from those type of sites.
<rbruce> The Internet sites are viable ways because
I know recruiters do use them. However, the volume of resumes
we get through those sites is very high so it takes a while
to get through them. Use other vehicles as well such as AAAA's
job posting.
<cleancut> thank you
<moderator> Question from twinkling, Is it necessary
for you to go to a portfolio school to easily be hired by
an agency?
<rbruce> In the creative field, it is not necessary
for you to go to a portfolio school, but it is necessary for
you to have a portfolio (at least here it is). You can come
up with concepts on your own and put together your own book
<twinkling> Thanks
<moderator> Question from jonnyringo, what about a 'book'?
I'm in the adv. at the Univ. of MN and the curriculum will
provide me with some examples and some papers on adv. strategy,
to show in my portfolio, but not very many actual ads. Should
I consider a portfolio school or just make some stuff up?
<rbruce> You may want to consider a portfolio school
but that is certainly a personal decision. If you decide not
to go that route, you can look at existing brands and create
your own ads for those brands so that Creative Directors can
see your ideas and how you think.
<Moderator> Question from huntw, What foreign languages
are mainly being used within advertisement medias? Is there
a high or low percentage of new employees that are bilingual?
<rbruce> The ability to speak other languages is certainly
a skill that we find interesting in our candidates. We are
a global agency, so people who can converse with our international
agencies and perhaps even work in other areas of the world
are an asset. I think the languages being used depend on the
target market
<suskop2> If hired, what kinds of things can we expect
to learn during a training program at an agency?
<rbruce> We model our training program to give you a
great overview of the entire advertising industry and all
it's functions. So, no matter what department you work in,
you will have seminars about all the other functions. Our
training program also has small groups work on a case study,
just as if they were a mini-agency. This allows you to get
exposure to media planning, creative development, etc. even
if you are in acct. mgmt.
<Moderator> Question from priscillablue, Somebody told
me being a traffic controller first is a good way of getting
into an agency, because that way you will eventually become
AAE. Is that true?
<rbruce> I don't think that is a guarantee to becoming
an AAE. It helps you understand the traffic function and gain
exposure to other departments so it may be a good way to get
in.
<moderator> Question from calkinsd, In regards to college
recruiting, what does Saatchi look for in a college program
and its students? What can a college and a student do to improve
recruiting?
<rbruce> We have relationships with certain schools
where we have had success in hiring great candidates. However,
every year we reassess our strategies and see if there are
any schools we want to add. Schools that are involved in consortiums
that come to NY are also very convenient for us.
<calkinsd> When receiving an offer from an ad agency,
what are some things to look for and how can one be fair in
negotiating?
<rbruce> I think an important thing to look for in deciding
about an agency is what kind of training you are going to
get. Do they have a training program? Also, what kinds of
growth opportunities are there? It's important to feel comfortable
with the Agency culture. In negotiating, many of the bigger
agencies probably have a set entry level salary.
<Moderator> Final two questions: What schools do you
work with? Do you recruit at the Univ. of MN?
<rbruce> We have a list of about 25 schools that we
work with...far too many to list here. We don't recruit at
the Univ. of MN. However, we do attend events such as the
AAF competition and other advertising related events that
you may be able to find us at.
<jonnyringo> Thank you.
<Moderator> If you have any further questions about
getting a job in advertising, please visit the aef.com Job
Fair channel.
<rbruce> Thank you for your great questions
<suskop2> Thank you for having us
<moderator> Keep looking on aef.com for more discussions
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