"Pick Me"

So I have had a busy couple of days...going for internship interviews. I have been disappointed so far, the one I had on Thursday has little to do with creative and the one I had yesterday I am not good enough in creative to get. It's challenging but I have 2 more to go to which have to do specifically with planning which neither of these ones did. I also have a meeting in Sept with Mary from Publicis which will be another good opportunity for me to understand where I fit in the Ad agency.

My book ie:Portfolio is not good enough to get in anywhere, I have good ideas but the design is weak and needs a ton of work. If Planning isn't for me because it's all research and no creative (which I will only be able to tell after I talk more with real planners or do an internship directly related to this) then I will need to go back to the books and learn how to be an art director. At Sheridan you learn everything about Advertising, the big picture which is good because you are well versed but you don't hone in on those essential creative skills that make fantastic books. It's all about your book, CD's (Creative Directors) look at this and as per my conversation yesterday with a CD will only take on an intern if they would hire them, which means the book has to be enough to make them want you.

It's hard because I don't know where to begin, I have ideas but I don't know how to polish them with style to make them say "Art Director" It's one of those things I can try to learn on my own and hopefully I can because I have the education to back it up but if not I may have to go back to school to zero in on this craft.

I am reading this book called "Pick Me" Breaking into Advertising and staying there. It's written by 2 incredible CD's out of Ogilvy & Mather..Kyle got it for me and immediately I recognized one of the names, "Janet Kestin". Back in the spring I had emailed her my Res/Portfolio and she along with every other CD has pretty much told me what she said and to look at award winning ad books to see how good ones are done.

Here is Janet's email to me:

Hi Heather, Thanks for sending me your cv. I've looked at your portfolio and while you have some nice thoughts, you're a ways from being ready to work in an agency such as this. An all print portfolio isn't really enough to get in here though it may be fine for some other places. What I look for in a portfolio is big ideas that can be executed in a wide range of channels and media. I want to see how a thought translates into digital, broadcast,event.... What is the problem that you're trying to solve? Who is the solution designed for? What are the right media for that audience? What does it look like when you talk to them in those media? These are the questions that need answering. For sure, print can be an answer, but not the only answer. Sorry not to be able to help you more than this. Good luck wherever you land, janet

I understand and have learned how to incorporate all of the things she was talking about so I had asked if I could work on it and send it back for her to look at and she told me to "Go For It" that was all the email said. I worked hard to put up an interactive campaign on my site which answered all of those questions and she never got back to me. I realize now that it will take so much more to break in to this role. I need to somehow teach myself how to become an expert in photo shop and picture taking to come up with the right images and not only that but teach myself how to design the idea and make it polished so It looks like an ad.

I don't know where to begin, it's daunting because I poured my heart and soul into school but this book has been showing me that many people put thousands of bucks into school and don't get the right tools out of it for this field.

It recommends only 2 Canadian Schools which are good to go to for a future as an art director/CD and that is Humber College and ACAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) Now these schools bring results. I am thankful I went to Sheridan but they are school for animators specifically not for specialized creatives in Advertising.

I learned so much and I know that I had to take this path to even understand how to become an art director, it has laid the foundation. I would never have been able to even attempt to get into Humber or ACAD 3 years ago because to even get in you need a portfolio and experience and knowledge. I didn't know any of this before attending Sheridan.

So lets start with the bad news. The bad news is, I want to do creative and won't feel fulfilled without it and Sheridan had the least of this in my program there. The bad news is I might have to take another more advanced program in art direction/portfolio development if I feel like I can't teach myself how to master the craft. Also along with that is more months on top of the how many months already, unpaid and unsure still striving and hoping that one day soon I will have a career and begin earning a pay check so Kyle and I can begin a future doing what we love.

The Good news. The Good news is I have a couple more interviews for internships with planning positions. If these go well and they seem like they involve creative I will start learning about the makings of the agency. I will finally have an understanding of the complete roles and who comes up with the ideas and how much input art directors have in developing the ideas or just the design of the page. It will be what I need to understand where I fit best in the mix. I might just fall in love with planning and be totally satisfied with this role, it may have a lot of creative influence into developing the big idea. I have an education and the degree to teach myself how to make a good portfolio, with the help of people in an agency if I feel like planning isn't for me and I like what the creative team is doing I can try to learn how to create a good book for that role. i will build connections and get something on my resume which will help me establish something permanent.

Of course I want to be satisfied in a planning role, I hope that it is creative and I can get into it and it's everything I ever wanted. My fear is that it's not and I need to figure out how to make my book stand out and be amazing which right now I have no idea how to do. Every one's advice is to look at award winning books so My first step is to try to find them, then look at them ...take ideas and try to turn my brain upside down into thinking completely obscure and simple.

Whew...life is complicated! Just when you think you have it in the bag, you realize you have so much more to learn. If I want my career in Advertising to mean something I have to go after what I am truly passionate about and what is fulfilling to me and hope that I can do what it takes to get there.

So that is the conversation going through my head. It's a whirlwind I know. But hopefully it makes your life look a little less complicated!