CARL HOPKINS - AGENCY AGONY UNCLE
Dear Uncle Carl
Dear Uncle Carl,
We want to attract some of the best young, creative and business talent to our agency. But we can’t pay as much as the accountancy firms and financial centres. We used to be able to attract talent as a lifestyle choice – it was a fun industry to work in, full of interesting people and interesting tasks. But these days it feels as though we have lost that USP. How can we attract the very best people to the agency?
To lose creative talent to accountancy firms and financial services may not be a long term problem with the current economic backdrop as those industry sectors look as rocky as any other – and I think therein lies the problem. The agency world is full of half-arsed businesses; agencies pop up and disappear with alarming regularity – as such, they can look like less than stable places to work and commit your career to.
Also, historically we have been oversubscribed with wide-eyed talent wishing to get into the business which means we do not necessarily pay ‘market rate’. Plus, other industries tend to ensure a rounder package of benefits such has health, pensions etc. And we haven’t even touched on the ‘work life’ balance and issues of maternity and paternity – all of which are dealt with by other sectors and avoided by little agencies.
So I’m afraid you need to sort all of that out to compete. But agencies probably never will as there is one huge, short-sighted issue of a lack of real communication and discussion within our industry; agencies do not work hard enough and close enough to promote our industry by sector or region and, if we don’t, we will lose the talent to other areas of the country or to other industries. So stop whining and get off your arse and try make a difference.
Dear Uncle Carl,
I have been at a number of placements throughout the UK at agencies in search of an elusive job offer. When I go in and show my book, the creative directors seem keen to get me in to “get some experience” but after a few days/more often weeks/and in one case months (without any pay) I’m informed that there isn’t actually a place at the agency for me. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of. How can I avoid this?
Have you tried not saying ‘yes’ so often? Have you tried to stop looking so desperate? Have you tried to stop telling everyone you are willing to work for nothing?
Agencies are busy places and if you walk in and offer to do something for nothing then most creative directors will welcome you with open arms and take a punt – why not? They have nothing to lose.
So I would suggest you only offer to work where there is a real job available. Also that you meet as many creative directors in the meantime as possible but do not offer to work for free – stupid. Surely you now have a ‘book’ of relevant and real work to show from a variety of known agencies? This should help you differentiate yourself from other applicants so now switch your strategy from ‘work experience’ to ‘work’.
Dear Uncle Carl,
As a young exec at a PR agency I’m asked to attend all the social engagements in the firm’s calendar. While they will never trust me with any key client meetings or pitches, they seem to enjoy parading me around after-work-events...I’m a recent graduate and while I may be young and attractive, I am also ambitions and hungry to cut my teeth... But I’m starting to feel that my boss is just using my youthful charms to attract the eye of the clients.
Is it only me that has spotted that the word prostitution begins with ‘PR’? Anyway I’m honoured and impressed you have managed to pull yourself away from a mirror long enough to write to your old Uncle Carl.
So you pretty young thing, I’m not sure what your problem is? If you think that your boss (a bloke I guess?) is using your self-proclaimed attractiveness to his advantage then, do you know what, he probably is... and guess what, that’s why you probably got the job over the equally talented and experienced bloke or moonpig-looking other applicants – think yourself blessed!
Now if you think that your gorgeous visage is masking your razor-like and strategic intellect then ‘dress down’ and impress people with your witty repartee and not your plunging neck line.
On the other hand, shall we consider that you might not yet believe in your own abilities and are lacking in a little confidence and find yourself out of your depth at these events and therefore think secretly to yourself: ‘Well, I’m inexperienced and know fuck all, so the only reason my boss has sent me here is because I am so achingly gorgeous.’
The real fact is your boss cannot ‘trust you with the accounts’ as, by your own admission, you are new to the industry and lack experience, but take heart as he obviously trusts you enough to put you in social situations knowing that you represent the right image for his business and have the social skills to ensure his clients enjoy spending time with the agency.
Your boss is not your pimp, he is running a business, the social aspect of agency life is still business; do not underestimate how risky it is putting clients, staff and alcohol together. All you now have to do is learn as much as possible and then apply those learnings and a great career could lie ahead. If all that fails, go into modeling – feel free to send your photos to me on my private email.
Dear Uncle Carl,
The bank we currently use for our agency’s business banking is one of those that is struggling with a massive fall in its shares. Is now the time to review our business banking? You have millions in the bank... what would you recommend?
If only your Uncle did indeed have ‘millions in the bank’ – but having given it away and seen the FTSE head south quicker than Gillian Taylforth in a lay-by (allegedly) I probably don’t!
Perhaps now is the time to take heed of the old adage; ‘don’t have all your eggs in one basket’, if your banks are your baskets then spread your cash around and reduce your risk. All that aside, I must congratulate you on having money in the bank in the first place. I think your point of reviewing your business bank is a good one, I don’t think businesses do that enough.
‘We’, as agency people, provide a service and we are reviewed by our clients on an alarmingly regular basis – so shouldn’t we also review our business support services? Banks being one. It seems the banks have always made business jump through hoops simply to leave our money with them, now it’s time for us to get them to come to us and ask ‘why should I leave my money with you?’
The financial turmoil we are all currently experiencing may make new, and more competitive, customer focused services appear – we can hope. So, again, maybe its time to heed the words of Francis Bacon: “Money is like muck; not good except it be spread.”
Are you troubled? Don’t be. send your questions for uncle carl to dear.carl@carnyx.com Or, If you wish to meet with carl to talk about your business, then simply email him on ch@kloog.ch