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It's my wish and goal to someday contribute creatively to a great team at an even greater agency as a copywriter. And though I'm sure I share that desire with many, my hopeful road to that destination is different than most.
The sordid details: Though I have a B.S. from the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University, it's not in advertising, but in Televisio/Radio/Film writing.
After graduating, I spent a few years working at the biggest talent agency in the world followed by a stint at a production company developing movies, including one that was nominated for an academy award for best screenplay.
Since then, I wrote independently, was selected for the highly respected Warner Brothers Writers Program and amongst other produced small budgeted films, recently finished a screenplay for ABC Family Channel that will air in 2009.
Despite my success, I'm tired of the glacial pace of film development and yearning for a team environment with a frenetic pace.
Also, I know the Ad business relatively well for one without experience -- my father was ACD at Ogilvy, and CD at Dancer Fitzgerald Sample and Saatchi in the 70s. And in case you ask, no -- his contacts & relationships are all long in the ground. Luckily, he's not.
So I know this is a tough, maybe crazy question, but I'm wondering, as a 37 year-old with creative experience, does it translate?
Do I make my own spec book and come to someone like you?
Do I think about VCU Brandcenter, where (if accepted) I'd be graduating at 40(painful to type, much less say) with no guarantees other than 40K in debt?
Do I try to get ANY job at an agency regardless of department or role and try to make something happen, or do I "wake up" and move on to something else?
I'm not a quitter, so the last option will hurt, but I might need to hear it.
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Dear Junior with less than five years experience who is really a senior with over 10 years experience - just not in advertising,
I'll keep this simple.
To answer your questions in the order that they appear.
Yes.
The kind of creative experience you have at the level you've had it, is valuable and translates IF you can demonstrate that you can translate that experience to the creation of stories that have relevance in the marketing universe.
Yes.
And get your book online. These days, it's how Creative Directors want to see work before they meet with you. Pdf's don't cut it and make you look unprepared. If you're serious about this, and your career go the extra step and get your work online.
The best resource I've found is Big Black Bag. Tragic that the name is so close to ours - but we're not related - your work will be live in 48 hours promise - it's DIY and easy to do. Here's the link to the site. Click here.
Read this blog from the site about what you need to do to get ready BEFORE you call us. Click here.
To your third question: Not sure you need to go to VCU, although it is a fabulous school with a great ciriculum and a very high post-graduate hire rate. I think a lot of what you will learn you will already have learned in your previous career, you'll find much of what you've learned translates, and I think you could maybe take a course in Marketing at a community college. I would think that if you know how to market and pitch shows you've got the basics down.
And no, you don't take any job at an agency regardless of department, you try to make the career you want to make happen happen, and do the first two.
I know you're not a quitter, the industry you're coming from is tough to break into as well, you have received some accolades not the least of which is an Academy Award nomination, and those things just don't happen to quitters do they?
Best of luck, I'm looking forward to reading your resume and seeing your portfolio when you're ready.
~ heidi |
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