diversity in advertising...

So today was the day of the Diversity in Advertising Career Day up at the Hilton on 52nd Street in New York City.  Sounds prestigious, huh?  Well let me tell you about it.

I got there around one-thirty, when a seminar titled "The 10 Commandments of Getting Hired," is starting.  That's one of the main reasons I went, so I rushed into the room.  For about an hour I sat about five rows back from the 8 or so panelists made up of different people of different functions from different agencies and listened to what they like to hear in resumes, cover letters, interviews, and follow-ups.  A lot of the stuff was things I'd heard before ("Proofread your resume," duh), but some of it was useful.

The real fun part of the event came after the seminar, when I got to visit the booths of 60+ agencies from around the country.  Who was there?  Ogilvy, JWT, Lowe, Saatchi, Google, Goodby, McCann, MTV, AdAge... just to name a few.  I was excited to have some conversations, rub some elbows, and meet some new people.

The first thing I had to do though was visit my good ol' HR ladies over at Lowe Worldwide.  Last summer I had an internship as a brand strategist at Lowe Worldwide in New York and it was one of th ebest experiences--it got me into the whole advertising industry, and I'm grateful for that.  What was the best part of the internship though was the people I met.  Half the reason I decided to go to the career day was to see them, once I saw Lowe would be represented with a booth.

I walked up and down the aisles of booths until I spotted Lowe.  One of them spotted me at the same time and got up running towards me, giving me a big hug in the middle of the expo.  The other one was talking to someone who wanted a job.  I felt kind of bad that I had wavered her attention, she had to say, "Sorry, I got distracted" to the guy she was talking to.  I'm sure he deserved a job, too.  I sat and talked to them for a little while, we caught up on how the agency was doing (no comments...) and how my schooling was doing (equally no comments...) and how the rest of the interns were doing, live, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  All that fun stuff.  They sent me off to go talk to some potential employers and I said I would visit later.

The first I visited with was Ogilvy.  My old Advertising Management teacher actually knows Mr. Ogilvy, so I thought it might be zen to start with them.  I get there, and the woman is opening a Coca-Cola, so I wait for her to finish, take a sip, and shake my hand.  We have some small talk, it comes out that I'm graduating in May and she says, "Oh... you're a little early."  I told her I realized that, but just that I wanted to come and say hi and have some conversation, and asked when would be a better time when there would be more of a chance to get a job.  "Um... I guess around April."

That damn scarcity again.

So I moved on to McCann.  I went to them, we had our small talk, this times sans Coke, and when we got to the point of giving a resume, I gladly handed it over and she looked at it.  Within a second, her brow furrowed up and said, "So... you graduate in May?"  I replied that yes, and that I knew I was a little early, but that I was here for the experience (and my Lowe gals).  "I'm sorry, we don't really hire this far out.  I can take this resume, but I don't think I can do anything with it."  So now we're killing trees.

I get it, people.  I'm early.  But isn't that good?  I'm eager to enter the business.  I want to get my name in, get my face in.  I want to meet people.  It's not like I went to the career day expecting a job out of it.  I went to meet some nice people, have some nice conversation, and maybe score a few free gifts and a meal at the same time.  Is that a crime?  

Saatchi told me the same thing as the others.  So what did I decide to do?  Just have a little fun.  I went to Lowe, dropped my bag off there, and galavanted around just talking.  

My best fun stop was at MTV.  I was attracted to them because of their table overflowing with free DVDs, notebooks, and belts.  Yes.  Belts.  Belts with blinged out buckles that said "SPIKE" on them.  I had to have one.  Or two.  I hadn't quite yet decided.  So I went up to the table, started talking about the channels, what they do there, marketing positions, and then we got on the subject of Flavor of Love.  Let me preface this with one sentence: I hate Flavor of Love.  So I asked them what they thought of it.  They hated it too.  Good to know there's such strong brand support in the company.  About five minutes later, after having gone through Flavor of Love, I Love New York, and that old show where they would play five seconds of a song and you'd have to guess what it was, the recruiter said, "Why am I even talking to you?  Are you trying to get a job?"  I said no, unless she was offering.

Maybe I just enjoy career fairs too much.

i think white is a color...

I wouldn't go so far as to say we have any sort of breakthrough in the post-May job search, but we do have an event to go to. And, in my stoic life, events are reason enough to celebrate. So bust our your party hats and groggers, it's networking time.

This Thursday, I will be attending what is called the Diversity in Advertising Career Day at the Midtown Hilton in New York City. It sounds so professional, huh? What it seems to be, however, is one big giant career fair with seminars. The seminars sound pretty good, and useful, including one titled "The Ten Commandments of Getting Hired," which we all know I could use greatly.

I could also use the 60+ companies that will be represented there, from Arnold, DDB, and Lowe (my internship alma mater) to Yahoo!, The Washington Post, and Zimmerman. Even Google will be there. And from what I hear (and see) about their food... I'd have no problem getting hired by them. What's 80 hours of work a week if you get lunch and dinner "on campus?" I feel that more companies would have stronger ties with their employees (and the rumor mill among laypersons) if they offered perks like free food to their employees. It's definitely a pull on why I like my university so much. Nothing says "I love you" like free food at lunchtime.

Digression aside, I feel like this could be 1) fun, 2) an opportunity, and, if nothing else 3) a reason to get dressed up and chit-chat small talk.

Now, the reason for the entry is, I'm not sure if you noticed, but the day is called Diversity in advertising.  Not that I've said this before on the blog, but I'm quite Anglo.  I'm about as white as mayonnaise.  In other words, I've never been known to look particularly... diverse.  This could go either one of two ways: either the title of the day has no real impact on the attendees or outlook on the fair, or I'm going to be seen as yet another priviledged white imperialist trying to take the riches from the poor and give to the richer, creating even more elaborate systems of inequality and abuse, ready to only get myself ahead in life so that I can have a casket emblazoned in gold housed in a giant marble tomb on some lofty hillside in the stretched of Beverly Hills where I lived out my last years in a multi-million dollar mansion with maids, butlers, and cooks (who were probably minorities, and probably underpriviledged) because I am the man, and if anyone were to stick something to someone, they would stick it to me because of my Anglo heritage and that would become even more apparent among a crowd of advertising individuals from diverse backgrounds.

I'm not really sure how to play my cards.  But if the Hilton is full of Indians, Africans, Asians, Jamaicans, Latinos, and Canadians (eh?), then maybe white represents diversity in that group.  Though I feel this is a deeper political discussion than I intended to enter when I began the entry.

The point is, I'm going to this day, and I'm determined to have a ball.

I'll let you know how it goes.

it's a carnivale of potential middle-management positions...!!

I always like being one of the first groups of people at career fairs. Why?  To start, you have the (debatable) advantage of being the premier impression presented to the recruiter.  Second, there are a lot less people to compete with for face time.  Third, you can actually move in the cramped room where there are over 100 companies with representatives working and dining on the corporate card (expense it!).  And, lastly, you get all that shit over with.  

I tell you, the career fair is probably the most awkward time during recruitment.  You’re there, with hundreds of other students, to sell yourself to companies who really are not going to remember you at the end of the day, unless you show up naked (Freshmen: take note).  You’re there with the rest of your interchangeable class, asking the same dumb questions we’re told to ask, getting the same dumb answers they’re told to respond with, you distribute some resumes, you pick up some free goods, and you rarely hear from the companies ever again. 

The last career fair I went to I took very seriously.  I dressed in a sharp suit with a striking shirt and a matching tie.  I had my portfolio notebook with my extra resumes and reference sheets.  I had a smart looking pen and keen eyes, ears, and mouth for conversation.  I gave out 15 resumes, hoping to get interviews and offers for summer positions.  Well, after following up, I got no response from those 15 resumes, and I have an excellent resume.

Therefore, for this career fair, I was a bit more lackadaisical.  Sure, I still dressed in some nice pants and put on my fancy shoes, but gone was the tie and jacket.  If they weren't going to take me seriously, I wasn't going to take them seriously, but it's always fun to pull out those business casual outfits.  Playing the game involves being aloof in that such way, not the tattered jeans I'd normally wear.

I still had my resumes, but only five.  And I knew what I was really going for: free goodies.  Stress balls, backpacks, water bottles, t-shirts, puzzles, soda, food, writing utensils, flyers, sticky notes, and any other crap that happened to be lying around on those employer tables.  Sure, I had no interest in working for Morgan Stanley, but if they'll give me a pen-light and a water bottle, I'll pretend to be into investment banking.  I think any right-minded person would do the same.

So I arrived at our latest career fair right at 11:00am, when doors were supposed to open.  I was greeted by a long line wrapping around the block of my classmates, dressed in black suits with white button-ups and red power ties.  Walking down the line to reach the end, I garnered more than a few stares ("bright blue is no color to be wearing when one is to be in the presence of Goldman Sachs representatives!!").  And then, slowly, we were let into the building.  

After producing my school ID for verification, I was given a map of all the 160-some-odd companies represented, and shoved into the wilderness.  There were three rooms to tackle.  First, I walked through all three, getting my bearings as to who had the best goods and who would be most fun to mess with.  Pepsi had free soda.  Zuirch had backpacks.  Yahoo had water bottles.  And IBM had fake ice cubes with blue LED lights on the inside.  I do believe we've found the winner.

The thing about being one of the first people to arrive at a career fair is that you can see all of the HR representatives from all of the companies waiting for people to come up to them.  Some companies send two reps, and I've seen some send up to seven.  Now that's a little overkill.  If you send seven representatives, it's like saying, "We know we're so cool that we'll have at least seven people at any given time just dying to talk to us.  And we'll probably have a queue, too."  Though, there is something comforting about being a prospective employee, walking down these aisles and being flanked by HR reps, just dying to act excited and enthusiastic about you (yes you!) being their next entry-level employee.

After talking to eight or nine companies, their shtick started to sound the same.  I would ask what majors they have openings for.  If it was not my area, I would feign interest.  They would explain the 2-month, 3-month, or (a record) 6-month training process.  I would look into their eyes and lean forward with a smile and glimmer.  When they turned to grab a pamphlet, I would eye what they had on the table.  I would stare at their finely manicured eyebrows until I could see every individual hair.  And then, when I used all my standard questions and somewhat probing questions ("Are you married?" "Do you have any plans for further education?  Does your company support that?" "How much of what you're saying is in a script?") and I could tell their intonation was getting tired, I said a quick thank you, lunged for the false ice cubes, pen-lights, and sticky notes, shoved them into my Zurich backpack, and made my way to the next clan of human resource representatives.

Around 15 companies and conversations later in my life (and four resumes handed out to actualy potential employers who sounded somewhat interesting and exciting, where I didn't have to feign interest, major, or preferred occupation), I had exhausted all of the goodies and exhausted my endurance for this day's career search.  As much as I would love to, I don't expect to hear from any of the four companies to whom I distributed my resume, in which case I've come out of the experience simply tired, hungry (I wasn't allowed to eat the employer-only food), and with some knick-knacks that will make some great stocking stuffers.

So why continue on with them?  Tradition?  Because you’re supposed to do it?  No... it must be the free goodies.  Believe me when I say I can always use more stress balls.