Joining the Team at M&C Saatchi Advertising Agency!

To share some news with those who have driven some traffic onto my website and for the people responsible for the 110 views of my Video Resume- mostly friends and family I am sure!

The close of the working week also brought with it the end of my first week as an Account Executive at M&C Saatchi Advertising Agency. While a large Sydney Advertising Agency was always my key goal, the doubts of others had caused me to find myself saying "any advertising or marketing experience would be amazing". But I never lost sight of what I wanted.

This was my plan for success, one step at a time and we'll see how we go.
   
Step 1:    
Develop yourself as a brand.

The exercise of setting up this website and shooting my Video Resume was the foundation for the rest of the job hiring process. By taking the time to look at myself as an entity with skills and capabilities, strengths and experience and to package this into a form that I could then draw upon was integral to my confidence and presentation throughout the interview process.


Step 2:    
Email the MD.

While this may seem like a bold move, sometimes that is what is required to get you where you want to be. While I have a lot of respect for HR Departments I believe they have a very difficult job to do, filtering through the applications and job requests of so many people. Let's be honest. When I think an email to "want to work with us?" HR I think "lost in space". My approach was to go straight to the top. Sometimes cut-through requires the most direct approach.


Step 3:    
Make personal contact.

When I received an email from HR saying my details had been passed on by the MD and asking general questions about what type of work I was interested in, there was only one way to respond. Pick up the phone and call. This got me into the Office the next Monday morning.


Step 4:    
The Interview.

My key suggestion for this one would be to come prepared. I organised an Interview File of myself with my Resume, website details and some of the content that I have uploaded onto this website. It enabled me to speak clearly about myself and my goals and the meeting went very well.

And now we wait.

Here's a question for you: When they say they'll contact you in about a week but it has been a week and a half what do you do?

I believe you have two options:
1. Feel uncertain and a bit rejected and just simply wait
2. Send through a little reminder: "How are things progressing and thank you for your time, it was lovely to meet you!"

I chose Option 2.

I received an email reply the same day, thanking me for chasing it up and inviting me to a second interview the next Monday morning. Good choice.


Step 5:    
The second interview.

Now you need to impress the person who you will possibly be working directly for. Again, preparation is key. Good people skills help too, but mostly you need to feel comfortable, calm and confident enough to just be yourself. Good people managers will see through any facade.

And that is how I got to where I wanted to be: the new Account Executive at M&C Saatchi.


So this is my message to you.

There is no one formula to get you hired into your "dream job" but one thing that will never fail you is to plan to succeed.

Have a plan and execute it, believe in yourself and never give up the pursuit.

Sometimes we must accept that there are greater factors at play (what if the previous Account Executive hadn't just announced that he was leaving?). But if I hadn't tried and refused to give up I would have never known what could have been.

Cheers and good luck!