Are you a graduate looking to get into client services? This guide is for you. OLIVER Talent Acquisition Advisor, James McDonnell, dishes out his best tips for getting into “Agency World”.
Be prepared to start at the bottom rung
It may be stating the obvious, but sometimes the obvious needs to be stated. You will be starting off in a very junior position. You will probably have friends who go into graduate programmes on considerably more money than the average Account Executive earns. You need to look past the immediate salary band and look at the great training, lifestyle and career prospects in “Agency World”. Client Services offers a fast-paced lifestyle that can be financially rewarding once you put the work in and cut your teeth in your agency of choice!
Confidence is king (or queen depending)
Having recently recruited several junior roles, the one piece of feedback that is constantly given is “the candidate didn’t display enough of his/her personality”. It may be difficult to be confident in a first interview as a junior, but it is critical. The people OLIVER look for ambitious, hard-working types. The only way we can understand if you are a good match is by you demonstrating it. So be confident, be ambitious and be willing to put the hours in!
Internships look great, but make sure they’re valid
One way of gaining experience whilst studying is by getting internships over academic breaks. If you’re really interested in getting into agency world, make sure to apply to internships at agencies. Whilst having a 3 month internship at a top Financial Service client may appear to be beneficial on a CV, it won’t hold up against someone who has interned at a Creative or Marketing agency. Sure, we have great internship opportunities here at OLIVER!
What should I wear to an interview?! Mirror the agency you want to work at.
This is a regular questions from juniors! So if you do get an interview at your dream agency, make sure you look the part on the day. Some agencies are very trainers and t-shirts. If you arrive to interview in a three-piece morning suit, you will stick out like a sore thumb. Dress smart but don’t look like a member of “Downton Abbey” in an east London creative agency. The same logic applies for under-dressing, don’t roll out of bed looking like you have been on a two day bender.
Enjoy the lifestyle – but be prepared to work
One of the best things about working in “agency land” is the lifestyle. You will meet some of the most creative, funniest, oddest and hardworking people at agencies like OLIVER. There are definite perks (free bar on a Friday and an excellent Christmas party), but sometimes we do work long hours to get things done. So if you’re ever in the office two hours after most people have left and are having a Subway for dinner, just remember the perks definitely outweigh the negatives and crack on.
If you’re interested in joining the team, have a look at our vacancies or send your portfolio and/or CV to our recruitment team. For a little glimpse into life at OLIVER, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.