Showing posts with label advertising. Show all posts

The Epic Portfolio Post

Whenever people ask me "Where to start?" my eyes get really big. *audible gulp.* It's not
that I don't know the answer - it's that there are soooooooo many answers, and the answers themselves lead to more questions... and even more answers.

The quick and easy answer is - To get a job as a creative (copywriter, art director or designer) in advertising, you need a portfolio to demonstrate your skills and understanding of the industry.

Yeah, that wasn't so quick was it?

So now we get to a whole bunch of follow up questions: What is a portfolio? Then, how do you get a portfolio? Then, what do you do once you have a portfolio? How do you get a job? How do you keep a job? (Thankfully, there are blogs like this that are here to help. Whew.)

Here's a collection of just about everything I've ever written about portfolios. (1. Holy crap I've written a lot. 2. Holy crap there's so much I haven't mentioned yet.)

(Just About) Everything You Need to Know About Your Portfolio

1. First things first:

Watch the movie Art & Copy and this video Pursuit of Passion.

2. Things to know before you get started:

What is a Creative? Quick overview of what a creative is and does.

So You Wanna Be A Creative Director?: Tough love and 6 things you need to do right now.

Tips For Aspiring Copywriter & Art Directors: Basic explanation of the whos and hows of working in an agency, plus 5 tips to get hired at one.

3. What is a portfolio? (aka "Book")

Your Portfolio: General tips about what your portfolio should look like and contain.

What Exactly Do You Mean By "Portfolio"?: Breakdown of what a portfolio/book is and what to put in it.

Tips On Putting Your Portfolio Together: Tips for copywriters, art directors and developers

What Your Portfolio Says About You: 5 things to do to make sure your portfolio is top notch.

4. What To Put In Your Portfolio:

What I Look For In A Book: 3 Things this blogger looks for in a book.

Make Somebody Cry: Why you should make people react.

Beef Up Your Book: Why you should have a non-advertising section on your site

Make Something People Need: Come up with an idea that solves a problem

New Ads for old things: Do a campaign for an old product

Make a PSA Today: Create a public service announcement

Change The World or a Law: Advertise for/against a cause or law

5. What Not To Put In Your Portfolio:

What Not To Put In Your Book: Quick answer: Anything you can't say "I came up with this" or "I wrote/art directed that" about.

Don't Benetton Your Book: Why you should be very, very cautious about using edgy humour

Sex Sells: Don't put anything sexual or tawdry in your book.

Nike Doesn't Need More Ads: Why you should create ads for brands that create amazing ads and ways you can show your talent by the brands you have in your book.

Things to Stop Doing. Immediately: A few things to take out (never put in) your portfolio.

6. Notes On Your Portfolio

Is Your Campaign Awesome or Awful? Flowchart (and checklist) to help you judge whether your idea is good and has all the elements of a campaign.

Here's an Idea - Keep It Simple: You should be able to explain your idea in 140 characters or less.

How To Train Ideas: E-book about brainstorming with tips, examples and advice.

Is Your Idea Big Enough: An example of a big idea.

Respect the Brand: Show you understand a brand's personality, tone and image.

Using Pop Culture In Your Book: Tips and examples of how/when to use pop culture references in your work.

What the big wigs think about your book: Some of the things young creatives do & don't do

Common Portfolio Review Mistakes: 5 mistakes juniors make when having their book reviewed.

Your Book Will Never Be Finished: 5 Tips about getting through the never-ending creative cycle

7. What are Portfolio Schools (aka Ad School) & Should You Go?

Where For Art Thou Portfolio: Pros & Cons

Portfolio School, Fool: List of a few schools

Portfolio School or Not to Portfolio School? 8 Reasons you should go to portfolio school

What is Portfolio School Like?: 10 things you'll do in portfolio school

How to Apply to Portfolio School: Interview of 3 admission staff at 3 different portfolio schools.

Two Creatives On Portfolio School: Interview of two creatives who did go to portfolio school

Creatives Who Made Their Own Way: Interview of two creatives that didn't go to portfolio school share their journey

What You Won't Learn In Ad School: 6 things they didn't tell you in school

School vs Work: What I Learned My 1st Year Out: 5 things she didn't learn in school and 5 things she did.

8. And lastly, don't say I didn't warn you

But Are You Really Ready To Work?: It's going to take a lot of hard work

Don't Get A Job In Advertising: Some of the most difficult parts of working in advertising

What is a Creative?

So you want to be a creative? Not "be creative" but actually "be a creative." There's a difference.

For the most part, I meet a lot of people who know they want to make ads. Many of them, however, don't know exactly what that means, much less where to start.

Here is a little breakdown via The One Club - it's a helpful starting point for anyone, whether you're a high school student curious about getting into advertising or a media person wanting to switch.

Feel free to print out, rewrite, underline and circle as you see fit. Or just commit the entire thing to memory.

This is also helpful for anyone who is already a creative and would like to explain to their family what the hell they do. (Most of my family thinks I'm in marketing or I sell ad space. Sigh.)

What is a Creative?

Advertising as a whole is made up of very creative and innovative people, but our focus now is on the individuals who have it written into their job title.

When people think of advertising, they usually think of the actual ads they’ve seen. And while a lot goes into making this finished product, it’s usually the creatives who get the glory.

So, here’s to the people who steer culture and build empires by thinking up and executing advertising and branding ideas on a daily basis.

Here’s to the people who go boldly where others do not, taking risks and asking, “What if?”

Here’s to the creatives!

History of the Advertising Creative

Back in the day, Copywriters wrote and Art Directors designed and visualized, with no mingling between the two departments. They worked separately and didn’t talk much even when working on the same client’s account. Until a young creative named Bill Bernbach reinvented how creatives work by unifying the art director and copywriter to form a creative team. Learning from his own experiences, he knew that the best ideas were produced when creatives worked together to solve problems. He is considered an advertising hero for changing the way the industry approached the idea of creating ads.

Positions in the Creative Department

Junior Copywriters and Art Directors

This is the entry-level position in the creative department. Juniors work very closely with the Copywriters and Art Directors, but have less responsibility. This is the opportunity to prove yourself and through hard work and good ideas, over time, a Junior will get promoted.

Designer

Generally speaking, a designer (or graphic designer) works closely with the Art Director to execute the Art Director’s visual ideas. Often the designer will help with layouts, create logos and other small pieces of the overall design that the Art Director will then pull together into a finished product. Like the Art Director, a Designer should have an excellent eye for design and superior drafting and computer skills. Most designers aren’t “people persons” and they prefer being left alone to create beautiful and precise art.

Copywriter

A Copywriter is responsible for coming up with ideas and writing any words used in those ads. This includes: ads in magazines and newspapers, on websites, radio ads, TV commercials, posters, packaging and even slogans and jingles. If you’re the kind of person who knows how to use words to express an idea, Copywriting could be for you. It doesn’t really matter what you write—blogs, poetry, songs, stories, film ideas, jokes, endless lists of names for the awesome band that will rocket you to stardom—as long as you love writing you may be able to turn that love into a career as a Copywriter.

Art Director

Like a Copywriter, the Artistic Director is responsible for coming up with ideas. Once an idea is in place, the Art Director takes responsibility for the entire visual look of the ad. This includes the layout – the way the ad is going to look. Future Art Directors spend a lot of their time drawing, painting, sculpting, designing, looking at art, and thinking about how things like color and light and shapes can influence how people feel and think and act. Sometimes they wonder why
something as unnecessary as dialogue was ever added to movies.

Creative Director

A Creative Director oversees the work of the Copywriter/Art Director teams, making sure their work is strong, delivered on time, and to the client’s specifications. This person has usually risen to their position after five or more years in the creative department as either a Copywriter or Art Director. A Creative Director must have excellent management skills and a keen, critical eye for both copywriting and art direction. After years of success as a Creative Director one may move up to the position of Executive Creative Director, and finally Chief Creative Officer, to oversee an agency’s entire creative department.

What Happens in A Creative Department?

The Creative Department is the core of the agency. This is where the ads you see everyday are created. A creative department is made up of teams of Copywriters and Art Directors. The way these relationships work varies widely from agency to agency and team to team, but traditionally, the team works together to come up with as many ideas as possible. Sometimes, there are several teams working on one project and they separate to come up with ideas then get together to present to their creative director.

In advertising, everything begins with the “BIG IDEA” and grows from there. The creative director gives feedback and critiques and then picks one or two directions to develop. The teams then goes back to turn these ideas into campaigns view an example of an award-winning campaign). The Art Director goes off and takes care of the visuals while the Copywriter writes the copy. Together they will come up with examples of the look and feel of what the real ads will be.

Then they take these ideas and present to the client, explaining why this campaign will deliver the response they want. The client gives their feedback – they may love it, or hate it or just want minor changes. The creatives then come back together and edit and polishing the ideas until they are ready to be produced and seen by the public.

Basics of a creative brief

A typical creative project timeline generally goes like this:

Brief by Account Team ---> Concepting ---> Present to Creative Director ---> Edit ---> Present to Account Team ---> Edit ---> Present to Client ---> Edit ---> Client Approval ---> Produce

Skittles Owns Me

It takes a special brand (and/or awesome advertising) to make someone love your product even

though they don't actually like/use your product.

A great example is my relationship with Skittles. I don't like Skittles. I don't eat Skittles. But I love rainbows. And randomness.

So every time I see a Skittles ad, I do two things: Smile and Share with a friend. (Who probably hates their teeth and will go eat Skittles immediately after watching)

I fall right into their subliminal-advertising-mind-control trap. Skittles pretty much owns me right now.

Check out this "interactive" video that lets you break this guy's grandmother's stuff.
(You click, he smashes, he gets blamed. Perfect crime.)

Be a Mess

Baseball is not my thing. I've been to one game in my whole life, and was coaxed there with the promise of beer and popcorn.
However, I recently heard this quote and was a. very moved and b. inspired.

"In the beginning, I used to make one terrible play a game. Then I got so I'd make one a week, and finally, I'd pull a bad one once a month. Now, I'm trying to keep it down to one a season."

Being a creative is kind of like that.

Your first year in advertising, you're pretty much a mess with legs. And as time goes by, you become less and less of a mess -- and one day, if you're lucky, you are only an intermittent mess - like a leap year.

If you take away anything from that quote, it's that it's okay to make mistakes. And things will get better.

I guess that's two things.

Internship 104: 8 Ways to Network

That saying "Get your foot in the door" means so much in advertising. Connections are (fortunately/unfortunately) everything.

Now that your foot is in there, start working on how you can stay there. (And I guess you should figure out how to bring the rest of your body in too. It starts getting cold around November.)

While you're interning, make sure you take the time to socialise and meet people.

Eight Quick (and seemingly obvious) Networking Tips:

Go to events at your agency. During the summer, most agencies are a little slower and do fun things like Summer Fridays (half or full days off) and have lots of socials and events.
Read Drinking Is Good For Your Job

Go to events at other agencies. Be on the look out on LinkedIn, Facebook and with your friends who work at other places to find out what's going on, when and where.
Read What to Do When You're New

Meet other interns. Whether or not they're in your internship program, department or even on your floor -- reach out to them, hang out with them, get to know who they know. You never know -- you may end up being an usher at one of their weddings. (Happened to me, could happen to you if you played your cards right.)

Meet recently-hired people. Talk to other entry-level people and juniors. Find out about how they got in, what they know, who they know and learn all you can from them. Except for bad habits. Don't learn those.
Read Shyness Will Get You Nowhere

Ask people to lunch or to grab a coffee. Whether it's a junior, another intern, an ACD or a planner on your team, a smile and a simple "Hey, wanna run grab a coffee with me?" or "Hey, wanna try to grab lunch on Tuesday?" will get you far. Smokers have smoking breaks, which are amazingly social (and life-threatening). I use lunch and coffee/tea breaks to socialise in a way you don't usually get to sitting in conference rooms or cubicles.
Read Small Talking Series 101, 102 - Use the News, 103- 5 Questions, 104 - Introducing Yourself

Use LinkedIn. Update your profile, add all your links, work and relevant experience, join groups and share articles, and reach out to people you meet along the way to keep their contact information and get access to who they know. (BTW I hate when people give me business cards, I lose them and feel like a litterer. I prefer whipping out my phone and adding them on LinkedIn right then and there. It's 2013 after all.)
Read: How to Get Ignored on Linked In

Ask questions. Seriously. Even if you think it's dumb. Even if you think it's something you should know. (Maybe then, just ask one person, quietly. Or Google it. But definitely ask -- knowing is always better than not knowing.)

Be yourself. Or be Chuck Norris. Either one of those works.

Here are some related posts with more advice, tips and information
Networking & Following Up Tips to Help People Remember You
Seriously, You Have to Make People Remember You
How to Make Small Talk
People to Always Be Nice To

Internship 103: 5 Ways Not To Suck At Email

Never, ever, ever hit send before you read what you just wrote at least twice. Do it out loud
if necessary. Then do it one more time, just in case.

It's easy to say "I'm too busy" Or "I just need to say this real quick" Or "Let me do this on my way to the kitchen/bathroom/next meeting..." But doing that is almost as dangerous as not using condoms. You may get away fine a few times, but one day... you'll surely be fucked.

When it comes to emails -- ESPECIALLY work emails -- you have to be very conscious and very cautious.

Here are 5 Ways To Deal With Emails:

1. Make sure you're saying what needs to be said in the most concise, professional and clear way.

2. Say only what needs to be said. Nobody has time to read an essay. Cut out anything that isn't essential. (For instance, those last two sentences I just wrote)

3. Don't make yourself look stupid by making foolish gramatical mistakes and typos. Seriously. Don't do it.

4. Never respond when you're angry, scared or frantic. You'll regret everything after you hit send.

5. Don't fill the send field until you're done writing, editing and proofreading your email. Sending something too quickly or to the wrong person is an epidemic. Don't become a statistic.

The five things probably look simple enough. But there's really an art to it. Being able to properly represent yourself, your opinions/feelings and your agency in writing is something that comes with time.

Here are some related posts about emailing. Have a look while I go re-read this post and make sure I'm not embarrassing myself.

Dos & Donts of Emailing
The Art of Emailing
Follow Up Email Template
Email writing tips

Internship 102: 12 Things You Must Do

The Creative Wannabe Work Commandments was one of my very first posts, and probably
one of my favourites.

If you've never read it, take notes. If you have already read it, read it again and refresh your notes.

Today is a great day to be awesome.

Twelve Things You Should Chisel Into Your Memory

Whether you're an intern or junior, there are certain rules you need to conduct yourself by to make people like you and want to work with you.

Sure you're great. You know it and I know it and your mom knows it. However, these folks at Agency X have no idea, and quite honestly are too busy trying to show off their own greatness to care.

I went up to a mountain top (aka sat on my bed) and meditated (tried real hard to remember things from my internships + first year at work) and spoke to the advertising gods (napped) and put together this list of
Creative Wannabe Work Commandments.

* Never be late. Ever. Lightning will strike you down and kill you if you are. (Or not.) Get in before everyone and leave after them. 5:30 pm is midafternoon break time. Some of the biggest client changes - and biggest opportunities for you to get called to do some work - happen at the very last minute. Which is usually about 5 minutes before you're ready to go home.

* Dress like a creative, only better. There's no official dress code for creative types, so vans, torn jeans and Random Band #7 t-shirts are perfectly fine, but don't dress as if you're going to school, your friend's house, a party, a sleepover, the beach, the bathroom or a cocktail party. Dress in a way that if someone met you, they'd never assume you were an intern or junior and if the client were in the office the team wouldn't be ashamed to introduce you. Pick the best dressed person and use them as your template.

* Never get drunk around co-workers. Even if you're at a bar. Even if they're drunk. Even if it's your birthday. Even if they encourage you to have just one more. There's a lot of socializing over drinks in advertising, sometimes at work (shh) or outside of the office. Don't ever confuse your colleagues with your college buddies. You'll have to see them again tomorrow morning, sober and straight-faced. You can't take back anything said or done over scotch and tequila shots. Remember that.

* Keep busy. If you have no assignments, ask for one. Ask your supervisor, ask his supervisor, ask her partner, ask everyone around if they need help with anything, if you can sit in on their meeting, if you can look over their shoulder creepily. If you're finished your work, Oliver Twist out in the piece and ask for more.Volunteer yourself, offer your services, step up and slide yourself into every opportunity to do some work and - here's what really matters - impress people.

* Limit Idling (On and off line). I love Facebook and Twitter as much as the average bear and I often use them to do research, but when people walk by my desk, there's no way they can tell if I'm skimming our competitor's fanpages to see what we can do better than them or if I'm buying a cow on Farmville. And that's what they'll assume. They also assume you're taking a long lunch if you're away from your desk too long, you're gossiping if you're talking to a coworker in the hall and you're taking a nap if you're in the bathroom for too long. (Confession: I've been guilty of this.) Always look occupied and engaged so they feel like they need you there.

* Don't say no. Never turn down an assignment or feedback. You're at the bottom of the totem pole and the best way to work your way up is to (wait for it) work. So if someone asks you to do something and it's late/you're too busy/you don't want to do it - don't say no, say you'll try to work something out, or you'll see if So Andso can help or ask for more time to get it done. Don't ever turn down an opportunity to show you're dependable, hardworking and amazing. If the client or account people ask you to do something creatively outrageous, you'll learn more diplomatic ways of saying no. My favorite is "Oh, that could be interesting. I'll try to work something out with that and see what other solutions we can come up with."

* Overdeliver. If they ask you to do three versions, do four. If they ask for "some" headlines, write ten. If they say "come up with a campaign" come up with three and flush them out in a wicked presentation that shows how your idea works across all media. Go above and beyond. Treat every assignment, no matter how big or small, like it's your final assignment and your entire grade depends on it.

* Save the drama. I was going to say for your mama, but she doesn't want it either. This is a place of business, so put your personal life on mute once you step through those doors. Limit personal calls, conversations and visits. Don't stress about your boyfriend on company time. And God forbid, don't talk about that girl you may or may not meet up with later before/during/after the status meeting. No one cares. And you don't want them to. They'll look at you different and possibly like you less. You want them to know that you're a hard worker, a quick learner and a creative genius - nothing else matters. Nothing.

* Get a mentor and an ally. Find someone on your team or on another team who you respect and can ask for guidance, advice and introductions. (Advertising is very much about who you know and who they know. So make those connections.) And find an ally, someone on your team who you can share your work and ideas with, discuss projects and day to day things, and who can say they know you, like you and think that you're a hard worker, quick learner and creative genius. Neither of these people should be your boss, and they don't even really have to have a big title or anything, your mentor should have about 5 years on you and your ally at least 2. Just make sure you have two people you can turn to if you need rescuing or a recommendation.

* Always take notes. Write that one down. Always have a pen and pad with you. Write down all the important things to remember during the meeting - and things to Google later (People throw around terms like "top of the line" and "POP" and "MCOW" like they're Skittles.) Jot down your first thoughts, doodle, write tag lines, make product pro + con lists. Plus having a pad always makes you look much more serious and involved than everyone else.

* Be professional. Creative Departments are super laid back. People skate board, play Wii, drink beer, curse, slam doors, blast Kanye a little too loud and throw balls across the room. However, these people have been working there far longer than you have. One day, you will be that person. But today, you're not. So be on your Ps and Qs. Don't get too casual in conversation or email. Avoid slangs, curses, sexist/racist/homophobic statements or jokes, oversharing and being loud. Your coworkers are not your friends. Your office is not your house. You are here to work and make sure everyone sees that that is your #1 priority.

* Keep track of your accomplishments. People may not notice how much you're doing, what you've contributed or the kind of progress you've made. So create a folder or make a list and keep all of your wins so in 3 or so months, you can see how far you've come and most importantly, prove that you're an asset to that agency. Feel free to title the folder or list "Evidence of My Greatness." I won't judge you for it.

Internship 101: What Are You Doing?

Good morning interns!

Welcome to the "real world." Come in. Have a seat. Just don't touch anything.

First off, congratulations. Getting an internship can be challenging, so congrats on being chosen. And getting the real world experience of an internship will help your career, so congrats on being on the right track. (Read: Internships Matter)

Now, to business.

As an intern, you are there to do two things. Help and Learn. Say it with me: "Help and learn."
Be effing awesome at both.

How to Help:
Deliver work on time.
Stay on top of it. ("It" being everything.)
Offer to do something for someone.
Pay attention to details.
Solve a problem. (Big or small.)

How to Learn:
Ask questions.
Shadow people.
Listen.
Take notes.
Practice.
Ask for feedback.

This post is the first of a 4-part series dedicated to you and how to be an awesome intern and get hired.

Assignment #1
Take some time out today and make a list of the things you want to learn and accomplish this summer.

Read this post below for an idea of how to get started. Get What You Want.

Came across this quote the other day on Twitter and thought it was the best thing since wi-fi.

"Go in knowing what you want to get out. If you go in empty minded, you'll come out empty handed."

If you're in school, about to be in school, interning or looking for a full time job, ask yourself - what do you want to get out of it?

What do you want to learn?
What do you want to get better at?
What do you want to conquer?
What skills or experiences do you want to leave with?
What points do you want to add to your resume? Or campaigns to your book?

Really take a minute (or few days) to think about what you want to get out of the next 3 to 6 to 12 months. (Personally I can only make concrete plans for 3-6 months ahead. Who knows when the pigeons are finally going to rise up and rule the earth?)

Make a list of where/who you want to be in the next 6 months then make a list of the steps you need to get there.

* Who do you need to talk to?
* What do you need to do?
* How can you strategically place yourself in the right situations and around the right people to make sure you're on the right path?

Be honest and clear about your intentions:

If you want to work with a certain copywriter because they're good at long copy and you need a long copy campaign in your book, say that.

If you want to take a certain class because that professor usually sets his students up with internships, talk to the (I can't remember what they call the person who helps you pick classes. But talk to him/her.)

If you want to go to a recording or shoot to learn about what it's like, tell your creative director.

If you want to work on this project so you can get exposure to digital campaigns, speak up.

Yes, you should also be thinking about what all you're going to give, but also think about what you'd like to receive out of an experience. Who do you want to be at the end of it? How do you want to grow from it? How will having done this make you better?

No one else will really decide this for you. After high school you're pretty much on your own to determine your own path. In this business, whether you're in school or on the job, how far you get largely depends on how far you're willing to go. If you don't perform, you'll fail. If you fail, it's your fault.

Your success depends on you.

From Full-time To Freelance

Everybody wants a little more freedom to do/move/live/create as they please. That's a human truth that has been etched in stone since the day before the beginning of time.

Finding the job that allows you even 75% of that freedom is golden. Having a boss/team/client/projects that push you to think outside of the usual confines of advertising/traditional ideals is golden-er.

Also, having the environment where you can leave early sometimes or feel open/comfortable enough to play your guitar or wear flip flops around the office is golden and covered in diamonds.

But not everyone can have that. So what is the best option to do/move/live what you want? Freelance. (I didn't add "create" in there as I did earlier because I feel like that's inconsistent. Sometimes you're called in just do resize stuff so the full-time creatives can create. And sometimes you're called in to work on a new digital campaign for the next project launch. It varies.)

I thought this article was a good reference for aspiring and/or new freelancers.

Related Reading:
Freelance VS Working for Free - How to decipher if this "favour" is really "freelance." (Also check out Life Hackers - When and If You Should Ever Work For Free.)
Freelance: A Starting Point - How to find freelance work.
Freelance Money Talk - How to determine your rate.
Freelance Etiquette - How not to be an asshole freelancer.
Freelance Tax Tips - Good to think about now so you have everything in order next April 15th.
Freelancer Turned Full-Time - Interview with a junior freelancer who landed a full time gig.

How Do I Become A Full-time Freelancer?
via Bklynresumestudio.com

"This is definitely a loaded question, and depends what you do for a living. It’s a great time to act on the entrepreneurial spirit and explore alternate income streams, whether you’re freelancing on the side or working full time in your own business. The thing to remember, however, if you’re just starting out as a freelancer or independent… is that it takes time, and there is no shortcut.

A client said to me yesterday, “So this is something you do on the side for extra income, right?” to which I replied, “Not at all – this is my full time job. I work 40/50 hours a week doing this.” And while I think that scored extra credibility points in his mind, I also got the impression he was surprised that someone could be making a full time living writing resumes. You can – a very good one. But it also took me 3+ years and many revised drafts of my business plan to get here. It’s important to not only be open to that cycle of change and evolution when you have a business, but to also expect it.

Some people have great success starting from day one, and for others it takes months, even years, to reach a point of financial sustainability. And whether you plan to freelance and work as a contractor for other companies, or independently on your own with your own clients, planning is key. But you CAN set yourself up for success before you even leave your 9-to-5, to ensure you’ll be on your way to turning profits and bringing in customers sooner than later:

Get clear on the 5Ws. Know what you want to do, who you want to serve, why it’s of value to them, and when & where you will make it available. And then price it accordingly.

Practice telling people what you do. The more comfortable you become referring to yourself as your new title and explaining what you can do, the lesser the chance you’ll fumble it up in front of clients when it really matters.

Figure out what professional connections you already have that you can leverage for projects and work. Be careful of violating any non-compete policies if you’re remaining in the same line of work as your former employer. But do look at past clients, colleagues, supervisors, and other vendors you may have worked with who might be able to refer work to you or be a potential client themselves.

Tell everyone you know about your new venture. Don’t assume friends, family and colleagues don’t know people who can potentially use your services. My biggest revenue source to date, in revenue and in client volume, has been referrals.

Have a solid 12-month financial plan in place before you quit a full time job.While it’s great to be optimistic, it’s better to be realistic around the fact that new businesses take time to generate revenue. You don’t want to be building your business from a place of desperation.

Update your LinkedIn profile and all of your social media profiles. Even if you’re not billing hours right away, that does’t mean you’re not a serious practitioner of your craft. Get the word out, because that’s the only way the money will come.

Create a business plan. Even if you don’t think you need one, you need something to guide your financial planning, decisions around product development, understand the competitive landscape, and plot out your target audience. And as your business evolves, so too will your business plan, and putting long and short-term goals in place will help you track and get a better sense of what’s working, and what’s not. Referral business is free. $300 per month worth of ineffective Google advertising isn’t.

And finally, put a timeline in place and choose a date to kickoff your transition. Whether it’s the day you plan to give your notice, officially launch your business, or be working completely on your own, it’s much easier to set a specific date and work backwards toward your goal, then to sit around and wait for the right opportunity and timing. Having a deadline-based goal for making a transition will help you plan much more effectively from a financial and personal perspective, and you’re more likely to stick to it if you have it in front of you visually."

27 Truths About Working In Advertising

This is a really great (and true) list. If you're currently working in advertising, you'll be nodding and smiling as you go through this. If you don't currently work in advertising... run.

27 Things Advertising People Know to Be True
Via BuzzFeed

1. Everyone hates status meetings.