Within a matter of months, you students will have jobs. New jobs. Shiny jobs. Jobs of great potential. Although I’m sure you have a list of your preferred agencies, the right-place-right-time aspect of any job search pretty much guarantees that you have absolutely no idea where you’ll end up.
But I don’t think it’s too early to decide for whom you’ll be working. Will you work for…
- Your clients? Helping them build their brands.
- The agency? Helping it become a powerhouse (or maintain its status as one).
- Your creative director? Doing what he or she asks, and trusting them implicitly because you respect them.
- The money? Because you’re finally making a decent paycheck.
- The glory? You’re a legitimate creative now! You won’t be entering your work into any student competitions.
- Other?
I’ve worked for a number of different agencies. But my boss has always been the same. Tell me who you think you should be working for, and I’ll tell you who/what I work for. (No right or wrong answers. Except #4. That’s not the right answer.)
MAKIN' ADS 
6. MyselfAt least I try at first. But usually I fall prey to one of the others listed in this order:3. Creative Director1. Clients2. Agencyand still waiting for 5. The Glory(and you’re right – especially when starting out, you better not be in it for the money.)
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The glory. Only, I think of it more as the adventure. The Rar!
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Myself. Though that’s a wishy-washy answer, because sometimes what’s good for myself is to suck it up and be a good worker and make the food shot longer and not bitch about it. Pick your battles. If you’re going to be loyal, be loyal to people. Because no matter how much you’ve put into a company/agency, when the company needs to let people go, it may not be loyal to you. The bean counters usually look at a list–who’s making how much money? Who’s attached to what account?–and if you fall on the wrong part of that list and if all you have to show for your career is that you’ve loyally made the food shots longer, you’re in trouble.
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Well, when I say Myself, I mean all that’s in me that wants to create great ads. Ads that make me smile. Ads that I know will make others smile. Think. Or do differently.When I make the food shots longer, add more product, or increase the size of the logo, THAT is when I stop working for myself and start working for #1. (Ironically enough.)
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LC- If the client wants a longer food shot, or a bigger logo, or more product, is it in your best interest to do it, or to refuse?
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