If I were a student or a junior creative, here are just a few things I would consider when digesting the news that even Crispin is laying off employees:
- Now, more than ever, you really need to have a great book to make yourself hirable when you’re looking and invaluable when you’re not.
- Personally, I do my best work when I’m not worried. Brush to the side the things you can’t control (the economy, the hiring process, client whims), and focus on the things you can (your work ethic, your book, and how much fun you’re having).
- I bet some of the 60 who were laid off from Crispin were creatives. And I bet their books are hotter than those of some creatives who are at giant/global/dinosaur shops. They (and maybe you) will have to decide what kind of agency they’re willing to work for in this economy. Will they be willing to work at agencies that don’t produce such great work just to get a paycheck? Will you? No right or wrong answers here. But you’d better have your own.
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Maybe only the slackers were let go, but in general, this means there are 60 more people out there willing to work 15-hour days, for next to nothing, in the middle of nowhere. Yowzers.
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My guess is you’d be hard-pressed to find one slacker at CP+B, much less 60.
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Actually it looks like it was primarily account side and research. From the rumor mill only 2 creatives were let go.
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Great blog, I love what you have to say. One thing I suggest is to always stay creative. If you’re laid off, spend at least part of your time finally getting that great campaign laid out, or that radio spot produced (using Craigslist of course). I started a web site called SpecBank.com for this very purpose… So I could get my client-killed TV scripts made by directors looking to build a reel. If anyone has unproduced scripts laying around, now’s the time to keep building your reel, even if it’s not happening at work.
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