Editor’s Note: The following advice is from Belle Frank, Executive Vice President, Young & Rubicam, who graciously led a series of Professional Development Workshops (PDW) for CCNY students. As a result of her counsel, several MCA students landed plum internships at Y&R and other leading communications firms. All students are encouraged to utilize industry contacts and advice as you fine-tune your resumes and prepare for internships and full-time employment.
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Visit Belle's Rated R for Research blog to stay up on industry trends!
http://ratedrforresearch.wordpress.com/
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Blog entry content compiled by CCNY Ad/PR Prof. Lynne Scott Jackson following Fall '09 PDW.
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Why not use the upcoming President’s Day break to polish up your resume for the new year? It pays to always be ready for new opportunities.
City College of New York (CCNY) students recently students had the pleasure of intimate 7 AM professional development workshops led by Belle Frank, Executive Vice President, Young & Rubicam, at the agency’s Madison Avenue offices in midtown Manhattan.
Belle urges students to “let their personality shine” and encourages young people to “cultivate their own voice” in order to put their skills to work in service to their first full-time employer in the advertising / marketing communications field.
When developing a “career objective,” Belle advises students to showcase their unique talents on their resume and provide topical info that will inspire the reader to ask questions.
“It’s great if you can get the potential employer to start talking,” says Belle. “Try to establish a common ground or area of interest. Your resume is an opportunity to highlight what makes you tick.”
While there are many schools of thought, Belle prefers resumes that focus on what you did or contributed, rather than dates.
Belle says, “Let go and understand you really don’t have to know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life.” Putting students at ease during the CCNY professional development workshop (PDW), she said, “I evolved. What I brought to the mix at Y&R came over time. The industry also evolved over time.”
Belle is a senior executive at Y&R – a global advertising and marketing concern and heads the strategic research unit, developing critical components to help major brands thrive. Tara Boras, Dominik Wisniewski, Alexandra Suazo and Piyarat Songcharoen are among the long list of CCNY students who have the privilege of interning at Y&R, working on major accounts such as Colgate, Land Rover, Accenture, Bacardi, Campbell’s, MTV and NHL to name a few; http://www.yr.com.
Your Job Search
Use Visual, Verbal & Physical Techniques
> Present an error-free resume
> Practice sound business and communication skills (online and in person)
> Be knowledgeable, well-read and well spoken
> Be polished and professional
> Use visual, verbal and physical techniques to tell the story of who you are
> The more explanatory and descriptive you can be, the better
Help Me Help You
Every time you contact someone, send them your resume. People are busy and don’t have time to hunt through digital files for your last send. Plus, you want to make sure they always have a CURRENT version of your resume, complete with your fresh, new experiences.
First and foremost Belle says, “help me help you.” Make it easy for your potential employer to work with you by:
> Make your resume stand out
> Don’t send “generic” attachments
> Examples
Lynne_Scott_Jackson_Resume_122108 (best)
LSJ_Resume_122108 (not good; reader is not clear about sender)
Interviewing for Your First Job
“You can make very few out and out mistakes when selecting a first job,” according to Belle. “The goal is to get experience and build your resume. The point of your first job is to get another job!”
Jobs are about finding the right fit. Don’t get paralyzed into thinking it’s not the right job. In today’s “down” economy, Belle is encouraging and says, “losing a job means you have the opportunity to get another job—perhaps a better job that’s more of a fit for your talents.”
As students make the transition from academia to internships and full-time employment, Belle counsels, “Understand you become a very different person once you have a job. It’s an opportunity to prove to people that you have skills and can rise to the occasion.”
“I’m trying to make you be you,” Belle explains, as she encourages students to set expectations and realize they most certainly WILL get through interviews and land a first job.
On the road to employment, Belle says students should not hesitate to ask for a “courtesy interview.” This is an opportunity for a contact or associate to get to know you better. The goal of the courtesy interview is to get another appointment—a personal referral to another individual in that company or that associate’s professional network.
“Research the company. Bring your resume and business cards. Be prepared to ask thoughtful questions.” Keep in mind the person on the other side of the desk won’t “torture” you. As the interviewee, you’re trying to get the person to see “Who else I know could I help by offering you (the young person) to xyz.”
Belle suggests, “Think about what you might like to do and be prepared to talk about it. Let your personality shine. Talk about what you like to do and things you’re good at; include everything from reading, writing, photography, organizational skills, fashion, working with people, managing teams, etc.”
Ask yourself:
> What do I care about?
> What am I good at?
> How can I differentiate myself from others?
> What motivates me to succeed?
> What makes you think you want to do this work?
> Why does it ring true for you?
> Why do you want a career in advertising?
Belle says it’s critical to make your responses passionate and believable. “You’ve got to learn to sell yourself in a big way.”
If your responses to any of the above questions are vague or undecided, that’s not a good sign. Belle says, “that means the interviewer has to work too hard to get useful info from the candidate.”
She repeats, “help me help you” get the job or at least get to the next step or next person in my circle of contacts who might be able to help you!
It’s simple: “If you can’t do the interviews, you can’t work in this business. You must be confident. You must have a strong point of view. You must pitch all the time. You must have the ability to engage and intrigue audiences with creative storytelling.”
Belle encourages young people to use all their experiences to their advantage. For example, jobs in the retail or food service sectors show an affinity for hard work, customer service and the ability to meet high-volume demands from the public and management.
Further, she stresses that you practice, practice and practice your responses. Say it out loud with family or friends. Practice in the mirror or on the train.
And, understand there’s no single path to success.
In order to land that first gig, Belle says talk to everyone you know. Understand that people are busy and it will be on you to follow up in order to land courtesy or informational interviews or see if you’re under consideration for internships, etc.
Resume tips
> Make your objective stand out
> Include items that spark conversation
> Think about what the interviewer can ask you about
> Use 10-12 pt. contemporary fonts (it’s ok to be creative in a creative industry)
New School: Arial, Verdana, Century Gothic
Old School: Times Roman
> Use files that are easy to download (Word and PDF are best)
> Put your “Experience” before “Education”
> For experience in your area of interest, “romance” your contributions, talk/write about your success
> Example (sales position)
“I used my organizational skills to drive business for the marketing unit, increasing ROI (return on investment) more than 30 percent.”
> In general, it’s not about sentences, about what your resume says
> Bullets can clearly communicate info in a simple, easy to read format
> In the “Education” section, include classes germane to the advertising/marketing communications profession
> Understand you can always change your resume or make it specific to the job you’re applying for (beauty of word processing)
> Continue to sharpen your resume, so there’s a clear “take away” of who you are
Other Advice
When participating in informational or courtesy interviews, understand the lingo of the organization you want to work for and use words that make you more confident.
For example, if you got an “A” in a research class, explain why you enjoyed it. What consumer/audience insights did you glean from surveys, interaction with various consumer publics or classroom discussions?
Take advantage of any professional opportunities that come your way. It’s an invaluable opportunity to network and possibly find a mentor. People in all industries want to give back and take pride in helping the next generation find their path. In addition, Belle’s father was a graduate of CCNY; thus, she was encouraged to “give back” to his alma mater by counseling others who want to follow in her footsteps.
And, note that professional development doesn’t stop once you receive your degree. Professors Lynn Appelbaum and Nancy Tag crafted an action plan when they learned Belle was receptive to hosting students at Y&R. This is a prized opportunity afforded CCNY MCA students, yet not easily accessible to students who attend college outside of New York City.
Stay tuned; Belle is working on a forthcoming book on resume tips and career advice, a “must read” for MCA pre-professionals. We can’t wait!
Thank You
Always remember to follow-up with a polite email or handwritten note, offering sincere thanks for the person’s time, counsel or advice.
Remember busy executives see scores of people on any given day. Refresh their memory and call attention to a specific part of the conversation where you “connected.”
Portfolio Perspectives
Check out
http://www.digication.com
Digication was developed by Jeffrey Yan of the Rhode Island School of Design and the application is truly amazing! Perfect for writers, ad/pr execs, filmmakers and other creatives, it’s now super easy to develop a portfolio. Cost: only $19.95 per year.
Or, check out Blackboard 8.0’s new Portfolio Tool – it’s free via the CUNY portal!
Whatever your preference, get started on your portfolio now. It’s the easiest way to showcase your work, and it’s portable to a global audience!
Over the course of the semester, professors will share other useful information to assist in your professional development.
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