Creative Discussions
Interviews

Anyone (or know anyone) with experience at GMMB in the creative department (as opposed to PR, etc.)? I’m interviewing there and have read some troubling reviews on Glassdoor, especially around workload and burnout for non-senior staff. Given its size, I want to investigate whether that is company-wide or in certain departments.

For context, I’d be mid-level working with the west coast teams, so focus would be on causes and initiatives rather than politics.

Thanks in advance.

What are some good/important questions to ask a potential creative partner in an interview? I’m going through the process now and usually go mostly off chemistry and personality but feel like it could be of value to actually have some key questions in mind? Anyone have any that personally helped you know that your partner was “the one” (as lame as that sounds)

Currently in media planning at a media agency, but want to be in brand planning/strategy at a creative agency.

Is it worth applying for a strategy role in the pharma/health side of a creative agency? Or would that limit future prospects?

I’m a creative / tech innovator applying to McKinsey and the other big four. However, I’m now concerned my limited on-the-fly math skills will automatically count me out. Seems like the interview process weighs on that. Im wondering if I need to hire a math tutor to help me get up to speed. Or, wondering if those of us who are more creative can get away with less than ideal math skills. What’s the reality?

I had a really weird interview for Creative Director today.

It’s a small startup. HR interviewed me and asked all the hard hitting questions (how do you get design inspiration, how do you deal with design roadblocks, what sets you apart for this role?) which I thought was odd for a screening interview.

They made some affirmative noises then said the next step would be a design test (one pager) which I would present to a panel of interviewers including the CMO.
Anyone else think this is odd?

I had a really weird interview for Creative Director today.

It’s a small startup. HR interviewed me and asked all the hard hitting questions (how do you get design inspiration, how do you deal with design roadblocks, what sets you apart for this role?) which I thought was odd for a screening interview.

They made some affirmative noises then said the next step would be a design test (one pager) which I would present to a panel of interviewers including the CMO.
Anyone else think this is odd?

How do promotions work in your company? (Include your industry if you want).
Are there regular title bumps based on tenure and work quality? Can you only be promoted by applying for open roles? Is your big on creative hierarchy and reporting structure by letting people become managers and mentors to more junior people? (Jr. reporting to sr. reporting to ACD reporting to CD etc?)

UBS has contacted me several times to discuss internal consulting roles. Is there anyone who recently joined wiling to chat?
1. Interview process
2. Comp structure
3. I live a 3 hour drive from the office. There is a requirement to be in the office 2 days/week. I don’t plan to relocate. Any creative ways to negotiate comp given the 3 hour distance? Will they provide accommodations for someone traveling 3 hours to come to the office twice/week.
4. They are aware of the distance, yet they continue

Company I'm interviewing for is asking me to respond to a creative challenge as part of the interview process.

They're requesting platform ideas with responses in the ATL, digital, and content spaces. I find this quite odd given they approached me first rather than the other way around, and to ask for a creative task at the senior leadership level is strange to me.

How should I approach this? Say no? Spend no more than 1-2 hours on the task for a topline response and send with an NDA?

Interviewing with a FAANG for an ACD/Creative Lead position and trying to wrap my head around salary negotiations. What are people making at similar tech companies with 6-8 years of experience (base salary and total comp)?

Does anyone work creative at Rivian? How’s the interview process and company culture?

I’m trying to make the jump from agency > platform (not FB…more like Spotify or Twitter etc.). I work with reps at these places as part of my job, but technically their loyalty is to my clients (the ones spending $ on their platform), not to me, working at the client’s creative agency. So it feels weird asking them for a recommendation or referral, but that would obviously be easier than applying on the jobs site... How do I utilize my “network” without making things awkward?

Hello, I'm currently in a final round interview for Account Manager at a creative agency. As a written assignment very, I've been asked to answer the below question. Any advice?

1.we just won a large new client for an influencer mailer project. Walk us through any key initial points & questions to ask the client

1.5 yrs experience at mid level at a holding company agency, working on accounts that should in theory present a ton of creative opportunity, but for many reasons that is not the case. I have very little produced work and that seems unlikely to change. Am in final rounds of interviews for a senior position at another holding company agency on an account where the work will almost certainly not be “great” but should be able to make a lot of it. Do I make that jump to senior this early?

In the interview process at this creative agency I’m excited about, but they mentioned having to fulfill a small project brief in the final round of interviews. Suddenly it’s a huge turn-off for me.
I don’t know anyone personally who has done a project before getting hired. But working for free feels icky, even just brainstorming. Any positive experiences here?

I was interviewed by the creative dept at an agency and am set to have another call with their HR tomorrow (I imagine for an offer). The tricky part is that another agency said they’d interview me this week. I’d much rather work at the second agency. How do I navigate this? Do I stall the first agency? How long can I delay accepting? Do I try to speed up the process at the second? Do I mention I already have an offer elsewhere? I much prefer the second but don’t wanna ruin my chance at the first

Sr. Cw / ACD level creative interviewing with agencies that are looking for teams (at both levels). Anyone on the art side interested? DM your book

Is there such thing as too much ass kissing in a job interview? Or everyone likes for the interviewee to do their research and act like they would really like to work for the company and the creative director they are interviewing with?

I’m at a subset of a big name agency, but not getting the opportunity to work on projects with a high level of creativity. I’m in interviews with a pretty much non-recognized agency but I would be getting to do much more creative work. Would you: hold it out at the big name agency and keep pressing for projects? Or make a move to the place where you’ll get to make more work.

Looking for Accenture info!
Interviewing at Accenture in two areas next week: Account Manager Creative and Brand Marketing and
Content Experience Manager at Accenture Interactive

The former sounds exactly like what I do now at an ad agency but on the in house agency team with Accenture being the “client”. Lots of execution work. The latter is more about answering RFPs for existing clients and developing some strategy and like 30% execution. I’m leaning toward the CEM role.
(Cont. in comments)

Thinking of applying to a role at Verizon.

Yea / nay? Does anyone know what it's like?

And who to reach out to for creative roles?

🙏🏻

POC creative interviewing at an agency in Portland. I actually never knew about how white Portland is, (around 80% white) until I did some research. I’m used to pretty diverse cities like LA/NY/CHI. Any POCs living/working in agencies in Portland share your thoughts?

Has anyone interviewed with Creative X (Facebook/Instagram’s in-house)? Any tips you can share? Or any insider knowledge of what it’s like working there?

Recent grad. Interviewing for positions in a competitive creative field. I get past two rounds of interviews and today I get an email they want 2-3 references. I’m curious why they’d ask now but on top of that I don’t have any references besides my old professor. What do I do ??

Help!
Applying to a job and one of the only real requirement is to show how I’m “adept at understanding client needs, and designing and implementing creative solutions”. My issue is I work in risk advisory and most of our client engagements don’t actually involve implementation. We usually present our findings and recommendations and move on.
What’s the best way I can tackle this? I’m coming up blank and the deadline is soon.

I’m unemployed and just got offered a job at an in-house agency for a big client. My main goal is not in-house whatsoever. I want to work at a great creative agency and have had interviews with some awesome places lately but no luck with getting hired. Is it a bad move to just take the job for now and keep looking? Maybe freelance where I can and fill out the book? Would having in house briefly on my resume hurt my chances? I’d wait it out but I barely have any cushion to hold me over.

We have a few open positions - anywhere from entry level to 5-6 years of experience for analytics professionals. Job is in Chicago, although we are remote now. Join a team that is applying cutting edge techniques in applying quant thinking in the creative space!!!

Help! Interview questions to expect in a creative director role? And what is desired besides being able to manage teams and present to client?

Creative moving to strategy here:
I am in my 3rd round of interview with an agency for a strategy role, meanwhile one of the biggest tech companies contacted me for a creative role, interview went well.
I am a creative who’s been trying to move into strategy for a while, this could be my ice break to the strategy side, or going back to creative, which I felt there’s not much to grow, but with a bigger company name on my resume.

What would you choose?

What are some examples of good questions to ask at the end of a PM interview? -for a creative agency

Two interviews with the creative leaders of the agency. Great energy, aligned on the agency’s vision, excitement for the portfolio. Follow-up email of the recruiter: they really like you but they pass this time! This one stings...it really does!

First year copywriter. Was furloughed during Covid. Had an interview today with an agency that works mostly with the health and medical fields. The interview went well, but I’ve heard that medical copywriting is a creative death sentence. Does it make sense to take this job just to be employed and then try to wiggle back onto the more creative side of things later? Or should I stick it out until something else comes along?

interviewing for a creative strategy (sales creative) at a publisher - currently in content marketing creative at brand. anyone have advice for making my experience relevant?

Need some advice- had an interview with a recruiter last Friday. It went pretty well. She said she would send my resume to the team and they would review & reach out. I sent her a thank you email a couple hours after our chat & she responded fairly quickly (under 20 minutes) saying she enjoyed our conversation & the creative directors would reach out to me early this week. Its now almost 3pm on Tuesday. Do I follow up with her or wait? If yes, when? Thanks all. Hoping this pans out 🤞

I keep getting stumped on the interview question “what is your creative process like?” My answer are usually a bit underwhelming (I spend some time is ideating alone and then reconvene with my partner). Does anyone have any tips on good tips on how to phrase it better?

My boss has zero leverage in the company, and therefore creative always goes to shit because someone in another department thinks they're far better placed to make creative calls, and my boss can't do anything about it to defend the work.

It's taking a toll on the work, team's mental health, and overall morale.

The company values are no longer aligned to my own, and it's no longer the job I was sold in on during the interview process.

What do I do?