Page 110 - Sorry, We're Not Hiring Any Visionaries Today

SORRY, WE’RE NOT HIRING ANY VISIONARIES TODAY
came off as super intelligent. Thankfully, he invited me in for an interview. To my dismay, I arrived at the agency with a blue blazer, tie and briefcase. I basically looked like someone pretending like they were going to work. All I had in that briefcase was my resume and snacks (crackers) for the day.
So, I walked in and looked around, and no one was wearing a tie, so I immedi- ately took it off. In your 20s, you don’t really know much. Companies seek people who possess passion and can push when the time comes. What they’re looking for is effort. I was able to demonstrate that.
The managing partner looked at my portfolio and said, “This is crap. There’s no narrative, there’s no structure, there’s no insights.” His words stung be- cause all these other people I’d shown it to said, “It’s really great.” And he’s just like ripping it apart. But he told me, “I can see you’re trying, and you’re work- ing, and you’re smart.” After this, he brought in several strategists to meet me. We had a conversation, and they can see I’m eager and young.
After this, they all leave the room and have a conversation about me. I am sweating because I have no idea what’s really happening. Finally, after much deliberation and what felt like an eternity, this partner turned to me and said, “Okay, we’ll take a shot at you. We’ll give you the job.” So they gave me the job on the spot, which is unheard of.
I put everything in one basket because it was the only one I wanted to work for. This was because of the strategy side of it. If I had Sid Lee on my resume, it would be like going to Harvard. For me, Sid Lee was my Harvard.
I learned through osmosis — just being there in that environment and observ- ing these great executives and the way they operate. But it was a very challeng- ing environment as well. I worked up to 80 hours per week, including the weekend. I learned that my work ethic can be extremely high when I’m passionate about something. But the long hours are a purgatory you must go through to earn your badge of honour.
Advertising agencies do work very hard, and burnout is quite common.
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