Career Advice

A star-studded cast of industry big-shots fronted this year’s IPA Society’s career advice panel. Stevie Spring, managing partner of Young & Rubicam; MT Rainey, managing partner of Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe; Paul Hammersley, managing director of Lowe Howard-Spink and Rupert Howell, managing partner of Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury all sacrificed their evening to answer a barrage of tricky questions.

The first question posed was: “What should you do if a client ignores a creative’s judgment and says just do it my way?” There are many ways of handling a situation like this, but the panel unanimously agreed that you should bring the client around to your way of thinking. Ignore the personal aspects of their account, it was agreed. The tip is to look at outside campaigns and discuss why they work.Then try to show how these factors are also an essential ingredient in the design for their particular campaign. Rainey added that it is best not to attract clients that behave like that, they can give your agency a bad name.

The next question really put the cat among the pigeons, it was: “Do you believe that agencies should have a separate planning division?” Spring commented that planners do not have to be labeled planners, other areas of an agency may be covertly fulfilling this role. She went on to say that creatives often make the best strategists. Rainey, on the other hand, would never consider an agency that did not have a strong commitment to planning.

The questions lightened up towards the end: “What should I do if my immediate junior is sleeping with the boss?” The best piece of advice here was, tell the whole office and was followed by a supplementary piece of advice, ‘don’t poke the pay-roll’.

Many interesting points came-up from the evening, but the audience didn’t seem to make the best of a unique situation. As an ‘industry-outsider’ who was only reporting on the event, I was surprised that no-one got up and actually asked one of these top-dogs how to get a job in their agency, or what career path they should take if they want to be invited on to a similar panel in a few years time. That’s what happens at similar events held for people new to the world of TV and the press. I waited the whole evening for somebody to stand-up and pitch themselves to the managing director of Lowe Howard-Spink. I was disappointed, what a missed opportunity.