John has been with McClaren McCann for seven years. While he was freelancing, McLaren offered him a full time job, and what he assumed would be a summer gig turned into a much longer gig.
This is considered "a very long time" for a creative to stay in one place. In explanation, John says that creative people can be fickle, and it is just the nature of the industry for people to more around frequently.
To him it has always felt like a new job.
How things get done at McClaren McCann
There is a pretty integrated environment at McClaren McCann. Initially a project is kicked off collectively and then the team members branch off and work on the different project components depending on their specialty.
John's strengths were design and ideas.
Key Clients
-GM
-641 Lotto Max
- Wind Mobile
Social Media
Now many of their projects are no longer about driving people to a site and more about finding them where they are on the internet and sharing with them there.
Some sites are now even making social media content the main material on their own sites.
This kind of many to many marketing is difficult for brands to control. A good example is theKitKat scandal, where nestle was revealed to be buying palm oil from a non-renewable source through a video created and shared by Greenpeace. Eventually Nestle was forced to stop purchasing from that supplier due to public outcry and media notoriety.
The industry today
As consumers blur the line between different media and technologies, it is up to us to catch up. Creatives are becoming more responsible for more aspects of a brand's identity.
Helpful Advice
- Don't take what falls in your lap. Go after a place you like where you feel comfortable with the work you are doing.
- In a small shop you must be a jack of all trades
- If you are a 9-5 production designer you will get paid and have normal hours but the work is unstimulating
- make sure to have an updated portfolio with your best work in there.
- make your strengths the feature of your work
- the cost of entry to a good job are good layout skills
-show anything in your portfolio that shows your passion for what you do
Interviews
- Be organized
- organize your presentation and pitch it well
- stand out
- always ask questions at the end of the interview. ask for advice about your work and your presentation
At Work
- Don't keep your head down
- volunteer for things
- if you aren't being assigned the work you want, ask for it
- don't be "drunker than your boss"
Closing thoughts
Keep things in your life in perspective. When I had a child I thought..."screw websites, I make people!"
Contact
John.Alabaszowski@maclaren.com
@johnala
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