My goal is to help students, like you, get the inside peek of possible internship and job opportunities. I want to help you put the best foot forward and get the upper hand on “hot spots” in Lubbock.
I met with Brian Wink, the president of Griffin Wink Advertising. He was very nice and laid-back. They recently moved into a new office, so they are still setting everything up. The agency is full-service with a conference room, several offices, intern station, art room, and a large production room. Brian told me that every day at 2:30 p.m., they have a collective break from work to relax and talk to each other about everything but work.
The Resume
A resume can be black and white or it can be full of color. It depends on what best reflects your personality. The most important part of a resume is to sum up everything about yourself and what you have done in one page.
“I want it clearly stated, but the structure is not all that important to me. I just want to be able to find your information, get a good understanding of who you are without trying to figure all the cool, neat little tricks and stand-out things.”
Brian said it should only take a few minutes of looking over a resume to figure someone out. Although color and creativity is great for the advertising industry, white space can work well. One thing to be careful of is trying to cram too many things onto a resume. Also, a big red flag to employers is moving around. It make professionals question if they get bored easily or if they are unmanageable.
Internships
“Previous internships are important to an extent. They show me that you have a basic underlying knowledge of everything, but every agency operates differently. Every agency views things differently.”
Internships show that you have worked somewhere before, but did you do anything while you were there? Making the most of internships is very important. If you were just a wallflower, you did not learn very much.
“If you did an internship and just sat there and answered the phones and you didn’t actually get in and do something, then I’m kinda going ‘that agency didn’t see a value in you.’”
Extracurricular Activities and Organizations
It is always good to get involved and learn more about your future career, but going over board can also hurt you. Make sure the extracurricular activities and organizations you list on your resume are relevant.
“They are important if I see that your grades are good, if your GPA was good and strong, and you had a lot of extracurricular activities then that tells me that you can manage your time and you can balance life and school and different things.
Portfolio
Most portfolios are passed along to the art director for critical evaluation. They have the best eye when evaluating certain aspects of designs.
“I look at it and say does it look like something else that I’ve seen? Are they carbon copying what is the trend right now or are trying to produce the new trend? Are they over cluttered? Are they reaching or are they trying too hard to make it cool and trendy and everything else?”
Brian says he should be able to easily under the message and figure out what he needs to know and what is being pushed. People get consumed with trying to make the ad look cool and trendy that they lose the message.
“I’ve had portfolios that are sent to me as a website. I’ve had portfolios that come in a binder. I’ve had portfolios that are leather bound. It depends on who is more passionate about. Is it art or is it advertisements?”
Applying for Internships
Brian works closely with Aleesa Ross in the Career Center. If you are not currently on her daily “info to know” emails, then you need to contact her as soon as possible. She sends out daily emails with internship and job opportunities.
Applicants can apply through email or the website. If chosen, they are contacted by Malorie, an account executive, for an interview and then reviewed by Brian. Griffin Wink offers a general or account services internship, digital, social media, art or creative, and media internships. These internships are unpaid, but they will give you the full agency experience.
“We are not asking our interns to be wallflowers. We want our interns to get in there and get their hands dirty, do the research, put the presentations together. If you’re a good intern and you carry yourself well, you will get to into account meetings and everything else.”
Best Advice
“My biggest piece of advice is don’t assume that just because you took a class on it that you know it. Be open to learning. Get involved. Ask questions.”
The only way people learn is by doing it themselves. Advertising is a business of thick-skinned, loud, and angry people wrapped together. When you are an intern, do not be shy. Always be learning and asking questions.
“If you’re quiet, you’re going to get run over in this business. You have to be pretty aggressive. You have to be pretty solid in your beliefs and if you believe something, stand up for it. If you can’t tell me why you believe something, you don’t believe in it enough for me to take it into consideration.”
Applying for Jobs
There is a careers page on their website and they also send out openings through Aleesa Ross. This process is the same to applying for an internship. Submit your resume and cover letter through their website.
Expectations
“Energy level. Passion. Ideas. Freshness. I want somebody who is coming in, that they are excited. They want their ideas out there. They have a different approach. They’re not exactly in the mold or the day-to-day routine that we tend to get into. These guys bring in a fresh perspective, a fresh look, and they challenge things. I want people to come in and challenge the status quo.”
Ways to Dress
“Don’t dress for an interview here like you’re going to class.”
Give the company some respect! Do not wear flip-flops. No jeans or shorts. Brian suggests doing a little research first. If the company is very professional, wear a suit and tie. If they are a little more relaxed, wear something in between. It is always better to be overdressed. At the same time…
“Be true to who you are and be true to your creativity. The way you dress resembles your personality.”
Note: Brian is a suit and tie kind of guy!
The Interview
It can be hard to judge whether to bring something to an interview or not. Do not bring anything that you will play with because it is a huge distraction. If you have art samples on your iPad, that’s fine, but not overload on technology.
“Bring in something to take notes with, if you need to. Always, always bring an extra resume, even if you sent it.”
When answering questions in an interview, always be honest. It is perfectly fine if people are nervous because most people are, but make sure to say you are. If you do not know something, say you would like to learn it. It is not all about what you know and what you can do. Professionals are trying to see if you would fit best with their team.
There are some questions that people can find more difficult to answer. For example, what is your biggest weakness? Everyone has a weakness, so be honest and let him or her know. Try to mention a way you are working on fixing it.
“A weakness is something you can get better at, not a personal trait.”
Having questions at the end of an interview is almost a requirement. You will not have all the information needed to make a decision about the job right away. Ask about the position or the company. These questions give the employer an opportunity to gage how you analyze things.
“Everybody has questions. The ones that are brave enough to ask them, those are the ones I’m looking for.”
There are many types of questions that you could ask, too. If you are interested in media, ask the interviewer about their conceptual thinking process. If you are interested in art, ask them about software or designs element and layouts. Ask a question that is tailored to the position you are applying for.
“Don’t ask the generic question that everybody else asks. Put some thought into it and make it your own.”
Griffin Wink
A Full Service Digital Agency
6306 Iola Avenue
806.791.0045
www.griffinwink.com
About Olivia Utley
