Unsurprisingly, our roundtable event also led us to discuss how to be sure when you think you’ve found great talent. I was curious to see how this question would be answered by each of the Creative Directors amongst their peers. Any junior out there trying to impress at their next interview should read on:

Peter Bidenko of Leo Burnett got the ball rolling on this one, indicating that at the junior level he’s more focused on enthusiasm. “The more senior they are the more I want to probe into how strategic they are and what they have actually done.”

Mark Bamfield former long termer at TBWA and new ECD of Y&R Jordan had this to offer, “Can they think? Take them out of their comfort zones and challenge them to think and articulate new ideas.”

Similarly, Ben Knight ECD OgilvyAction Dubai is also looking for people who can demonstrate their own creativity; “People that can talk comfortably about a good piece of work lets you know they came up with it.”

Mark Bamfield continued with the same theme, “I like to just hear people talk about their work. Putting the website and portfolio aside – we need to revert to getting them to describe an idea as well as show it.”

Adding to these views, Ryan Reed of Y&R went a step further to talk about the type of individual he looks for; “It’s about the personal side as much as about what’s in their portfolio. I want to know what inspires their creativity. Without personal there’s no passion. In some ways I like to see potential over achievement.”

Tim Styles the new ECD at The Agency, Doha and former CD at M&C Saatchi London confirmed the importance of personality, concluding “It’s about two things: energy and curiosity. I want to see people show a burning interest in something. It’s about character – an unwritten rule for creatives. People that creep up on you with hidden depth are preferable to those who are trained and overt. I prefer people who are like truffles-it ain’t obvious.”

I hope that has given the next Frank Lowe amongst you a few tips…

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