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You’re sitting at your desk staring at the new guy. The pencil in your hand could easily be a dart. You only imagine it piercing his cheek, shattering his suave, inflicting pain…damnit.
He got membership at The Royal Sydney golf club, a 2015 BMW i8 and two overseas holidays per year in his package.
What about you?
Here’s how to get what you want from five people who have:
Rob Morrison, creative director, OgilvyOne, Lee Stephens, chief executive officer, Switch Digital, and Ryan Griffin, digital account manager, Switched on Media, this week.
Sasha Firth, business development director, Y&R Group and Sharon Lewis, executive producer, M&C Saatchi, next week.
(Take notes. One of them might interview you one day)
Rob Morrison, creative director, OgilvyOne Sydney:
Creative director by 30? You’re mad.
“You can’t get what you want, ‘til you know what you want.” It’s amazing how people forget this. Money? Title? Awards? Culture? Something else? Tip #1: Decide.
Me, I wanted to make CD by 30. Sadly, I was already 23 and stuck in a telco marketing department. So I did AWARD School, then did in-house ads for a credit union. I moved to Canada and a joined three-person agency, then to England where I was finally a full-time writer. When I got back I had a reasonable folio. Tip #2: Baby steps.
I got lucky with my first Australian gig – a big agency was building a direct division and they needed a writer. We did the work noone else wanted. Awkward clients. Tiny pitches. Ugly-duckling media. Tip #3: Work hard.
With more work came more staff. Suddenly we needed a CD. Yep, me. Alas, I’d turned 30 half a year earlier. Final tip: A miss is still a hit.
Lee Stephens, chief executive officer, Switch Digital:
Getting ahead in media and advertising often seems soul crushing. Endless reporting, long hours, horrible bosses and apathetic clients. Is there a trick to getting ahead? Is there a way to get a promotion without resigning? Yes there is!
The main reason people are promoted is because they get noticed for the right reasons. Most managers will tell you that they’ll hire someone with the right attitude over the candidate with the most skills. In an industry with a staff turnover rate of over 35%, managers are always faced with the dilemma of who to invest in. In turn, the employees they invest in get promoted. Be proactive, talk to your boss about developing a two year plan and what you hope to contribute to the business in that time. You will be very well received.
[The last person who asked for a promotion, probably threatened to resign.]
Ryan Griffin, digital account manager, Switched on Media:
Most people request a raise because they’ve worked somewhere for a length of time. But in my view that’s probably the worst justification they could provide. Highlighting loyalty to your manager is almost extortion.
They understand the costs of bringing on board someone new - the recruiters, the training - but length of employment does not justify a greater salary or benefits. If you’re a loyal employee, it shouldn’t need to be mentioned. It’s like trusting someone who says, “you can trust me”.
If you’re after a raise, promotion, anything, be blunt in asking what you need to achieve it. You may not like the response you’re given and the standards may be set pretty high, but at least you know where you stand. Set out a plan and work towards it with your manager. It’s much easier to justify why you deserve a raise when you’ve done everything asked of you.
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