RUNT in LA – These Guys Have Seen It All

On November 10th, The Creative Party came together in Los Angeles to listen to five influential creative-industry hiring managers discuss what they love, hate, and ignore about portfolios, and the people who present them.

72andSunny Creative Recruiter Owen Williams joined us, along with BLKBX Creative Director Raymond Sanchez, freelance creative director Bridget Prophet—plus Peter Buck and Matt Page, a creative direction team from Spark44.

The consensus?

Don’t overdo it. Take out the filler. Show the work you’re most proud of, and show it clearly. And to that point, be able to talk about your work during your portfolio presentation, because if you can’t sell an idea, it’ll get killed.

For those new grads out there: spec work counts! Hiring managers love it, in fact, because it shows what you could do when you have limitless boundaries. This is where you can really sell your capabilities.

Show the work you’re most proud of, and show it clearly.

As far as the way you present yourself in an interview? Be yourself, be real. Hiring managers want to see who you really are, because that’s the person who’s going to be coming into work everyday. In an interview, they’re looking for whether you’ll fit into the overall environment, and at most agencies, how you’ll work with your partners and teammates.

When it comes to your portfolio, at the end of the day, be flexible. The golden question of the evening was “how do you know if your portfolio is bad?”

“When it didn’t get you the job you wanted,” Peter Buck answered. Observe what works and what doesn’t. Accept that you might need to change up the work you show, or make new stuff.

You can check out more photos from RUNT. Be Part of the “Seen” on Facebook, and keep an eye out for future gatherings on our events page.

About RUNT. never underestimate.

A professional development series from The Creative Party and Mathys+Potestio, RUNT is about positioning creatives for success in their careers by providing tools and knowledge to excel. Often, the only thing holding people back is themselves. From this series, you’ll gain insights to give you the confidence to achieve your professional goals in the creative services world.

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