This document provides tips for creative professionals on resumes, interviews, email etiquette, and self-promotion materials. Some key points covered include having your resume proofread for typos, bringing your laptop and charger to interviews, sending a thank-you email within 24 hours of an interview, keeping emails short and focused, and leaving a business card or other leave-behind item after meetings to help you stand out. The overall message is that being well-prepared, polite, and following up in a timely manner can increase your chances of getting internships, jobs, and other opportunities in the competitive advertising and design fields in New York City.

1. getting
down to
business
for creative people

2. Resumes
+
Interviews
01

3. make it count
no typos
show your personality
make it feel "on brand"
includes a nicely designed + well-written resume
your portfolio

4. resume check
Your contact info (phone #, email address) + URL
Your title (AD/Designer/CW/UX)
Have someone proofread it (The FIT Writing Center)
One more time: no typos

5. interview pro tips
Always bring your laptop + charger*
Always have a back-up PDF, because wifi
Always have 2-3 hardcopies of your resume
Always, always, always ask for a business card
Always arrive 15 minutes early
Always know where the office is*

6. *true stories
Always bring your laptop + charger*
We had a student show her portfolio on her phone.
She did not get offered an internship.
Always arrive 15 minutes early
We had a student arrive 15 minutes late for an internship
interview. She didn't get an offer, because she was late.
How do I know? The CD emailed me.
Always know where the office is*
We had a team go to Brooklyn, when the agency was in NYC.
They did not get the internship, even though they arrived 60
minutes late and apologized. 1 Dag Hammerskjold Plaza

7. making
contact via
email02

8. 1. INTRO EMAIL 2. THANK YOU EMAIL
3. FOLLOW‐UP EMAIL 4. OTHER EMAIL
Always make it short, sweet
- You met in-person
- You admire their work and
haven't met
Create an email signature
Someone took the time to look
at your book; Someone came to
your class as a guest speaker...
Gratitude always wins
- You added new work to
your site
- You saw a new campaign
they launched
Create a reason to email
- You're a Fangirl/Fanboy
- You saw a job posting on
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
reasons for email

9. 10/28 10/30
RECEIVED REPLY
PRO TIP: SEND A THANK YOU (EMAIL, SNAIL MAIL)
WITHIN 24 HOURS OF AN INTERVIEW, MEETING, ETC
MY TURN TO REPLY
WITH YOUR
PORTFOLIO LINKS
I SENT A BLIND
EMAIL TO
AN AGENCY
11:35 AM 8:34 PM
TBD
1. intro email to PIC‐NYC.com

11. 9/26 9/27
I SENT A
THANK YOU EMAIL
OUR FIELD TRIP
2:01 PM1:30 PM3:00 PM
9/27
REPLY FROM WK
2. example: our field trip to WK

13. 2. example: thank you

14. 2. example: thank you
Field trip to Sideways‐NYC
on 10/19
I SENT A THANK YOU EMAIL TO THE CD
WITHIN 24 HOURS...
AND DROPPED‐OFF HANDMADE CARD
FROM THE CLASS WITHIN 2 WEEKS.
PRO TIP: YOU GO TO ART SCHOOL.
YOU'RE A MAKER OF THINGS. STAND OUT.

15. 2. example: thank you

16. 2. example: thank you

17. 4. example: job post

18. 4. example: fangirl

19. she wrote me back 2 days later!

20. 4. example: other/thank you

21. "Always stay gracious"
as Queen Bae says...
gratitude

22. Be nice.
Be early.
Be organized.
Be grateful.
Ad‐land in NYC is smaller than it seems.
increase your chance of getting
the internship/job/2nd interview
re‐cap

23. Business Cards
+
Leave Behinds
(aka,
self‐promotion piece)03

24. You should have them
You have to ask for one after an interview
business cards
MOO.COM (LOOK FOR DISCOUNT CODES)
VISTAPRINT.COM
STAPLES
FEDEX KINKOS
OLD SCHOOL METHOD:
DESIGN + MAKE YOUR OWN AND THEN CUT THEM
BY HAND

27. A cool, inexpensive way of leaving your mark
with the person that interviewed you.
If it's cool, they will keep it.
It can also be your follow‐up thank you piece.
also called "self-promotion piece"
leave behind

30. let's get
to work.hustle. network. go.