Should I take the internship?
Submitted by sattypeaches on Thu, 11/25/2004 - 16:32.
After several e-mails, we mutualy agreed that I won*t do the placement. After a year of full-time, 6months internship is bit too much. (and I did 3months placement twice before) Thank you for all of the infos and anybody who could figure out which agency we are talking about, the internship might be still available.
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Hi, I*ve been at a-not-bad-agency in Asia for a year as junior AD after graduated from one of portfolio school. Released from the job last month, due lost of the biggest account/politics there (they laid off all women in the dep but no men). mad
Now I have an offer of 6months* internship at one of high profile agency in Europe, ok Amsterdam. My question In Europe or AMS, do you consider internship as try-out? I*m not sure getting back to intern after full time AD.
Internship at hot agency in Amsterdam?
Looks like a killer oppertunity, here*s why Yes an internship in Amsterdam (if we are talking a PAID one) is much like a tryout, quite a few stay on after their initial internships, unless they manage to fuck up completly/not get along with anyone.
If they are helping out in any way to get you a place to stay, it*s serious, and you should jump on it. Finding a somewhat decent place to crash at night in Amsterdam is both difficult and expensive.
Either way you*ll come out the other end with
1) six months in a new city, Amsterdam, has many great things to see and do.
2) Fresh European work in your book - we hope.
3) It*s such a small ad-world in Amsterdam you*ll probably end up knowing everyone in it within 6 months = extended little black ad book of contacts, that can help you move on to bigger and brighter things later.
This is all assuming it*s a paid (even if it*s poorly paid) internship. Maybe a little pay and place to stay. I wouldn*t touch it if they are asking for you to come over on your own cash.
(this also depends on which high profile agency it is... If you wanna whisper it to me I can ask around about what happens to their interns after 6 months....)
Thank you for the advice, Dabitch.
I wondered how I can whisper the name in public.....I found the agency*s recruiter posted a topic by herself in other forum; Job sections...and you, Dabitch, posted a reply to it. They*re pretty new in AMS. Does this work to you?>Dabitch
I was in AMS last year, supposedly to do freelance at an agency. but they totally screwed me. When I showed up, was told the job canceled and they never filled with any other jobs....of course no pay. Hence I found advertising industry in AMS might be dodgy, or everywhere. That was a painful lesson. I agree when agency invite you but on your own cash, they generally look for someone who work for almost free or disposable.
You should look at the agency*s body of work, if you like it, if you think you can learn and grow from the agency and if you couldn*t find a similar agency in Asia. Why else would you accept a "demotion" from full-time to intern?
The pay is also important. It may not be good to move to AMS and end up in the poor house with no money for a ticket back to Asia!
When I was laid off two years ago, I found a job in Hawaii. It was a nice agency with decent work, but the pay was low...and Honolulu is as expensive as NYC. I decided that I couldn*t afford to leave NYC (as funny as that sounds) and stuck it out here. I think it all worked in the end.
aha, I think I know the agency.
Since it*s a spin-off from a bigger German agency, do what Robblink says and look at the work, also the work from the parent agency in Germany. Some of it is very good.
They*re more serious in their talks to you than that other agency who offered freelance, right? I have too flown in on the promise of freelance and gotten nothing in Amsterdam. It*s not the city, it*s the business, I*ve done the same for agencies in Helsinki. We all just hafta learn to demand our flights paid for any vague promises of freelance, you*ll get the hang of it as your grow in the biz. wink
Lemme make a call or two to see if I can find anything more out for you. I think it sounds very promising, but like to see if I can find any dirt first. wink
THIS JUST IN
The agency of which we speak is red hot right now, bagging two huge clients recently and in desperate need of extra people onboard - things are going to get busy, and it looks set to last.
they need senior AD/Senior Designer/studio person, account manager, senior planner, art intern, intern(junior) creative team. LIke, yesterday.
Call *em up right now and ask for a flight ticket.
wow, great info. Yes, we are talking about da spin off.
You have lots of connections> Dabitch
Thanks a lot.
I*ve been asked to be in junior creative team, although I*m solo.
(I assume they may have a writer intern to team up with me)
Thanks for the advice> Robblink
I understand your point. My problem is I*m currently living in a country as expat. Which means unless I find job by end of December, I*ll lose my visa and have to go home, Japan, where advertising is totally different. At this moment, I don*t have any full-time offer, the intern would be the best although considerably demotion.
I*ll update later how it goes. Thanks.
BTW, where can I find the agency*s work? The HQ*s web site don*t have Amsterdam*s and couldn*t find any at Adforum, adland, adformatie, nor archive. confused
How about looking at previous work of people that the hot shot CD has hired for an idea of creative caliber. smile
The team responsible for Onitsuka Tiger Hero Breath (and commercials) has been working there since day 1.
Good sign.
<i>Red Hot</i> might be a bit of an overstatement, Dabitch.
But yeah, go for the placement. Don*t doubt for too long, it might be gone.
arite.. I was getting exited about their recent accountwins. razz
Never mind. They might be a major player in the scene and placements are hard to come by these days.
But so far they still have to prove themselves.