After using The Kolbe Index™ for over four years, I finally decided to make the investment to be a Kolbe Certified™ Consultant. It was an incredible experience that only reinforces Stellar's mission to help people that love to work find the work that they love. There's a ton of deep insights and great wisdom that Kathy Kolbe and her team bring to each training and I'll unpack that over time with additional blogs and articles. For today, I wanted to start with the first question that most clients and candidates ask about The Kolbe Index™:

Remote work might be a career's silent saboteur for younger creatives. I'm going against the grain here when I say that remote work isn't for everyone or every profession. It's particularly detrimental in small-to-medium ad agencies, where the environment of an agency is an education in and of itself. If you’re an aspiring creative, say, a designer or a writer, envisioning a career in advertising, take heed. If your experience comprises mainly of remote work, particularly during the formative years of your career, you may be doing yourself a disservice. Why is remote work bad for creatives in advertising? The crucial first two to three years of agency life are simply irreplaceable. These are the years that separate the wheat from the chaff, acting as a veritable crucible for aspiring creatives. The process of enduring the rigors of below-the-line work, learning to handle rejection, taking direction from seasoned professionals, operating at an agency's energetic and often rapid pace, and using the right tools to bring ideas life; it's these challenges that mould raw talent into seasoned professionals. The immersive experience of an in-office or hybrid environment is more conducive to the growth of these skills than remote work. When you're physically present in a busy agency, you're more likely to understand the nuances of advertising that often slip through the cracks in virtual workspaces. Being in an office provides a fertile learning ground for absorbing the ethos of the industry, understanding the intricacies of your craft, and getting your hands dirty. Today, we're seeing a talent vacuum at the local level, with younger creatives' work often falling short compared to their pre-Covid counterparts. One plausible explanation could be the lack of in-person experiences, the peer collaboration and the mentorship that's ingrained into great agency culture. My suggestion? Shift your focus to local agencies, seek out hybrid or in-office roles. It's time to stop chasing the allure of remote work and start investing in solid, on-the-ground experience that will serve as the foundation for your career. Engage in an environment that challenges you, hunker down, and work to develop the skills that will let your stars start to shine. With a few years of in-agency experience under your belt, the lessons that you learn will reveal how little formal education really teaches about the real-world of advertising. In summary, here's my 5 Potential Perils of Remote Work for Young Creatives in Advertising The formative years of your advertising career are crucial and are often best spent in an in-office or hybrid environment. Remote work, while increasingly popular, may not provide the robust learning environment required for young creatives in advertising. Being physically present in an energetic agency is beneficial as it allows you to absorb the industry ethos, understand the intricacies of your craft, and cultivate collaboration and creativity. The industry is currently experiencing a local talent vacuum, possibly due to the lack of in-person experiences and the critical collaboration and mentorship that an agency setting provides. It's crucial to seek out local or hybrid roles in agencies rather than getting swayed by the allure of remote work. To make your creative mark in advertising, it's essential to 'think local', lean into hybrid or in-office opportunities, and trust the process. Remote work has its merits, but it may not be the optimal path for young creatives aspiring looking to learn the ropes of the agency business.

January and February are the two most popular months in the calendar year for job changes...and we just so happen to have an expert in the field to help. If you are looking for a new job, a new career, a new direction, looking to hit the reset button, then you don't want to miss this episode of Success in SC where Jami Mullikin, a veteran in recruiting, gives tips on how to land the job you are looking for this year. He also gives his tips on how to become more successful in your personal and professional life. In the end, Jami implores us all to love the work, not just the rewards that come as a result of working.

Building a portfolio is an essential step towards starting a successful career in advertising. As a creative director, I understand the importance of creating a portfolio that showcases your talent and demonstrates your potential to prospective employers. Here are the 7 most important things to consider when building a portfolio to start your career in advertising: Quality over Quantity Your portfolio should showcase your best work, not all of it. Include only your strongest pieces that demonstrate your skills and creativity. Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to building a portfolio that will impress potential employers. Show a Variety of Work Your portfolio should demonstrate your range and versatility as a creative professional. Include a variety of projects that showcase your ability to work with different mediums, styles, and industries. This will demonstrate your flexibility and adaptability, two traits that are highly valued in the advertising industry. Keep it Simple and Easy to Navigate Your portfolio should be easy to navigate and visually appealing. Keep the design clean and simple, allowing your work to take center stage. Use clear and concise captions to explain each project, and organize your work in a way that is easy for employers to understand and follow. Tailor Your Portfolio to the Industry Research the advertising industry and the types of work that agencies and companies are producing. Tailor your portfolio to showcase your skills in the areas that are in demand. This will help to demonstrate your understanding of the industry and your ability to meet its needs. Show Your Creative Process Include sketches, concept ideas, and notes that demonstrate your creative process. This will show potential employers how you approach a project and how you arrive at the final product. It will also demonstrate your ability to think creatively and solve problems. Include a Variety of Projects Include a variety of projects that showcase your ability to work on different types of campaigns. This could include print ads, digital campaigns, social media campaigns, branding and identity work, and more. Including a variety of projects will demonstrate your ability to work across multiple platforms and mediums. Keep it Updated Your portfolio should be a living document that is updated regularly. Keep your portfolio up-to-date with your latest work and remove any outdated pieces. This will demonstrate your commitment to your craft and your willingness to stay current in the industry. In conclusion, building a portfolio is a crucial step towards starting a career in advertising. By focusing on quality over quantity, showcasing a variety of work, keeping it simple and easy to navigate, tailoring your portfolio to the industry, showing your creative process, including a variety of projects, and keeping it updated, you will create a portfolio that will showcase your skills and potential to prospective employers. Good luck!