Pencilling in a little flattery draws out the best in people
Following my recent Inspired piece in your magazine (DW 8 January), a new box of pencil crayons landed on my desk, from student Chris Haydon.
I know they were from him because his name and details were engraved on the lid.
Even more impressive (if a little unnerving) is that my name is in shiny gold caps on each pencil. Ego polished, I’m getting him in.
If only all candidates realised the value of creativity before the interview, as opposed to during it.
Ben Marshall, Landor Associates, by e-mail
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Comments
I missed Ben Marshall’s inspired piece (DW 8 January) but couldn’t agree more with his view of the importance of a creative ‘foot in the door’ as opposed to the ubiquitous emailed .pdf.
I was so impressed with a simple, beautifully produced and incredibly effective ‘CV’ I received a couple of years ago. It included a photograph of the applicant stood outside our offices, pointing to the front door, with a caption underneath saying “This is where I want to work”. She now does.
A few months later I was invited to Bedford College to set a project for final year students. The brief was to create something to send out to one person at one company, where the student really wanted to work, something that would show total commitment to wanting a job there, more than any other, something that the person receiving it just couldn’t throw away.
Every student showed total commitment, producing creative ideas that got every one of them through the door, all of them with work experience and most of them with jobs.
Please, no more emailed pdfs!
PS I love my Apple Mac but I still love sketching out ideas with pencil crayons, hint, hint!
Gary Cooke
Executive Creative Director
Open Agency
I love this too. Its such a thoughtful and memorable thing that no-one would forget to be honest. From what I know the person receiving this would have loved it. I love crayons too!