The horrors of hiring: Asia agency bosses on interviews gone wrong

I’d take this article with a large pinch of salt, specially since the dead serious subject of the piece has been diluted by anecdotes that focus on the rare and freakish experiences which are nothing more than bar banter.

At one time, Singapore was a centre where the only job criterion was excellence.

All that has changed since the government decided that increasing immigration drastically was the only way to boost local consumption and real estate values. So they opened the floodgates to all sorts of substandard talent from neighbouring countries, including the West and of all places, Latin America. People who would have a hard time making an impact in their own countries got hired in hundreds of junior, mid level and high positions here.

Why? For nothing else apart from the fact that they were perceived to be cheap. They come in at a third of the locals’ salary, live in flat shares with 4-5 other people, dont take cpf, dont do national service and are therefore considered more appropriate.

Hardly surprising that agency talent levels are at an all-time low…staffed either by dirt cheap incompetents or hugely expensive scammers.

Agency heads also need to start polishing up their act and not relying on HR to fill creative positions. HR people have no idea how to evaluate a portfolio and what questions to ask, except the cliched ones. Usually, the HR person is a foreigner and they tend to favor people from their own countries, which is disgraceful.

The flaws these misguided hiring policies are not so apparent when times are good. But when the shit hits the fan in an economic recession, it’s only the quality of your product that can keep you afloat. The coming months will show if Im right or wrong.

Sommerset Maugham said it best while surveying the quality of expats at Raffles Hotel.
‘Singapore. A first rate city for third rate people.’
True then.
True today.

Hope the bitterness of the above posts doesn’t drip down too much into this one.

But how about the other side? My recent interview at a 4A agency in HK. Met the MD, met the ECD, all going well. Keen for me to start. Then I met the head of planning. She would ask me a question. Then as I answered, she would start scrolling down her phone. Every question she did this. At one point took a call without even an excuse me. Even managed to throw in a bit of casual racism toward the Chinese (the market she was based in). I left the room, called the recruiter and said no chance.

The I Heart PR story is the inevitable symptom of too many TV talent shows; why do you want to be a singer? Because I love singing! And what do you think makes your different? I love singing so much. And why do you think you deserve this opportunity? Because my whole life (all 16 years of it!) all I’ve ever wanted to do is sing! But can you actually sing? Er…

Just as interviewees prepare for these meetings, so should interviewers. Most of them don’t bother carefully reading a CV or studying a portfolio even though it’s been sent to them days in advance..then they ask the stupidest, most obvious question in the meeting, when the answers have all been provided prior.

Maybe it is a test of the candidates’ patience.

We had a junior creative intern show up on his first day, and he was complaining that all he did on his first day was to design web banners. And on his second day, he loudly proclaimed that he would like to do more “ideation” and less “execution”, and insisted that we “use his talents” by asking him to come up with ideas and have someone else execute his ideas.

Even before we told him to get off his high horse (and ahem, to go fuck himself), he quit on us on his third day. All the while saying that we do not appreciate his talents.

I sincerely hope he didn’t bring his attitude to his next agency.

I once had a fresh graduate interviewing for a Account executive role and I asked her a simple question of “what do you think an account servicing person does?” After a long rambly answer, she says: “I hear a lot of client servicing people end up sleeping with their clients or having affairs with them, but I can’t do that because I’m a Virgin. Unless the client and I have that kind of chemistry, I will not sleep with him.” WHAT THE FUCK?!!

And another fresh grad told me that he feels that he can’t come in at 9am every day because his dad drives him to work and his dad can only drop him off work at 10, after his dad’s morning coffee. Slow clap.

I got nice interview questions for all the CEOs making fun of newbie candidates:

Why does it only take a serious economic recession to get an agency to start thinking and operating responsibly? When times are good, why do you guys insist on wasting money on expensive unnecessary junkets and entry fees for scam? And hiring all sorts of useless people who add nothing to your bottom line? Any thoughts?

Entertaining read. Two comments; first is the first line of the article is seriously misguided. Singapore is nowhere nearly as strategic a market for advertising in Asia as a market like China.
Second is that I’ve had similarly bad interviewers as I’ve had interview candidates. A more interesting and illuminating article would be for candidates to call out their bad experiences with high and mighty interviewers.

Very valid questions, though I do think you’re taking the article a little seriously 🙂 the article should be used in schools to teach the kids what not to do when they interview. And honestly, some of the bad interviewees I’ve met are not fresh grads. Some people with a few years of experience can still come across as terrible candidates. A group account director once came into my ex-agency and basically kept asking why is our agency doing so badly. Came across as condescending and whiny, and didn’t offer any solutions to our so-called problems.

While this article has been packaged as light hearted, it can also be interpreted as a propaganda piece to further the agency employers narrative… the underlying theme is that there is no good talent in Singapore, so we need to go on hiring foreigners who we can squeeze financially and who are less troublesome to hire, so why won’t the government give us a break? BTW, there is nothing wrong in hiring foreigners for strategic positions when you can conclusively prove that you could not find a local for the job.

But recounting a handful of disastrous interviews to put down locals ( just because you don’t want to pay cpf or want your employees to serve national service)..that’s not the way to do business in Singapore. It would be better if such companies move to philippines or india or peru or romania, where they can hire all the cheap locals they want.

I have interviewed numerous self proclaimed “experts” of search, social and digital marketing. Have time and again face palmed due to their ineptitude and ignorance of basic terms, concepts and frameworks. When asked why they call themselves experts despite clearly being no where near one, they respond “if we don’t, recruiters don’t consider us” or “its just a title, not a claim” – WTF.

My university prof sent us this article to tell us what not to do when interviewing. But I would just like to state my reactions to this, as I’m a marketing grad that’s graduating in a year.

Sometimes “the industry” can be really hard on us. I feel like we try our best during internships but people do give us unreasonable demands. Like, when I was a creative intern, my head of copy told me to do 100 headlines for a print ad. 100?? Really? Is that necessary??? I feel like that was just being difficult and asking me to do the impossible. When I wrote 40 lines and showed it to him, he said I wasn’t “giving enough effort”. As if 40 lines was easy to write. Over two days some more. And according to him, none of my lines were good enough. Seems ridiculous as how can there not be one good line in a list of 40? He kept saying that in his time, it is common for ECDs to ask him to write 100 headlines, but I do believe if that is true, that is a ridiculous thing to do.

I was helping with the brainstorming, and came up with maybe 10 ideas for them. And as usual, they say it’s not enough and I should “push myself to do more”. They don’t understand that I’m already pushing myself.

Also, I understand how someone who is interviewing and comes a little late feels frustrated that he was blackmarked by the interviewer. As an intern, I came in to work at 9.30am, but they still complained that I am late. Even most university lectures allow for some leeway when it comes to attending morning classes. So if my lecturers can understand this, why can’t the agency people?

No one said anything when I worked overtime till 7pm or sometimes even 8pm. But they made a fuss when I came in a little late. Seems double standards?

Because of all that, they told me that I don’t have the right attitude, and one of them even implied that I wouldn’t do well in an agency. It’s unfair to say such things as how am I supposed to be inspired to do well? I honestly feel like we should be encouraged more, and motivated more, not just put down by our seniors.

If only more agency seniors can adopt a more flexible, nurturing attitude, rather than simply put down interns just to make themselves feel important. Than interns might learn more and actually want to work for the agency. People should stop blaming millennials for our so-called “attitude”, and reflect more on what they can do to help us succeed.

#micdrop

LOL this is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Clearly you aren’t ready for the industry. Here’s the hard truth, working life is a whole new ball game compared to school. For the record, I’m a copywriter and I started off by writing over 100 headlines only for my boss to select only 3. If your ECD thinks there isn’t a good line out of the 40 then honey, you have to work harder than that. Afterall, you are not the professional here, he is. In school, you can go late for lectures, but I’m sorry, it doesn’t work like that in an agency. As a creative, and I think you should know this if you’re even interested in this industry — we can start at 9am and we can even end at the wee hours of the morning. It’s just how it is. And since you say that you work overtime until 7pm or 8 then they should let you come in late the next morning? That means if I work till 2am, I should come in at 4pm? #LOLGIC right there. And note that you’re an intern, but you act entitled. Working late does necessarily mean that you’re hardworking by the way, it may also mean that you just did not get your shit done in the given time frame. Not everyone is going to be nice enough like your lecturers or friends in school to pick up your shit or deal with it because they have better important things to do so suck it up. Alternatively, you can try another field because from the way you put it, you’re just not cut out for this industry. Apologies for the 2 year late comment, I just chanced upon this and it made me boil. This is why everyone says that university grads (not all but maybe just a handful) act entitled because you’re one prime example.

Cheers

Interesting article, I.dont know about Singapore but Malaysia much better on filtering candidate, for me, the hr manager first did screening interview very fast on her free time, asked very smart question, than they give me case study to solve and present in short time, than third interview with head of department , lastly the CEO himself invited me for coffee in starbux in a casual friendly meeting, it’s took 3 weeks to recaive offer letter, so hiring is no joke here.

To Uni Student: Your head of copy is trying to help you. He is showing you how much effort you have to put in to be successful. It is very possible that out of the 40 headlines you came up with, all 40 were crap and could be better.

Do you really think this profession is that easy?

For some, the gifted few, maybe it is. But for most of us, we have to slog and burn the midnight oil, constantly rewriting, rethinking, tweaking until things are as close to perfect as possible. The good news for the ‘sloggers’ is that the gifted few can burn out fairly quickly whereas the people who’ve had to learn to persevere usually last a whole lot longer.

And remember, this is a profession and if you want to be in it, you have to be professional. If you required to be somewhere at a particular time, that’s where you have to be and that’s the time you have to be there. This is not college. This is not university. This is the working world and it is very, very competitive.

If you can’t push yourself to be better, if working after 8 PM (especially at the beginning of your career when you know very little and have to learn by trial and error) is asking too much of you, then yes, your head of copy is right: you are not cut out for this business.

Thank you, Conor, for expressing what was on my mind as well.

Uni Student: “My best” and “good enough” are two entirely different things. The sooner you understand the difference in frames of reference, the better for the people who will work with you.

Frankly, this attitude scares me and I hope your peers are not harbouring the same mindset. Hard work always, and I mean always, pays off. The earlier you work hard to achieve something, the easier it gets eventually. Your post, honestly, sounds holier than thou and full of shallow arrogance. If I were your head of copy, I wouldnt even try to help you with that attitude.

(also, “mic drop”… you gotta be kidding me)

@Uni student – your response is exactly why millennials are said to be full of self entitlement. “I come in at 9.30am….we could come in later in uni” – EXACTLY! This is the commercial world Kiddo, this is not Kansas anymore! Try telling your client that and see how fast you get fired. You are at the start of a career…..if your Head of Copy asks for 100 lines in 2 days….give him/her 100 in ONE day. If you won’t someone else will, so be HUNGRY. If you think this is all about “oh lets handhold/placate the poor little intern, please wake up. We live in a world where its dog eat dog, and if you want a place in the real world, you need to act like you WANT a job.
Nobody owes you a living, so if you can’t deal with the realities of life, go be a budding author and sit and home penning the ‘great Singapore novel’ and exist on fresh air and sunshine. This business is driven by passion, not a me/me/me attitude.

Actually, I’m really hoping UniStudent is just a troll…

Overtime until 7pm, sometimes even 8pm.

The horror!

And people “making a fuss” when you came in late. They are not making a fuss. It’s your job. They are holding you to account. Trying to help you develop a sense of responsibility.

That post must be satire? Surely?

I think UniStudent was trolling…i think. I hope. I pray.

In reality, hiring so-called foreign talents in Singapore are more expensive than hiring Singaporeans because MOM already has several checks in place.

1. Salary: Foreigners cannot be paid lower than that of Singaporeans. As companies need to publish vacancy on JobsBank for 14 days before they are allowed to hire foreigners, MOM has an idea of the salary the company is offering for that position. Once they apply a work pass for the foreigner, MOM will compare the salary offer vs. the salary posted by the companies on Jobs Bank. If the salary offered is lower than what it has listed, MOM will reject the application.

2. Offer: Companies can’t just directly offer the job to foreigners. They have to post an ad on Jobs Bank for certain number of days, and are only allowed to hire foreigners after the ads failed to produce a fit candidate.

3. Levy and CPF: Foreigners are not entitled to CPF, and companies must pay levy for foreigners they hired. For those who don’t know, levies for skilled foreigners can go as high as 500-600 dollars. Suppose a company hires a foreigner for 2K, and is charged $500 for the levy, the company has to spend 2.5k for that foreigner. In comparison, the CPF contribution by employer is around $350 for an employee earning 2k.

3. Other costs: Work pass application costs around 100-200 dollars depending on the skill and experience of the foreigner hired. This of course is no guarantee that work pass may be approved. In addition, company is required by law to bear the medical costs of the foreigners they hire, and considering that foreigners are charged higher (non-subsidised) medical fees (sometimes twice the fee of a Singaporean), this all becomes added costs to employers.

4. Opportunities: Hiring of foreigners has been significantly tightened these few years, and many jobs posted on job ads are restricted to Singaporeans only. A large number of these jobs offer very lucrative benefits. The last time I searched online job ads, 7 out of 10 jobs have specifically stated that they prefer Singaporeans only. I also have friends who were denied job offer because they were not Singaporean.

5. Waiting Time and Uncertainties: When a company decides to hire a foreigner, it takes up to two weeks to know whether MOM would approve the foreigner’s work pass (if rejected, that’ll be 100-200 dollars wasted and employers have to either appeal and wait three weeks or start the recruitment process all over again). After MOM approval, the foreigner must attend medical screening (if he/she fails the screening, MOM will immediately revoke the work pass), which involved another few days of wait. In all, it takes around 3 weeks before a foreigner can start work, which may pose problems for companies with urgent need of manpower.

In addition, the renewal of a foreigner’s work pass is also filled with uncertainties. MOM may and have in the past denied renewals, meaning that the foreigner is not allowed to work after his/her current work pass expires. For some companies, this will cause problems as they have to immediately start hiring the foreigner’s replacement.

In conclusion, hiring foreigners is neither cheaper nor more economical than hiring Singaporeans because of the costs and uncertainties involved. That being said, today’s job market is highly favourable towards Singaporeans, not foreigners.

I think most of you here are missing the point. Just hear me out – if the contract states that working hours are between 9-6pm, then working past 6 would be considered overtime. And we should be paid for the extra hours. People can’t assume we don’t have plans after work, and that our lives revolve around work. That’s just ridiculous now.

Okay, if my head of copy was indeed trying to teach me something or impart some learning to me, he can always do it in a nicer and more inspiring manner. Asking me to write 100 lines in two days is just not right. It’s like asking taxi Drivers to do 100 rides every day. Impossible right??

The industry seniors should have a dialog with us and listen to our expectations during the interview. So they can know how our individual personalities and figure out how to work with us. We are individuals, not herds. No company should treat us as such.

To those who say puts the blame on influx of so-called ‘foreign talents’, in reality, hiring foreigners are not cheaper than hiring a Singapore, in fact, its costlier and filled with uncertainties. Here’s why:

1. Salary
When a company intends to hire foreign worker, the company must first have advertised its job opening for a period of time in Jobs Bank in which the salary range has also been clearly listed. When the company applies work pass for its newly hired foreigner, MOM will check the foreigner’s salary against the salary listed by the company in Jobs Bank. If the salary of the foreigner is lower than that listed (for Singaporeans), MOM will reject that worker’s work pass, and that worker is not allowed to work. This measure ensured that foreigners are not paid lower salaries than their Singaporean counterparts, and companies have no incentive prefer foreign talents over local ones.

2. CPF & Levy:
Employers need to contribute certain percentage of a worker’s salary towards his/her CPF. If a Singaporean worker earns $2,000 per month, the company has to pay an additional 17% ($340) as CPF contribution.

When a foreigner is hired, employer must pay a levy to the MOM in place of the CPF. Levy rates vary between sectors and usually range between $350 and $550. This levy must be fully borne by the employer and cannot be charged to the employees. This means that compared to a Singaporean worker, a company that hired foreigners must pay more.

3. Other costs
In addition to levy, employers are required by law to bear the medical costs of its foreign employees (remember that foreigners pay more for medical treatment here in Singapore- a procedure for Singaporean at $20 may cost more than $50 for a foreigner). Companies are also required by law to purchase insurance for foreigners that the company hire.

Costs for applying a work pass for the foreigner can usually go as high as $200. Most companies will also bear the cost of the foreigner’s mandatory medical screening when he/she arrives in Singapore.

4. Uncertainties
When a company decides to offer a foreigner a job, the company must first apply for work pass with MOM. It takes up to two week to know the outcome, and the foreigner’s application may be rejected and MOM does not need to provide a reason. If in any case the work pass application fails, the company has to either appeal (and wait at least another three weeks) or start the recruitment procedure all over again. This makes it more beneficial for companies to hire locals rather than foreigners.

On a side note, when I went through job portals, I found that 6-7 jobs out of 10 have specifically stated that they prefer Singaporeans only. I also have friends who was denied interviews or have their interviews cut short all because they are not Singaporeans.

@uni student

Let me tell you why your head of copy asked you to write 100 headlines:

1. Because he wants you to say the same message in a different way. Your first 99 headlines would have already been written by someone else. If you are lucky, the 100th might be something new.

2. Because, only in rewriting you’ll learn how to say something in the most concise manner.

3. Because, how would you know that you’ve written your best headline, when you haven’t exhausted all possible ways of writing them?

4. Lastly, because, as a junior, if you don’t write 100 headlines, someone else will gladly do so.

Your last sentence says it all. It reeks of utter self-entitlement.

Why should THEY reflect on how to help YOU succeed?

#cringe

Asking someone to write 100 headlines is the hallmark of a useless and lazy creative director. It’s easy to say that and leave because then they don’t really have to do their job …which is to offer creative direction. Churning out line after line just to meet a quota is also no way to improve your writing.

I could tell you the secrets but why should I? No one taught me….figure it out on your own and see if it works for you. Just remember, no one has the time to baby you and teach you the ropes nowadays…it’s not ideal but that’s how it is.

I also feel for interns who are paid $500 a month with no travel and meal allowance and are then expected to pull long hours into the night…and then show up on the dot at 9am everyday. The mind needs time to recharge or else it becomes useless.

No wonder no young person wants to join this business any more.

I interviewed so many college grads like @uni student and hired none of them. Their self entitlement reeked.

@uni student – it’s clear you simply don’t get it. If you’re questioning the contractual hours against the actual hours, you may want to consider something other than advertising. Unfortunately (especially in Asia) the sad reality is that you’ll pull way more hours than you are contractually asked to. It doesn’t feel like that’s going to change soon. I don’t support it but welcome to modern life and advertising.

Some advice for juniors/new recruits – arrive to your interview or new role with a roaring fire in your belly. WANT the role. Have a reason why you’ve approached XXXXXX agency and not YYYYYY agency across the road (WANT it). If it’s as vanilla as “I need a job”, jog on.

Show your ambition and have a good attitude and you’ll stand out from the crowd who seem to want everything handed to them on a plate.

There’s a lot of misinformation and subterfuge mixed in with what you’re saying, so let’s go through it, shall we?

1. Salary
When a company intends to hire foreign worker, the company must first have advertised its job opening for a period of time in Jobs Bank in which the salary range has also been clearly listed.

THE SALARIES ARE NOT ALWAYS LISTED.

2. CPF & Levy:
If a Singaporean worker earns $2,000 per month, the company has to pay an additional 17% ($340) as CPF contribution. When a foreigner is hired, employer must pay a levy to the MOM in place of the CPF. Levy rates vary between sectors and usually range between $350 and $550.

TAKING $2,000 AS YOUR SALARY EXAMPLE FOR ADVERTISING IS MISLEADING AND UNREALISTIC SINCE THAT IS NOT EVEN ENTRY LEVEL MONEY FOR UNI STUDENTS. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PICK A MORE REALISTIC FIGURE, SAY, $6000, FOR EXAMPLE…..17% is $1,020 SO DONT MAKE IT SOUND LIKE HIRING LOCALS IS CHEAPER.

3. Other costs
In addition to levy, employers are required by law to bear the medical costs of its foreign employees (remember that foreigners pay more for medical treatment here in Singapore- a procedure for Singaporean at $20 may cost more than $50 for a foreigner). Companies are also required by law to purchase insurance for foreigners that the company hire.
Costs for applying a work pass for the foreigner can usually go as high as $200. Most companies will also bear the cost of the foreigner’s mandatory medical screening when he/she arrives in Singapore.

IT’S WRONG TO SAY FOREIGNERS ARE CHARGED MORE THEN DOUBLE FOR MEDICAL CARE…THAT DEPENDS ON THE KIND OF CLINIC THE INIDIVIDUAL CHOOSES. PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS CHARGE THE SAME TO ALL, WHILE GOVERNMENT CLINICS OFFER SUBSIDIES TO CITIZENS. ALSO, COMPANY INSURANCE ONLY COVERS BASIC STUFF, SO DONT MAKE IT SOUND LIKE YOU ARE COVERING ALL MEDICAL COSTS FOR FOREIGNERS.

@A uni student’s perspective – #micdrop seriously? if you can’t hack the working world, then go and work for your parents’ company or something. There are many more serious job applicants out there who are waiting to take your place.

@Ex SG CD – well said! the problem with all of these new grads is that they are not hungry, literally or figuratively.

@Jen – you are absolutely right…..people always assume it is cheaper or easier to hire a foreigner, but it isn’t really. It takes time and money and effort. So, don’t automatically look down on foreigners. They might be more skilled and diligent in doing a good job than all these self-entitled young Singaporeans

Looking at the comments here, it’s easy to see who are the employers and who are not.

Being a moron and being in advertising are not two mutually exclusive things….the phenomenon cuts across all demographics….however, it seems entry level Millennials being singled out… that’s one of the downsides of being in the spotlight.

I find millennials display poor experience and level of skills . Hiring them to communicate with other millennials is a gamble because millennial consumers are restricted to the lower spending categories. And their poor work ethic is becoming a problem.

I feel a bit sorry for millennials too…. thanks to the era they’ve grown up in, they have acquired some traits that are not compatible with the communications industry:

1. Terrible language skills….thanks to emojis and sms style abbreviated english.

2. Belief that everything going through their heads must be shared as much as possible…..communications is the art of saying the right amount of words to the right people in the right place…choosing words carefully seems to be an alien concept to them.

3. Always pre-occupied with their phones instead of talking to people, listening and observing life around them. Strong ideas come from strong insights which in turn come from observing how people behave.

4. Immaturity: It takes time to mature into a thoughtful adult..if you don’t know yourself yet, how can you know how consumers think and feel?

However, take everything i say with a pinch of salt…every generation makes mistakes growing up…the trick is not to make the same one twice.

@UniStudent 100 headlines won’t save you if you channel the same attitude through all of them. Copywriting may not be for you but you might have a future in PR. At least you had the sense to remain anonymous 😉

@EveryoneElse I am sorry that some of you have had horrible encounters with hiring young people in Singapore, but I sincerely hope that these anecdotes are exceptions and not the norm. We’re working on it!

“if the contract states that working hours are between 9-6pm, then working past 6 would be considered overtime. And we should be paid for the extra hours. People can’t assume we don’t have plans after work, and that our lives revolve around work.”

HAHAHA. Who’s the one being riddiculous here, I wonder.

The fear is real https://vimeo.com/169805138

Obviously lots of valid points here, my main takeaways:

– Hard work, persistence and experience over time are the main ingredients for developing your career and I agree with a few others that some people don’t have the patience or desire to gut it out. Thats’s fine, they will learn later in life that they missed out by trying to cut corners to have an easy time in the early days. I had multiple low paying jobs before getting into the industry and because of this I valued my opportunity. If people have not worked much before, this steep learning curve is represented by poor attitudes when being told what to do and when to do it. Harden up newbies.

– Employers can be more open and helpful in helping building careers, but employees have to earn it. As a new hire you need to show how you can add value, not just take what you need from a role. You’ve obviously been hired so someone saw something in you, but that’s just the first step in your career journey. Every day is a chance to validate your hiring, increase your value through hard work and do what you are paid to do. Do more and ideally you’ll develop more.

– I think there is a lack of critical thinking and ability to discuss ideas with insight from some in the industry, agency and client side. In my experience, simplistic views about needing A and B to get to C, which would equal ‘recognition’ or a promotion for that person means people are self-interested but not necessarily doing a good job or using good strategy. Maybe this comes from education systems that value high grades only, but not progressive thought and the ability to develop a point of view and have it challenged or even changed.

– Lastly, I think the comments from different perspective show the gap between expectations and reality of the different parties. Singapore seems to have lots of meet ups and events and the like, often centered around drinking/entertainment. Maybe young people see this and this forms part of their expectation? Maybe there needs to be more communication and contact between businesses, education providers, employers and employees to set expectations? Maybe the focus needs to be more on quality work and sharing ideas not just semi-casual meet ups?

If any of that is interesting to you, happy to chat more.

Maybe someone could even offer me a new gig and this article could prove useful for something more than cringing and comedy.

Cheers,
Heath Morrell

@uni student Quit while you’re ahead. Reading contractual hours to the advertising industry? Please say that to anyclient and watch how fast they’ll request that you be replaced on their account. No one is saying you are to be treated like dirt but working hard (yes….god forbid…long hours) is part and parcel of ANY job (try talking to any investment banker if you want to know what long hours mean) and so is having the right attitude. Singapore was built on the back of vision and a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Our dear founding father would be turning in his grave if you represented “the future of us”.

May the *mic drop* and hit your head and instill some common sense into it.

I am in complete agreement with Ini Student on one thing…this whole “working-late- and-working-weekends-with-no-life-whatsoever” nonsense.

It is a situation created entirely by agencies and their roundabout, time wasting processes. The amount of time that is wasted by suits and planners to “get a brief right’ is just appalling. And they think nothing of dumping their brief on some poor bastard’s desk on a friday, expecting a review on Monday morning…even thought they dicked around with the job for 3 weeks prior. Fuck that….I have a life…I do want to work hard and earn a living for my family… but when I drop dead due to a stroke, the agency won’t care one bit, apart from writing some fake eulogy crap on their Facebook.

Interviewed for a consumer insights (with digital expertise) management position with a major MNC. Interview took place at employer’s offices via teleconference with HR people in S’pore. Interview concluded and I sat waiting for the A/V system to shut down. Sat their and listened to the HR people bad mouth about not understanding “digital” and “being too senior”. Not a humbling experience, but more of a fly-on-the-wall insight into lack of understanding about the function they’re hiring for (interviewers had to be schooled on who and what Socialbakers and Brandwatch do) and lack of consideration for people outside their organization.

Rich-kid millenials are over-entitled but many networks are arrogant and inept. The two deserve each other.

This game is easy. Make the complicated simple and memorable for the man on the street. All arguments above about time and attitudes are redundant, if the people you employ are nice and have the skills to achieve this one simple objective.

The trick is to keep it in mind when you hire, or join a shop.