Notes from the Desk of a Recruiter

By: Chloe Harlig

The author with a cheek to cheek grin.

The best part of my job? The cheek to cheek grin I can hear over the phone when I present a job offer to an extraordinarily talented person. As a creative recruiter, I spend my days scouring channels like It’s Nice That, Sight Unseen, Awwwards, Interface Lovers, AdAge, Behance, and Instagram (just to name a few) to find the most talented creatives in the world. Recruiters are the gatekeepers to new opportunities–sourcing talent, reaching out blindly, reviewing applications, sifting through referrals, and ultimately guiding candidates through the hiring process. Throughout my tenure in creative recruiting, I’ve collected some findings that may be helpful to folks entering the creative space.

Standing out

Catching the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager amongst thousands of applicants can be challenging. There are a few things you can do to help solve this.

• Invest time in creating a beautiful and thoughtful portfolio. No, I’m not just saying this because I work at Squarespace, but elevating your digital presence will only enhance your work.
• If you are a creative, your social media is an extension of your portfolio — use it to your advantage. I rarely hire someone without doing my due diligence (and often find talent on social media).
• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When you’re creating spec projects in school, don’t try to reinvent the wheel for brands already producing great work. I’d prefer to see inventive deliverables for a less-known brand or product than another Nike spec ad — they don’t need spec ads.
• I already know what you do in your 9–5 — but what do you do between 5–9 that makes you unique? I’m always interested in meeting people who can contribute more than just their professional skills to the team.

The Reach-out

Cold calling is truly a tale as old as time. Summarizing yourself in one email is certainly not an easy feat, especially when you are trying to get something out of it (read: a job).

• Use email checkers to find direct email addresses — you can usually guess the format/naming conventions and this resource will double check before you send. I’d 10/10 times prefer to receive an email over a LinkedIn message.
• Make the initial email short and to the point. Nothing more than a few sentences. Make it memorable.
• There’s a fine line between doing your homework on the team/recruiter and taking it too far (we did give them internships and now they’re an art/copy team at Droga5 so take this with a grain of salt). As I just discussed, it’s important to stand out from the thousands of applications recruiters see, but don’t overstep the boundaries. Personalized items I have received include: cakes, single shoes to “help get a foot in the door,” pizza, books, custom Snapchat filters, shirts, coloring books, flowers, someone’s dad’s tie. While personalized items might make an impression, invest your time in reaching out to team members instead.
• Reach out to members of the actual team for informational chats. Ideally, you want to talk to someone who’s not too junior and not too senior — a mid-level team member will be most helpful. These people are your ticket! If the conversation goes well, chances of them passing your info along to the recruiter are very high.
• Please do not be presumptuous or pushy in your initial note. I will never respond to someone who ends their email with “let me know when you’re available to interview me.”

The three-month interview

An internship is a prime opportunity to “try before you buy” for both parties. Just as the company is evaluating you, evaluate them and ensure it’s the right fit for you.

• First and foremost: never accept an unpaid internship or one that is exclusively for credit. It’s 2019–we all have bills to pay.
• Raise your hand for everything but don’t overcommit. Be transparent with your manager if you find that you’re unable to create the highest quality work because you don’t have the bandwidth or resources. Forecast any potential time management impediments at the beginning of each project.
• Show your investment through thoughtful work, not by being physically present all hours of the night. It’s unnecessary to stay at the office just to show you’re there unless you’re actually working. You would be shocked how many interns I’ve encountered that would stay until the wee hours of the night just because. There are better ways to show your adherence.
• This goes without saying but, attend every happy hour and social event that you possibly can. Even just for the free food.
• Get to know everyone and anyone. It’s important to find a champion who will advocate for you when it comes time to discuss possible full-time opportunities.
• Entering an internship with the expectation to be hired full-time is never a good idea. There are so many behind-the-scenes factors that impact the ability to hire. These can include: scopes (contracts with a client that state the terms of a project), internal movement/shifts, timing (meeting end-of-quarter numbers), ever-changing team structures, etc.
• The worst thing you can do is leave an internship without making your mark on the place. Help develop a new process, start a department newsletter, suggest an artist for the agency’s rotating gallery; leave behind a legacy.
• Maintain your network. Stay in touch with all internship contacts after you leave–both with other interns and full-time employees. You never know who will hire you someday.

You have an offer! Now what?

Navigating your first job offer is incredibly difficult. Nobody teaches you how to do this. Most recent grads don’t know the market and certainly don’t know how to negotiate.

• Don’t be afraid to negotiate your first offer, but tread lightly. Understanding your worth means doing your research with vigilance. If you come in with a number that’s unrealistic, you run the risk of coming off as ungrateful or cocky.
• Glassdoor is a notorious resource but it’s self-reported data and usually doesn’t accurately depict the salary landscape. Check resources like Ladies Get Paid to understand what others in your field are making.
• Set realistic expectations about your financial situation from the get-go. How much do you need to make to be able to live in New York? What number will ensure you can pay rent every month and eat ramen for only six nights a week, not seven? (Joking.) Besides the robust career opportunities in New York, a large part of my decision to live here was the endless food, art, music, and culture moments. Make sure you can financially take part in what the city has to offer.
• I find that candidates asking for a range of what they’re looking for are less successful than folks who come in with a solid number. It’s a given that everyone inflates their desired salary by about 15–20% — shoot your shot (within reason) and see what happens. The saying goes something like: if you can say the number out loud without laughing, ask for it.
• Compensation can be awarded in other forms besides just base salary. If you take a job before you’ve moved, most companies offer some form of relocation money (even if it’s just paying for your final flight to the city). Most privately-held (and some public) in-house companies will offer equity. Healthcare, vision, and dental benefits are important to consider as well as 401k matching. These things may seem like details now, but they’ll have a big effect on your quality of life, so don’t be afraid to ask.
• Make sure you are aware of the company’s review structure before you sign an offer. Is it annually, bi-annually, etc? Knowing there are benchmarks in place to guide your career trajectory is crucial. This will also give you a better idea of promotion potential and salary growth.
• Never expect an end of year bonus. Amazing if it happens but don’t anticipate it.

TL;DR: Your first job will *most likely* not be your last. It is quite alright to accept a first role that doesn’t check every box on the list but offers you learning and growing opportunity. This is the best time to live outside of your comfort zone–both professionally and personally. Meet anyone and everyone! Ask for more money because you deserve it! If you work hard and treat everyone around you with kindness, the rest will come easy.

Chloe Harlig is a Creative Recruiter at Squarespace, where she’s dived into the tech space following a few years at Droga5. When she’s not talking about being from Alaska, you can usually find her within proximity of any Van Leeuwen ice cream shop. Connect with her on LinkedIn.