For aspiring copywriters, art directors and designers, the job search is tough. Juniors face the challenge of not having any work experience yet. But in my opinion, you should play that no-experience card up as much as you can! As a student or a junior creative, you have far more freedom to tour and shadow at agencies, and the further along you get in your career, the less common it is to ask for an agency tour to check out the company culture.

So while you’re working hard to put a stellar advertising portfolio together, you should also do as much as you can to connect with juniors and mid-level creatives at agencies you want to work at, and ask them to give you a quick tour of their agency. 

The agency's culture is like the secret sauce of their success. By touring the agency, you get a sneak peek into all the agency vibes, how the employees work together, and the resources offered to employees. 

Chances are, you’re going to be in the office for at least a few days a week, so you want a space that's not only conducive to creativity, but also feels like a second home. During the tour, you'll get to see the office layout, the comfy nooks, their post-production capabilities, and how their advertising magic happens. And meeting with your potential colleagues lets you gauge the team dynamics to see if they're the kind of folks you'd want to brainstorm with.

And let's not forget about the agency's portfolio! During the tour, you'll get a front-row seat to all the amazing campaigns they agency is proud of. It’s like a highlight reel of their creative prowess. Take a good look and see if their work aligns with your own creative aspirations.

And here's a pro tip: by touring the agency, you're also showing them how genuinely interested you are. This extra effort might even spark more meaningful conversations during interviews or negotiations. Making connections early on sets the stage for future collaborations and friendships. Who knows, you might find your advertising soulmates!

Working at an agency is like trying on a new pair of shoes—you’ll spend a lot of time there, and you gotta make sure they fit just right! At book180, we LOVE showing off cool agencies with virtual agencies tours that we post on TikTok. Check out a recent one we did at Mother NYC.

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