In today’s fluid job market, as traditional corporations restructure and fast-growth companies seek senior-level talent, it’s not uncommon for executives to find themselves back in the candidate’s chair, facing the same level of scrutiny they once used to gauge potential hires. Along with this, the subsequent movement towards more flexible workplaces and flattening management hierarchies means that methods used to discern who makes the cut are evolving as well.

This is especially the case with creative industries and start-ups. Driven by democratizing influences of technology and a more empowered workforce, such companies are placing a higher bar on hiring C-Suite talent who not only have the experience and technical knowledge to instill confidence with the public or shareholders, but who also have the flexibility and open mindset to more easily navigate a company’s unique culture and inspire trust.

To this end, executive job descriptions now often list a number of soft skills held as requirements for leading any organization: qualities like empathetic, entrepreneurial, collaborative, dynamic, and inclusive that can’t entirely be measured or proven in interviews, but are still considered crucial to executive success. The ability to showcase these soft skills organically to potential employers is vital, and the best way to prepare is by understanding upfront what recruiters and hiring managers are eager to see.

It’s impossible to anticipate every question or challenge that will be thrown your way, but there are a few strategies executive candidates can employ to ensure their inherent abilities to connect, communicate, create and motivate shine through.

1. Your Story is Not Just Your Own

“Storytelling” is a trendy skill, and interviews are excellent opportunities to see how well you recount your own. But executives are first and foremost expected to be storytellers for the company or brand, and that involves familiarity with histories that aren’t your own. Don’t deflect from your personal tale, but save some room for others — and that involves listening as much as telling! When given the opportunity, ask questions of the interviewing team, then try to highlight trajectories in your own life that others in the room might more easily relate to. Shared histories make for more universal stories, which are far more likely to sell.

2. Be Prepared to Play

Not everyone likes surprises, but curveballs are part of the package, and how one responds to the unexpected is perhaps one of the greatest leadership tests of all. Executive-level interviews may often present scenarios or role-playing exercises to gauge how clearly candidates think on their feet, along with other important problem-solving skills. Practice ahead of time if possible. But remember that the best way to prepare is to leave space in your process for spontaneity, and don’t flinch if the interview takes an unstructured turn. On the contrary, try to have some fun! How well you can go with the flow says a lot about how you manage stress — and no one wants a leader who’s going to buckle under pressure.

3. Be Confident in What You Don’t Know

Confidence is necessary for leadership, but swagger is not the same thing. Of course executive job candidates are expected to bring deep proficiencies to the table. But the business world is changing rapidly, and it’s impossible to stay on top of everything. Today it’s often less about what you know, and more about how you learn. If a more technical question stumps you, don’t be afraid to say so, but then quickly follow-up with how you’d go about finding the answer. That process alone can signal more about your creativity and cognitive capacities than an encyclopedic knowledge of everything ever could.

Remember you’re all there for the same reason: passion for the industry or product, and the opportunity at hand to help drive company growth. If ever at a loss, just stick to discussing new developments in the sector and what excites you most about the future — that’s one era everyone shares!

Kate is a Creative Circle candidate, a senior copywriter, and a seasoned corporate communications consultant based in New York. If you want to work with Kate, contact Creative Circle New York.

“The best leaders are the best followers.” – Simon Sinek

When it comes to delineating differences between managers and leaders in the business world, the following top-down logic has historically prevailed:

• Managers perform. Leaders inspire.
• Managers set goals. Leaders create vision.
• Managers maintain. Leaders innovate.
• Managers build systems. Leaders build relationships.
• Managers look to the bottom line. Leaders look to the future.

These examples align with a host of similar aphorisms that, quite frankly, wind up painting managers as dour gatekeepers of the corporate status quo, while leaders get to move about talking and mingling and seemingly having all the fun.

But as the economy continually shifts, so too must businesses — the principles that organize them as well as the people who run them. Revered management guru Peter Drucker was one of the first to identify the emergence of today’s knowledge-dominant economy and presaged that this shift would place people front and center as a business’ greatest asset. As a result, success is now dependent less on systematizing and measuring tangible outputs, and more on identifying and nurturing the unique strengths and talents of an individual workforce. For any organization to thrive, all its people must be guided by the constant motivation to learn, improve and innovate.

And that holds true at every level. Even for — especially for — those at the top.

As more of today’s managers are expected to play “Coach,” responsible for harnessing talent and encouraging the development of human capital, they are also now more likely to step into the realm of inspiration and team building traditionally reserved for leaders. In turn, this fluidity presents today’s executives with the opportunity to cultivate the single most important quality that will give any business an edge: innovation. For their businesses, but also for themselves.

Personal innovation, of course, is not a linear process. It’s not simply a matter of engineering new technology or refining design. Leaders are individuals, with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Successful executives have likely already learned to play to their strengths. But maintaining — or even surpassing — such success is now just as likely to boil down to learning how to plumb their weaknesses.

A recent article from the Harvard Business Review identified four distinct coaching styles commonly used by managers to develop talent. The most successful approach was that of “Connector” managers: those who “give targeted feedback in their areas of expertise; otherwise, they connect employees with others on the team or elsewhere in the organization who are better suited to the task. They spend more time assessing the skills, needs, and interests of their employees, and recognize that many skills are best taught by people other than themselves.”

Executives don’t necessarily have direct managers responsible for evaluating their professional evolution, but that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from taking a similar approach to how they grow on their own. If the ability to maintain relationships has traditionally been considered the domain of leadership, then leaders are already at an advantage with a built-in network of contacts they can call upon for support.

It may sound counter-intuitive. After all, being at the top means that others come to you for advice, right? But business isn’t static, and progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There are a few key areas executives can target to develop or sharpen skills required for today’s leaders. But applying their inherent strength as “Connectors” is also a sound way for executives to identify what they could personally most stand to improve, and then leverage their network to access the right resources and ideas to go about that process.

And in today’s more team-based, lateral management hierarchies, admitting to a weakness, or two, doesn’t mean you’re losing an edge. To the contrary, by working to overcome deficiencies in skills, perspective, and knowledge, you’re much more likely to gain an even stronger foundation from which to lead.

Kate is a Creative Circle candidate, a senior copywriter, and a seasoned corporate communications consultant based in New York. If you want to work with Kate, contact Creative Circle New York.

Creatives don’t play by the book; neither should your hiring process.

Imagine a job applicant. Which stock photo are you thinking of? Is it the one with a super-eager guy in a suit, hands folded, nervously seated across a long desk? Or is it the woman waving her resume in the air like she’s on a parade float?

You’re likely not imagining a creative. The best creative hires cannot be anticipated. Because of that, keep these next few things in mind when hiring your next creative.

1. The right hire might not be found through your traditional recruiting methods.

It’s not that we’re not looking at job listings on LinkedIn — it’s that some creatives literally might not have an account. Some of the most talented professionals I know promote their work experience through less conventional means like a social feed or a private Vimeo channel.

2. The right hire might not have that required 4-year degree.

Many creative hires become experts in their crafts by way of less traditional education. Whether it’s a graphic designer who’s got an Associate’s Degree, or a UX designer who took night classes at General Assembly, top creative talent might not always have their Bachelor’s.

Before setting your company’s standards, clarify with managers what technical skills are needed for the role at hand. These tend to take precedence in creative work, and you don’t want to needlessly exclude the appropriate talent.

3. The right hire might have atypical work experience.

If you asked a freelancer to list out every client and every project they have ever worked on, you’re in for a laundry list. Since so many creatives freelance for short periods of time, their resumes are long. Don’t always expect to see 3+ years at every previous employer. If you’re concerned with a creative’s capacity to commit, consider asking them what type of work would sustain their interest.

4. The right hire might not be a talker.

OK, real talk: Creatives can be shy, or introverted — even those of us who spend a lot of time with words. Because our contributions are usually hard deliverables like copy or artwork, our speaking skills might be a little rusty.

This doesn’t mean you should lower your standards for the types of soft skills you need. Just remember that creatives might express themselves through other mediums.

5. The right hire might talk a little too much.

On the other hand, you’re bringing in storytellers, and you might get candidates who love language a little too much. These are the people who tell you about their subway encounters, their dental appointments, who they met in the Galapagos, and why.

During an interview, be prepared for some more meandering from a creative than you might expect from other hires.

6. The right hire is still like any other you’ve hired before.

If you’re worried about hiring for creative roles, don’t be. In most ways, hiring for a creative is like hiring for anything else. As a hiring manager, you know how to spot talent. Trust your gut when it comes to creatives — just let us say a few more weird things here and there.

Ryan is a Creative Circle candidate and freelance Content Director who enjoys reading menus. He got his start at BuzzFeed NY, and since has led content initiatives for startups, TV shows, and crowdfunding platforms. He’s now based in LA—but not in a suspicious way. If you want to work with Ryan, contact Creative Circle Los Angeles.

In the same way people say that “finding a job is a full-time job in itself,” looking for the right hire and interviewing candidates can also be like a full-time job. Here are some quick-and-dirty productivity tips to make the early part of your hiring process as efficient as possible.

1. When in doubt, schedule it out

When it comes to interviewing, blocking out time on your calendar to not only complete your work, but to also review applications and meet with candidates, will encourage you to organize your time and not feel as affected by the interview process.

Even though it seems like a simple act, so many of us don’t take our own time seriously enough to block it off on our calendars.

2. Get to know your candidates before you even meet them

To maximize your time meeting with candidates, read through their resumes, look at their LinkedIn profiles, and review any provided links (social media, portfolio, etc.) before you meet with them. Bring focus to the interview by making notes on their resumes with the types of things you want to know about their experience and what their soft skills are.

Not only will your questions lead to more insightful answers, but the process of having done your research will allow you to fairly evaluate the candidate’s preparedness and fit for the upcoming role.

3. Set an interview timeline

Interviewing your stack of candidates in batches is ideal. Depending on additional internal resources and your own workload, giving yourself a set time in which to meet with your candidates will not only allow you to manage the expectations of your candidates upfront, but it will also hold you accountable as you move things forward within a manageable amount of time.

Keeping interview days down to 2-3 days a week rather than trying to get it all done too quickly will keep you engaged with your potential hires. If you take too much time to let any candidate know the status of your interviewing process, you risk losing quality talent altogether.

Finding the perfect candidate can take time when you’re looking for a quality fit. Let us know in the comments section any other timesaving tricks for interviewing candidates you’ve learned along the way!

Annie is a Creative Circle candidate and freelance creative strategist/copywriter working and living in Los Angeles. She knows digital media as well as she knows her own horoscope (she’s a Virgo), having worked at the likes of BuzzFeed and Mashable. She has created branded content strategies for the top Fortune 500 brands, which means she knows the true meaning of “going native.” If you want to work with Annie, contact Creative Circle Los Angeles.

“Not To Exceed” are three words that send a shiver down the spine of anyone delivering services to clients – especially if those services are creative. What the “Not To Exceed” clause typically implies is that the client has a set budget and expects the supplier not to go over that budget. It is often referred to as a Fixed Price. Seems fair, right? Sure… It puts the burden on the supplier to budget accordingly; set the scope, figure out the deliverables, build the team and then set a budget. Of course, they are doing this before any work has begun. It’s always an estimate; always. Until of course the contract is signed and then it is a fixed price. This is typical and has been the way digital and creative services have been sold for years. And I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Rarely will a client spend a little money up front to accurately scope and budget a project. That would be ideal!

But what clients sometimes say (in fine print or buried in their legal docs) is that in addition to the Not To Exceed clause, there will be unlimited rounds of creative work to be completed before the client signs off and approves the work. Wait….what? You want me to fix my price, not exceed it and you can ask for as many revisions as you want? I don’t think so… But time and time again suppliers agree to it. Why? Because they need the gig and… think they can manage accordingly. Easier said than done. Creative work is subjective. It’s emotional. Some clients simply do not know what they like – but they sure know what they don’t like! And that is when bad things happen.

“Not To Exceed” is bad for both parties.

For the supplier, it is the kiss of death. Unless there is a clear change order process or a way to raise red flags for scope creep, the supplier’s margin will shrink every day there is another round of creative. And the supplier will begrudgingly do the work and it will no longer be fun. And creatives like to have fun.

While it may not be as emotional for the client, this is a bad situation because they will lose their partnership with the supplier. The collaboration and good feelings will have been lost. The supplier now sees the work as a chore and the passion is gone. All they want to do is get it done. In fact, they may move their top talent off the project (due to hourly rates and margin shrinkage) and put less experienced people on task. And in the end, this is bad for the client. Because the work is rushed.

Many years ago, my agency had a top cosmetics brand as a client. We agreed to the “Not To Exceed” clause because a) we needed the gig and b) how could we pass up the chance to work with such a well-known brand. When we delivered our first round of creative they gave some notes and felt we were close. So when we delivered round 2 we were confident we would get sign off. Well…after round 15 we had blown through the entire budget and still had no approval. My team was burnt, frustrated and angry. For round 16 I delivered the creative for Round 1 and guess what happened? They approved it. Argh! At that point, we were out of budget and had to go through a very long process to get the client to allocate more money to the project. But at that point, the relationship was over.

The bottom line is this….don’t suggest or agree to a “Not To Exceed” clause unless there is a way to protect both parties with a change order process. A creative relationship between client and supplier is based on trust and empathy. If the supplier feels they are going to lose money or burn out, then they are going to fail – and in turn, the client will fail as well. The “Not To Exceed” clause simply is not worth it – emotionally or financially.

Michael Weiss is the Vice President of Consulting Services & Solutions at Creative Circle.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn here.

If you’re an introvert, there’s no task more onerous than attending a professional networking mixer. There you are, in a sea of people you don’t know and honestly don’t really want to talk to, and yet you know one of them may be the key to a new job, a new client, or some much-needed advice. At best, it feels like an obstacle course; at worst, it feels like torture.

At least that’s how I felt. I’m a lifelong introvert who sought out a career in advertising to help counterbalance my unshakeable tendencies toward introversion.
The first hurdle was, of course, breaking into the industry, which is why I started suffering through networking mixers.

Flash-forward a dozen years: between attending what felt like hundreds of mixers (which eventually paid off) and then working in a notoriously extroverted industry, I’ve picked up some tricks that have made me better at networking – not just at events, but at work and in my personal life too. Here are a few of the best tips that can help you win almost any social situation.

Make it about the process, not the people.

We introverts tend to be very process-oriented people. If you can think of a networking event not as a social event but a job-oriented task, you can handle it one step at a time. Examples of different steps could be researching the event, attending the event, giving yourself the goal of meeting x number of people, telling x number of people what you’re looking for, etc. You can also apply this entire “break it down into chunks” approach to everything else in your life, including your job search.

Be strategic about the events you go to.

The brutal truth is that many people go to networking events either for the free drinks or they’re there to give their elevator speech and hope you can find them a job. Which is fine, but if you go to a mixer filled with people just like you (e.g., copywriters, new account executives), there may not be very much value to exchange.

Instead, attend events that are more likely to attract a wider audience. For designers and visual artists, your local AIGA chapter is a great place to look for multifaceted events that attract a range of people. I, personally, have made valuable connections at Creative Mornings, since they attract not only artists, writers and programmers, but also professionals who are eager to learn new ways to solve their business problems.

Don’t waste time thinking of a clever opening line.

Because here is the perfect opening line that works every time: “So, what brings you to this event?” It’s a bulletproof icebreaker since most people enjoy talking about themselves! It can also help set up a fruitful conversation about what they’re looking to gain from attending the event.

Do spend a lot of time perfecting your elevator pitch.

Your elevator pitch is that brief and meaningful professional summary of who you are, what you can offer, and what you’re looking for. Many career experts recommend a run time of about 30 seconds, but come on! 30 seconds is also the length of the average commercial, and you know what happens when those come on? People get up and leave.

Have the full 30-second pitch in your back-pocket, but have a trimmed, sound-byte version that can add your elevator pitch to a conversation without monopolizing it. Write it out and practice it, if you must. It really is that important.

Practice reading the room.

As an introvert, you probably spend a lot of time hanging back, analyzing everyone and everything in the room. Put it to good use! Before you approach anyone, make sure you’re doing it at the right time, with the right person. Look for people who seem pleasant and receptive before you approach them, not distracted (i.e., people that have been on the phone 90% of the time). If you only approach one person at the event, make sure it’s the event organizer. They probably know everyone attending the event, can direct you to key people, and may even introduce you.

Meet someone? Ask for their card.

Digital contact cards are nice, but having a real, physical thing that you can jot notes on is best. For one thing, you’re more likely to remember the details of the discussion if you write them by hand. And it gives you the opportunity to write down an interesting fact about the conversation with your new contact, which you can refer to later.

Trade value for value.

Networking is a two-way street, so you shouldn’t be purely focused on what you can get out of a connection. So, to badly mangle one of the most powerful quotes of all time, “Ask not what your colleague can do for you, but what you can do for your colleague.” Sometimes, just listening and being an active, thoughtful participant in a conversation is enough.

Follow up with your new contacts.

Within a day of the event, send a note saying something to the effect of: “It was nice to meet you! Let’s stay in touch, and if I hear of any opportunities you’d be interested in, I’ll let you know.” Send your note to an email account rather than a social media profile, as you’d be surprised by many people don’t check their LinkedIn accounts that often.

BYOB (Be You, Only Better).

And finally, when you do go to a networking event, you don’t have to adopt an extroverted persona, but you should present the best version of yourself. You can still be an introvert, but be a sincere, honest, engaged one who is comfortable in your own skin. People will respond! The more at-ease and relaxed you appear, the more likely it is that people will approach you.

Lisa is a Creative Circle candidate and seasoned advertising copywriter who lives in Los Angeles. Her background includes both in-house and agency work on Fortune 500 and global accounts in the consumer and healthcare/pharmaceutical fields. She excels at words, fashion, and cats. If you want to work with Lisa, contact Creative Circle Los Angeles.

We interviewed recruiters on what the most crucial dos and don’ts are when it comes to crafting a resume and on the most common mistakes they see. Take note of these quick tips. These are the five things you can do to improve your resume right now.

1. DO limit it two pages max.

Shoot to get everything onto a single page. If you honestly think there’s enough worth mentioning (and you’ve tightened the type and spacing within reason) to spill over on a second page, okay — but only if you’re a senior-level type.

2. DON’T add filler.

In the vast majority of cases, all anybody really needs to learn from your resume is what your last three jobs were, education history (if you were in school during recent history or it’s impressive), the technical skills you possess, and maybe a line for references. Again, how impressive these are can determine whether or not it’s worth including. Almost anything that happened more than ten years ago can probably be scrapped.

3. DO choose a sensible font.

Even if you’re a designer, save the tricks for your portfolio work. Choose a font that reads clearly and is in line with the typographical hierarchy you’ve set for your resume.

4. DO format consistently.

Wonky formatting can make people absolutely bonkers. If you’re switching techniques mid-document like alternating em-dashes with bullet points, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re provoking someone’s pet peeve. You don’t want to give the wrong impression before you even meet.

5. DON’T make any typos.

Typos can be forgiven in some contexts (most of which involve a phone) but on a resume, it is utterly forbidden. No wiggle room here so read your resume forwards and backwards, out loud, and one more time than you think is necessary.

Now, we understand that every rule has its exceptions but these five tips are quick and basic things you should be doing first.

Marjorie is a former Creative Circle candidate based in Portland who recently accepted a full-time offer for her dream job. She is a writer/editor and stylist/producer with an emphasis in the design world. If you are interested in working with someone like Marjorie, please contact your nearest Creative Circle office.