It's metaphor time. And I'm going to use a couple of them. (Sorry.)

Look at agencies at a big puzzle. As they start to rehire and/or redefine themselves, they have very specific pieces they want to put into place.

And I mean specific.

Gone are the days where you can be the all-purpose creative with universal appeal. These days agencies have a rigid checklist they want you to meet before they will talk to you. And if you can't check off all of the boxes, they may pass on you. It's like going fishing for a very specific fish. They use a specific bait. Fish in a specific area. And if they attract anything else on their line, they toss it back into the water. (Told you there would be a couple.)

You need to turn yourself into that exact puzzle piece or specific fish.



Brand yourself into the creative you need to be. If you are trying to answer the demands of healthcare marketing, emphasize that work in your book, don't confuse things by showcasing an equal number of car ads. If you want to be a digital creative, show agencies what you can do on the Internet, not in print ads.

Branding yourself so specifically, seems scary, like you're limiting your options. You're actually giving yourself focus and coming across as more of an expert in your field. They say one resume doesn't fit all. You must tailor it to the company you send it to. Why would it not apply to your portfolio? Why not create a strategy to only apply to digital shops, or experiential marketers, or healthcare agencies? By making yourself a stronger candidate to them, sooner or later, you are going to make their entire checklist.

Puzzle and lure courtesy of stock.xchng.