Advertising agencies are hired to make products stand out visibly. To get hired by one, you need to promote your talents and make yourself stand out visibly.First and foremost, you need to advertise yourself.

Step 1 – The Resume: Flaunt your spectacular skills, tackle the resume-writing task energetically, and promote your specialized talents to make sure that your resume piques the interest of anyone who reviews it. Regard it as the initial creative piece that your future advertising agency employer will see from you.

Use unique paper and a matching envelope that stand out from regular correspondence. It is important that your message separates itself tastefully from everyone else’s monotony.

Step 2 – Your best delivery: You can snail-mail, or even email your resume. That’s what everybody else does, right? But that defeats your purpose of proving why you stand head and shoulders above the rest of the advertising agency wannabe crowd.

* Pizza pizazz – Visit a pizza shop near your future advertising agency employer, and arrange for them to deliver your resume with a couple of pizzas just before lunch to the decision-maker. Offer a tip to have the delivery person read a couple of catchy lines you wrote as the pizzas are delivered into the right hands. The pizzas will most likely be shared with the gatekeeper, which leads to the follow-up strategy (see Step 3).

If the advertising agency is not local, draw upon miracle of email, the magic of credit cards, and your magnetic personality to set up the delivery deal mentioned above.

* Float with helium – Deliver your resume with colorful balloons. Attach the strings to the envelope containing your resume, which is addressed to the decision-maker. Brazenly ask if you might make the delivery in person.

* Dig up a reason – Spend some time researching the targeted agency, then single out a recent accomplishment of some sort that the agency has achieved. Deliver a small plant with a congratulatory note addressed to the decision-maker. And of course, your resume will be protruding from the branches. Again, ask if you can deliver your humble token of recognition in person.

* Change with the seasons – If you are pursuing a job in November or December, consider having “Santa” festively deliver your resume, ho-ho-hoing his jolly way past the gatekeeper. Use other seasonal themes to cook up other fun delivery ideas.

Step 3 – Follow up flair: The various techniques mentioned in Steps 1 and 2 give you a more solid footing toward getting an interview. However, if you haven’t heard from the agency after about five business days, Steps 1 and 2 will help in your follow-up contact. They will help you strike a memory chord because you will have a distinct point of reference to use when you call to casually inquire about the status of your pending interview.

Step 4 – Interview like a champion: Don’t falter now. During the interview, maintain confident but not arrogant eye contact. Shake hands firmly, smile warmly, and speak clearly. If appropriate, take notes. Think briefly before you respond to questions so you can formulate the most powerful response possible.

Paint your experience and goals with broad, deliberate strokes. Speak highly of your successes, but don’t appear to be boastful.

Is it tacky to try to “close” at the interview? It depends on your technique.

“I want the job, Mr. Advertising Guy, when can I start?” might be a tad too brisk. This question could cause discomfort for both you and the decision-maker.

Instead, smile and say, “It sounds like an exciting challenge, and I’m up for the job. I’m ready to start whenever you are.” This expresses enthusiasm, but is not too disconcerting.

Top of mind awareness is what advertising agencies strive to achieve for their clients.

Top of mind awareness is what you need to attain to get the advertising agency job you want.

Dare yourself to earn it, then see how far you can sail. The horizon is endless.