This is me. Well, no, those are my feet, but you get the picture. This was me five years ago at the southern edge of the Grand Canyon. I was driving cross country with a friend from LA to MD after quitting what I had foolishly considered a dream job as a youth pastor. I was 24 years old and recently engaged. I had a useless bachelor’s degree in sociology and the only marketable skill I had was making delicious cold cut sandwiches and bullshitting.

I was penniless, blowing my $2,200/mo paycheck on a $1200 apartment in Anaheim, $450/mo in car payments and a mountain of school loans. I was unemployed, moving back in with my parents, and applying to fine food establishments like Joe’s Crabshack and the Cheesecake Factory. Thank god for Cheesecake Factory. My goal was to make $200 a day by working both lunch and dinner shifts. I never made that much, ever.

I had no idea what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to teach, but couldn’t afford to take time off for another degree. The wedding date was already set. I was a reluctant commodity at my local temp agency who sent me through half a dozen cubicle spaces in a span of 8 weeks. Somehow I wound up at a great consulting firm that’s provided more than enough these last four and a half years.

The strange thing about that time 5 years ago? I was never scared. I wasn’t stressed. I can’t explain it now and I couldn’t explain it then. I just knew things would work out. Because when you find yourself on the edge, you jump and hustle your way back up. You’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people like you. I’ve learned that whether I’m serving strawberry lemonade at Cheesecake Factory or evaluating hospitals with the former Under Secretary of the VA, it’s hustle and kindness that get me through (contrary to the notion popularized by the movie, hustle and flow are pretty useless outside of the music and prostitution industries).

There’s no reason to be intimidated. Whether the pursuit is creative or corporate, grind it out. Do work. Hustle and I’ll be just fine. Be a decent human being in the process and sky’s the limit (Sky’s the Limit is an example of a song that has both hustle and flow). I’m on the edge again and I’m ready to jump to another bottom. I’ve got more to lose this time and the fall feels steeper, but I’m not scared. There’s more fear dangling on the edge than there is looking up from the bottom. I don’t fear the bottom. I used to [barely] live off $2,200 a month in Orange County. I used to live with my parents and serve cheesecake to 15 year olds before homecoming. I once bought an engagement ring on a credit card with a 5 year payment plan. I can still hustle. I can still work. I can still create.

Just jump.

Are cover letters really necessary any more? Who is reading these things? They all sound the same, look the same and are filled with the exact same meaningless drivel regardless of the industry. It says a lot about the quality of our workforce when applicants for a variety of jobs, in completely unrelated fields, are still evaluated the same way: Cover Letter and Resume. 

It’s a shame how many talented people with off-the-charts soft skills go unnoticed next to some d-bag with an MBA from Wharton. I’m not complaining for me - I have a great job. But seeing complex and passionate people toil through the process of synthesizing their identity to fit a standard cover letter format breaks my heart. Hopefully, recruitment through social media and recommendations becomes standard practice. I may have just given away a new business idea. oops.  

It feels odd to direct an entire blog post to one person, but @jmitchem seems to embrace odd and more importantly, I’m pretty sure he’ll actually read this. So, here goes:

Jim,
I’ve been following you on twitter for the past several months and discovered the smashadv account when I was looking for advertising folks to follow. From what I gather, you’re a bit of a badass and I admire your sense of self and inability to tolerate bullshit. Advertising and social media, in particular, seems to be a breeding ground for self-proclaimed gurus and klout score whores, so it’s refreshing to hear from people like you. I know you consider ad agencies a necessary evil, but I refuse to believe there are any rules any more. This summer I set out to be a copywriter, and now after 18wks of night classes to put a portfolio together, I don’t see much of a future in traditional ad agencies. I know plenty of people have waxed poetic about the future of advertising, and it’s equally terrifying and thrilling for someone like me seeking to carve out my own path. Like you, I have a conscience and want to use my powers for good. So, I come seeking your advice: how can a young creative hack the system now? If you had to reset your career in 2011 how would you spend your time? 

Hopefully, I haven’t annoyed or bored you yet. Feel free to respond however you wish (comment, email, twitter, your blog, not at all). 

————

Update! Jim’s response (reposted w/ permission):

Ok, so I’m flattered. But I actually *am* a Klout score whore. 

What if I had to reset things now. Good question. Well, I suppose I’d ask myself what kind of work I wanted to do, first. And by *kind* I mean, there’s a big difference in writing copy for paint swatch collateral than there is writing branding concept. Likewise, there’s a huge difference in writing for profit and not for profit. It sounds like you’re interested in doing good works, so maybe you can find a few causes that have meaning for you and pursue them. And by *pursue them* I mean take every ounce of energy you have inside of you and go after them to help them. I ran to the Red Book back in the day, picked out several shops in NYC whose work I admired and then used my creativity to open some doors. You can read that post here: http://bit.ly/dpcA0P But this post isn’t to show you how to do it, it’s to show you that if you’re a real writer, you’re clever enough to get in anywhere you want. You just have to focus on the problem and create a solution. Sound cliche? Sorry, but it’s true. You’re your own sharpest knife, you’ve just got to learn how to use it. Getting into this business is no different today than it’s ever been. Assertiveness, relentlessness and creativity are still the primary requisites for anyone to achieve anything they want. Oh, and discipline too. Don’t forget discipline. 

Another thing - join Copywriter’s Guild on LinkedIn. I started that group last year and it’s up over 1600 members. Some of it is complete bullshit where people are posting to their blogs on how to be a better whatever, but I created the group to help each other directly. Whether it’s getting a job or thinking around the inside of a problem. 

Thanks John. Good luck.