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Coach
Craig Maizin wrote Chernobyl on spec.
Spec work is what you do when nobody gives you the opportunities you believe you deserve.
Coach
I mean that’s kind of on spec too
Visual Storyteller
At 3 years in, you have a little bit of freedom.
You probably shouldn’t still be *making* spec work, but it’s completely reasonable that some of the better student campaigns you created a few years ago are more comprehensive and show your creativity more than whatever you’ve worked on as a junior does, especially if you’re working on banner ads, direct mail, etc.
You also shouldn’t over-inflate your role in produced work to get spec work out of your book. You’ll have peers who seem to be advancing faster than you, putting full campaigns in their book when all they did was help out as a junior and write post copy for a social post, not create the whole campaign. You’re better off sticking to what you’ve actually done.
You’ll also likely know someone who made it to ACD in 3-4 years (there’s another thread on that now). They’re an outlier, and with a book that still has student work, that probably won’t be you, and that’s okay.
Sincerely, a creative whose book 3 years in was so bad that I DID add some spec projects, and a 7 or 8 years later is winning awards, producing a lot of work, and actually on track to become a CD.
Yep as long as you caption it “spec,” it shows the way you think and design. I’m an ECD and still have 2 spec campaigns in I did as a junior in my book (at the end) bc they’re fun and I still love them. Just make sure you have your work stuff up front and you label the spec and you’re fine. Wouldn’t do more than 2 pieces/campaigns.
Personally, I say don’t label it as spec. Only say it’s spec if someone asks you about. No need to give more info than you should.
How many years of experience do you have?
Mentor
Many mids pitch directly to clients. And even if the ACDs/CDs are presenting, the book is still reflective of the work they sold to them.
I’ve never really been impressed by spec because it’s usually off tone or not rooted in a business problem or rarely actually new or just silly to be silly. Or all of the above. What it shows me is: can you think of an idea — without any shackles at all — and then articulate it? Great. I don’t need more than two examples of that.
At 3 years, I want to see what you have done. I’m sure an architect would be interested in seeing spec designs for a zero gravity world but would they hire someone whose work was half spec designs that didn’t adhere to laws of gravity? No. 1-2 projects, sure. But more than that and it’ll look like you have no experience or a low batting average.
You might think your one-off social post for cat food isn’t exciting but it tells me you have experience with the pet food industry and writing for what is likely a warm/friendly tone. Now I know maybe you are a good fit for a role I have on, say, the Chewy account (this is an example).
Also I don’t recommend following the advice someone said about throwing them all
in there. You need to show taste and judgment. Best spec work only.
Separate them from your actual work and you can put as much as you want
What about ideas that died because the CCO didn’t understand AI? Or the internal team was fearful of the idea, they just didn’t see the potential, or said “a lot of production needed”?
Would that be spec work?
Glint, I think you missed the point. But your perspective is still welcomed!
SPEC work
I was asked for spec work and a marketing plan for the company. It was 2 job interviews and a 2 day turnaround. For a low paying job.
With a 40 year career and a low wage 60k on one and the 25$ hrs a part time job.
Both asking did you design this work in AI?
I don’t know about the future of the next generation of marketers and designers. I have seen major changes back in the 80s and this will be another change in the field coming up.
Sad to see. I have an agency and I never asked to do spec work on the designer. It was on there merit and work they did. Never had a problem hiring and good designer. I had the time to train if needed.