Hasta La Ideas

 
A quick FAQ on Johnny Vulkan, from genre-defying branding agency Anomaly: yes, that’s his real name; no, he didn’t change it; yes, he’s a bit of a coolhunter (his bio has him “hunting for new trends in Tokyo, Berlin, Copenhagen and Shanghai” on a regular basis); and no, he didn’t found Anomaly, though he is responsible for several of its recent Joint Ventures, which involve developing new products and digital media initiatives in addition to more typical branding work.

Johnny also shares the daunting task of identifying the peculiarly multi-talented designers needed to enable this kind of cross-disciplinary work, and it’s in this capacity that he’ll be speaking on next month’s Creative Confab panel at the Art Director’s Club in New York City. We’ve had the opportunity to ask him a few preview questions on the slippery subject of creative hiring, so let this be a teaser:

1. How do you make a wildly diverse work experience background look like an asset rather than a liability?

I think it’s about language and storytelling. I’m not suggesting creating a work of vocational fiction, but there are many ways to talk about your past experience and the decisions you took. There’s usually a theme with people that have diverse backgrounds – they are often hungry to learn. If you talk in terms of a desire to keep learning and then apply that thinking to future roles, that already sounds more compelling then a just stating that you’ve had four previous jobs. A person who has a wider spectrum of knowledge sounds better than someone who has simply done lots of jobs.

2. What’s the single most effective thing a small to mid-size agency can do to communicate its culture to prospective applicants?

Be fearless in letting candidates meet some of the younger and newer members of the team. Senior managers can always do a great job at giving “the speech” and the information but the energy, tonality and vibe often comes from the real coalface. It’s where the energy is – and the gossip, good and bad – but that is such a critical part of real culture.

Vulkan, along with three other top-of-their-field designers and recruiters, will be delving into the tricks and trials of creative hiring from both the job-seeker’s and talent-seeker’s perspective during the Confab event. It also offers the chance to meet and trade notes with some of the best design firms and creative professionals in the Tri-State area. See the Confab page over on Coroflot for more details, and registration information.

Coroflot’s Creative Employment Confab
May 15th, 2-5 pm
Art Directors Club
106 W 29th St. @ 6th Avenue, New York City

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