There's more than a little topical irony surrounding this useful guide to carving out a career in the advertising business. Have a look at the authors' names again. And how about the book's strapline? "With advice from Neil French, David Droga, Bob Barrie and 11 other ad greats". Ring any bells? Yes, that's right. Vonk. French. The book's authors, Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin, are the co-creative directors of Ogilvy & Mather Toronto, and contribute to ihaveanidea.org, a weblog aimed at advertising students and young creatives. Neil French is - sorry, was - their boss and (former?) worldwide creative chief for WPP whose undoubtedly ill-chosen and allegedly sexist comments at a recent marketing conference were roasted by Vonk in the afore-mentioned blog. The ensuing furor, which was still being debated weeks after the event, led French to offer his resignation from WPP, blaming "death by blog". Meanwhile Vonk lent her name to a new industry term. To be "vonked", according to UK trade paper Campaign, is to be reduced to a temporary state of paralysis by sexist comments. (Vonk's controversial blog claimed that she had been "paralysed" by French's rant). How times change: when Vonk and Kestin wrote the intro for their book back in summer 2005, French inspired only tears of gratitude as their "friend and mentor"...

Whatever the story behind the story, Pick Me is a sensible and wide-ranging guide, primarily aimed at aspiring or entry-level copywriters or art directors, on the skills and talents required in order to make a successful career in advertising. The authors have compiled the best advice dispensed in their "Dear Jancy" column from ihavenaidea, and combined it with nuggets from a host of industry legends. As the authors point out, it's easy enough to find out about the glamour and the glitz and how the ad industry works, but far more difficult to solve more mundane issues: How do I get an interview with an elusive creative director? How should I compile my portfolio? Should I accept an unpaid internship? How do I beat creative block? How do I avoid burnout? There are also words of wisdom on how to get on with your creative partner as well as with other agency departments, not least account executives ("they're people too"). The advice dished out by Kestin and Vonk and their contributors is sensible, often entertaining and always encouraging. Undoubtedly the most topical chapter, in the circumstances, deals with the question of why "there are so few women running things [in the advertising industry], particularly in the creative department". Oddly enough, given the exhaustive industry-wide debate sparked off by the French incident, it's one of the shortest chapters in the book...  

Added 3rd November 2005