Depends. If I’m the only member of my department the CD is meeting with, I’d think I was about to get laid off. If my CD were significantly older and I were the only one in the department, I’d be creeped out. If my CD is meeting with everyone in the department to “build/improve” my portfolio, I’d think the entire department is about to get outsourced or replaced with AI.
Creative Director here. I did this with my team when I knew our company was about to lay a bunch of them off. They were pretty grateful after the fact (and I kept helping them in my free time after they were laid off as well), but it did freak them out for sure - which I feel bad about. But they were grateful for it? So I guess there's two sides to it.
If I'm being honest, I would be paranoid and presume the Creative Director knew something about upcoming layoffs but wanted the team to land on their feet again when it happened.
Even if the Creative Director is an altruist who wants the best for their design team and is a natural teacher who wants to help them develop as designers, they wouldn't typically have time in their day to do this.
Depends are they actually helpful or not? I'm like junior mid so I'd be all for it, it's not often mentorship opportunities come up for some designers at least not free mentorship.
Depends how it was approached. I think the safer way to help a designer would be to find out what their goals are and help them roadmap it out and/or develop necessary skills. My first CD did this. She's a great photographer and taught me a lot about not only taking photos, but selecting the right photos in projects.
My current boss knows I have a strong interest in motion and broadcast graphics, so she gives me a lot of opportunities to take on those projects when they come through.
Focusing on strictly portfolio, while it may be valuable and with the best intentions, would probably freak out many people for the reasons listed by others here.
Shit happens. If back in the day my CD was willing to take time out from his schedule to help me improve my folio, I'd take it for sure. If it is due to the fact the company is about the fold, that info could be invaluable.
If it's kind of a routine and something they've done since you started working there, then it could just be something they think is important and part of mentoring their staff. After all, virtually no one is going to be at one company for decades, odds are you'll need to be looking for work at some point, if not every 3-5 years or so.
If it's something they just started doing out of the blue after years of nothing, and it didn't coordinate with any other kind of routine/structured mentoring, then I'd agree with the others that it's likely a warning sign.
But even if it is, might as well use that to your benefit. Take their input, update your materials, start actively looking. It can take months if not up around a year or more to find a new job. You don't have to quit to look.
I've made the mistake of sitting on sinking ships. Twice. In my case, it was all the usual excuses. I didn't want to find another job, I was scared/intimidated of a new job and of rejection, I ideally hoped things would work out and I could just stay there. If you end up flat on your ass regardless, those excuses don't matter much and just made me more resentful that I didn't act sooner. Especially the second time when I should've known (I just liked that job more).
Bro where can I get a job with cool creative directors like that? I have always been the sole designer or in a small team with no creative directors just a manager or owner of the company. Now I feel like I've been doing this all wrong 😔
There’s no right or wrong, I’ve never worked at an ad agency and I felt for a long time like I was going it wrong. When you’re “the” designer, you get a lot of experiences that others don’t, it’s not a negative at all. If you’re wanting to branch out and experience a different kind of workflow, what worked for me was contacting the creative temp agencies- like in the U.S. there’s Aquent, Creative Group, Creative Circle, 24Seven, and several others. I used to be very scared of temp contract work but it opened a lot of doors. It’s never too late, but also if you like or even love what you do, there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
"what happens if we train our staff and they leave?"
"What happens if they set we don't train and they stay...?"
Embrace it, they're trying to make you a better person/designer.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. There definitely isn’t a one size fits all answer and tailoring the offer to each designer individually if it’s something they’d be interested in is a better tactic than a group initiative. I care that my team members leave someday with a portfolio full of work they’re proud of (and hopefully stories they want to tell). Most of us creative directors are just making it up as we go, and mistakes are bound to happen. Thanks again for the feedback!
It's a win win situation. In the case the CD is a good person and preparing you for a layoff, then go with it.
If they are simply trying to make you a better, well-rounded designer, they go with it.
BTW. I always considered working with designers to be better all around design professionals (whether they worked for me or not) as a fundamental role of a CD.
Depends. If I’m the only member of my department the CD is meeting with, I’d think I was about to get laid off. If my CD were significantly older and I were the only one in the department, I’d be creeped out. If my CD is meeting with everyone in the department to “build/improve” my portfolio, I’d think the entire department is about to get outsourced or replaced with AI.
Creative Director here. I did this with my team when I knew our company was about to lay a bunch of them off. They were pretty grateful after the fact (and I kept helping them in my free time after they were laid off as well), but it did freak them out for sure - which I feel bad about. But they were grateful for it? So I guess there's two sides to it.
If they suddenly started prepping me to find a different job, I would assume the business is about to go under.
I’d have to get my stuff in order first.
If I'm being honest, I would be paranoid and presume the Creative Director knew something about upcoming layoffs but wanted the team to land on their feet again when it happened. Even if the Creative Director is an altruist who wants the best for their design team and is a natural teacher who wants to help them develop as designers, they wouldn't typically have time in their day to do this.
Depends are they actually helpful or not? I'm like junior mid so I'd be all for it, it's not often mentorship opportunities come up for some designers at least not free mentorship.
Depends how it was approached. I think the safer way to help a designer would be to find out what their goals are and help them roadmap it out and/or develop necessary skills. My first CD did this. She's a great photographer and taught me a lot about not only taking photos, but selecting the right photos in projects. My current boss knows I have a strong interest in motion and broadcast graphics, so she gives me a lot of opportunities to take on those projects when they come through. Focusing on strictly portfolio, while it may be valuable and with the best intentions, would probably freak out many people for the reasons listed by others here.
I love this, thank you very much, very insightful - it’s not about what I want it’s about what they need from the job.
Shit happens. If back in the day my CD was willing to take time out from his schedule to help me improve my folio, I'd take it for sure. If it is due to the fact the company is about the fold, that info could be invaluable.
If it's kind of a routine and something they've done since you started working there, then it could just be something they think is important and part of mentoring their staff. After all, virtually no one is going to be at one company for decades, odds are you'll need to be looking for work at some point, if not every 3-5 years or so. If it's something they just started doing out of the blue after years of nothing, and it didn't coordinate with any other kind of routine/structured mentoring, then I'd agree with the others that it's likely a warning sign. But even if it is, might as well use that to your benefit. Take their input, update your materials, start actively looking. It can take months if not up around a year or more to find a new job. You don't have to quit to look. I've made the mistake of sitting on sinking ships. Twice. In my case, it was all the usual excuses. I didn't want to find another job, I was scared/intimidated of a new job and of rejection, I ideally hoped things would work out and I could just stay there. If you end up flat on your ass regardless, those excuses don't matter much and just made me more resentful that I didn't act sooner. Especially the second time when I should've known (I just liked that job more).
Seems a little strange to do on company time imo. I’d get the feeling the end was near, also would feel weird working on personal shit *at* work
Bro where can I get a job with cool creative directors like that? I have always been the sole designer or in a small team with no creative directors just a manager or owner of the company. Now I feel like I've been doing this all wrong 😔
There’s no right or wrong, I’ve never worked at an ad agency and I felt for a long time like I was going it wrong. When you’re “the” designer, you get a lot of experiences that others don’t, it’s not a negative at all. If you’re wanting to branch out and experience a different kind of workflow, what worked for me was contacting the creative temp agencies- like in the U.S. there’s Aquent, Creative Group, Creative Circle, 24Seven, and several others. I used to be very scared of temp contract work but it opened a lot of doors. It’s never too late, but also if you like or even love what you do, there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
"what happens if we train our staff and they leave?" "What happens if they set we don't train and they stay...?" Embrace it, they're trying to make you a better person/designer.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. There definitely isn’t a one size fits all answer and tailoring the offer to each designer individually if it’s something they’d be interested in is a better tactic than a group initiative. I care that my team members leave someday with a portfolio full of work they’re proud of (and hopefully stories they want to tell). Most of us creative directors are just making it up as we go, and mistakes are bound to happen. Thanks again for the feedback!
Would depend on the CD's intentions - is it mentorship or micromanaging?
It's a win win situation. In the case the CD is a good person and preparing you for a layoff, then go with it. If they are simply trying to make you a better, well-rounded designer, they go with it. BTW. I always considered working with designers to be better all around design professionals (whether they worked for me or not) as a fundamental role of a CD.