Though The One Club is known for its awards programs, show and Creative Week, it underscores the core mission of the nonprofit by giving support to the people in advertising.
“If there’s anything that we can do to help, we will do it,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, One Club.
As the agency community gets to the end of the first quarter—with speculation that economic instability due to the coronavirus pandemic will force layoffs, furloughs and salary cuts in the industry—many fear there will be widespread disruption for existing talent and for those seeking to enter the agency world for the first time.
Yet agencies still have open positions. So The One Club launched a job board for both employers and, critically, job seekers. The no-frills Google Form for job posters kicks over to a list on the organization’s site. Currently, it holds around 175 open positions around the world, covering all aspects from creative (including production and design) to operations. The resource is free for and accessible to everyone.
“A couple of members reached out to our membership team to let us know that they had jobs open,” said Swanepoel, who has been with the organization for 23 years. “Our team then decided on a quick Google Form to make it easy, simple and quick so that we can get this out to the community.”
While there are more opportunities in larger markets like New York, Chicago and Atlanta, there are ample openings in markets like Detroit, San Diego, Paris, London and Knoxville, Tenn., too. There are also several internships available. Part of the reason The One Club moved quickly is to serve both existing professionals in the industry and students about to graduate from universities and portfolio schools. Swanepoel noted that this is a particularly challenging time for students.
“[They] have worked for four years studying advertising to get into this industry and, suddenly, they don’t have portfolio reviews, opportunities for internships, or even the ability to have a graduation ceremony,” he said, alluding to additional resources for professionals and students that will roll out soon. “That’s why we mobilized quickly for them and those in the industry, whether they are at an agency or freelance.”
Agencies and brands can post their open jobs here, and talent can find open positions here.
