Some Advertising Types, v1.

An Agency, Let's Call it KXS.

Way back in the Day when I was a senior at UT, I was up for a fairly prestigious position at KXS-New York. They took on one junior a year in this program - good salary, moving expenses (you may remember those), would even find you an apartment. Even better, you would spend a few months in each creative group so you'd gain much more experience and make far more contacts....It was a very advantageous way to start your creative career.

Usually they only flew in the final two candidates, but that year there were three - another UT creative, a random dude, and me.

It was a very exciting time. Being poor, I borrowed a suit. Being from Texas, I bought makeup.

Aside: one Rule for any Texas Girl is, you do not even go to the car wash without 'doing your face'. Making me an anomaly as that was probably the first and only week I wore makeup every day. I'm not the prettiest girl - although I do like to think I'm on the positive side of that bell curve - but I know I'm no looker. A face full of makeup always makes me feel like, Oh, look at that plain girl trying to be pretty.... I also took great care with my hair, I considered my long reddish locks a plus so I tried to make the best of what I had.

For three days, I presented my book to pretty much everyone I would be working with - including the suits and the production people. And I was entertained at night - in the Big Apple. It was quite an experience.

At the end of the week, all three of us were put in a conference room to be told who was to be hired. You know, to make it as uncomfortable as humanly possible for the other two. Because if you are going to make a career in advertising as a creative, might as well start the humiliation straight away!

So there we were, Random Guy who seemed a lot more cocky about it all than I thought appropriate; my sweet friend from UT (bless his heart, he really was a sweet boy), and me.

HR Person says, "Well you have all been a real treat to all of us, and we've enjoyed meeting you ..... But we are going to go with Random Guy. Random, you see, was up for this position last year and we had to go with the other candidate (client connection) so this year we can go with the guy we really wanted last year."

Now....I still wonder why they bothered courting two other young graduates who thought they actually had a chance? So, so wrong.

In a daze I found my way out of the meeting room towards the stunning lobby, a lobby I would never walk through again....and one of the writers caught up to me.

She rocked the Creative Look - wearing all black, very unflattering glasses, oddly-cut hair dyed to a color not found in nature. She had been quite nice and encouraging, I liked her.

Writer: Listen, I just wanted you to know we all really liked your book....and everyone SEVERELY LOVES YOUR HAIR.