Ads, of course.

I don't look for short stories you wrote in Creative Writing or your GPA or what fraternity you were in. I don't look for cute pictures of you and your dog. I don't even look for articles you've written for your school paper to demonstrate your ability to produce under a deadline.

I look for ads. Smart ads. Interesting ads. Ads that make me want to go out and try the product. Ads that make me happy or misty. In other words, ads that are better than most of the work you'll find out there done by ad agencies on any given day.

I don't care if you have a degree in advertising. Or if you have any degree at all. All I care about is if you understand what is interesting about a product and if you can translate that into something that will make customers stop and think, "Gee, that looks like something I really ought to check out."

Good advertising doesn't have to be cute or clever. It has to be smart. And you have to be smart to do an intelligent, interesting, compelling ad. Your portfolio should consist of twenty or so ads. Four or five campaigns of three to four ads each. Throw in a few "one-shots" if you like. Make sure you choose a wide variety of goods, everything from a big ticket item to something like toothpaste.

Your book is the only gauge anybody has of your talent. It's the only thing that will get you a job in a creative department. When you walk through the door of my advertising agency, I want you to have the right kind of book. I want you to have smart, gutsy, innovative work.

I want you to be great. That's what I look for in a portfolio.

Originally appeared in Creativity Magazine