Austin Scott, chief creative officer at Brandon, has released Before You Get the Brief: A Field Guide to Launching and Fueling Your Creative Career, a candid, no-nonsense manual for students and junior creatives navigating one of the toughest job markets in advertising history.
Scott has spent more than 15 years at agencies including FCB, Leo Burnett, BBDO, and Havas, before joining Brandon, the largest independent agency in the Carolinas, to lead its creative department. That experience, combined with his role overseeing hiring and mentoring, shaped the pragmatic yet friendly tone of the advice in the book.
Observing that up to a thousand applicants often pour in for a single open role at Brandon, Scott adopted the tone of a “big brother” to provide guidance to the rising generation of creative talent. “It’s nice to have somebody who can give you the real answers since there’s a lot of stuff out there that just presents the possibilities without telling you how this system actually works,” he said.
Before You Get the Brief offers what Scott calls “cheat codes” to survive and stand out in a flooded market, from how recruiters actually use back-end hiring platforms to why liking LinkedIn job posts is a counterintuitive but critical career hack. Each chapter is short, punchy, and designed to deliver immediate, actionable takeaways that demystify paths toward career growth and advancement.
Scott, who holds an MFA from SCAD, describes the book as the field guide he wishes he’d had, full of “cheat codes” to put readers in the best possible position to succeed and grow their careers.
“Austin’s mentorship goes beyond feedback. He teaches you how to trust your instincts and defend your ideas,” says Lizzy Perry, senior art director at Brandon. “He’s helped me grow into a creative who leads with confidence.”
With hiring for junior roles reportedly down by nearly a quarter year-over-year, Scott sees the book as a timely intervention. “There are so many things stacked against this group of ambitious, talented people,” Scott said, “AI, the economy, remote work, anything they can get that will support them. That’s the purpose of the book, to give somebody a better shot at putting themselves in the best possible position, to rightfully get the shot they deserve.”
Before You Get the Brief: A Field Guide to Launching and Fueling Your Creative Career is available now in print and digital editions.
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