Is Creative Circle a scam?
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I know that partnership reviews are part of business but they give me so much anxiety. We've known that the Coke partnership contract is up for renewal in 2027 and it was just announced today that the media business is up for review again. Although I work on the creative side, I still get so anxious. I am beginning to see why people are jumping ship to smaller indies, these big holding companies and global clients are only concerned about the bottom line and not their people. Not surprising.
Yes and no. I got my foot in the door because of Creative Circle when I started in the industry a decade ago, but they do take a good amount of your pay. If you have to go through them, make some connections and bounce.
Creative Circle: “Pimp’n ain’t easy!” 🤷♂️
Yes.
I’ve been on Creative Circle’s roster for about a decade and they have never, ever gotten me placed. Not full time, not freelance. Nothing. I’ve had meetings and phone interviews with their recruiters, and I’ve replied to their email blasts. For me, CC has been utterly useless. Every gig I’ve ever landed was through my own connections and because I hustled. And I’ve worked consistently the entire time.
IMHO? Working always beats sitting around on my ass. And you never know who you’ll meet on a gig. BUT just know that when they place you on a freelance assignment, they (as far as I know) take 50% of your pay — the full time you’re working. Meaning if you’re making $40 an hour, they’re billing the host company $80. Not a bad hustle, right? Working for yourself, you would be able to charge closer to the latter rate. So you’re prob gonna feel cheated a little ... seniors and ACDs working for junior/regular pay. My best advice? In a second or third tier market, if you read posts closely, you can often figure out the employer first. Just reach out on your own. But don’t rule it out. I’ve gotten through some dry spells, thanks to a particularly good recruiter from Circle. (Most are generic HR types who will be in real estate within two years.) Though your pride may be hurt by working for a lower rate, your confidence might go up just from working.
Interesting perspective. Thank you.
From client side, they’re not always awesome but can be helpful in a pinch. It seemed the good talent got snatched up quickly.
If you like to be paid what you're worth, yes it's a scam. If you're willing to do low end work for shitty pay... It'll make your life easier if you consistently book stuff through them