Creative Circle

I provided accurate information to Unilocal and the public about how this company was not ethical in their business practices and they took my review down without contacting me prior. I’m writing again to make sure that the public knows that this is not an organization that you should work with.
I was contacted by a account manager/​sales person at the CREATIVE CIRCLE and they had information about my company that could not have been publicly obtained …
I have never done business with them nor have I ever contacted them.
How and where did they get this information?
Note to the public: be careful !!

The Creative Circle in Phildelphia gets at least one star for a friendly interview and easy interview process. Since meeting with them 3 – 4 months ago, I have barely heard back from the person who interviewed me, basically going on complete communication silence if I don’t reach out first. No returned phone calls, like pulling teeth to get emails and no job offers, let alone any leads for interviews.
I get the email blasts offering me jobs that I am very much qualified for, meeting all the requirements, yet nothing has ever come of it. It essentially feels like I’ve just been wasting hours and hours of my life even dealing with this company, one which doesn’t seem to care to help the people they claim they’re helping.
After being told by my interviewee that they just put two separate people in freelance positions within weeks of applying, and both at minimum $ 45k per year, it all seems like they just stick to a script to get you interested.
It doesn’t really make much sense, as their entire job is to help you find work, yet they don’t seem to care about it.
Honestly, I would stay away from them. I’ve really tried, but after multiple phone calls and emails a few weeks ago and literally no reply, it’s like this entire thing feels like a scam.

As far as agencies go in the creative staffing world, I truly do believe Creative Circle is as good as it gets. Sure, it’s good to reach out to as many resources as you can while looking for your next project, but one thing sets CC apart from the rest, at least in my book: communication. When I’m looking, I know I’m gonna hear from Aileen or Sara at least every other day, whether they have something for me or not. And although I’ve never been placed with Creative Circle directly (I have been fortunate to find things quickly), they are the ones I go to first when I need to move fast.
In my last role, I was quite literally surrounded by contractors working for Creative Circle. What set them apart from others I’ve met in the industry is how genuinely content they seemed in their jobs — they were doing what they loved, and loving what they do. And if that isn’t enough of a reason to give CC a call when I need a job, I don’t know what is!

The team at Creative Circle in Philadelphia helped me find great projects while I was between positions for over 3 months. I truly enjoyed the projects they placed me with and every interview process was smooth. My recruiter provided clear info and updates on a regular basis. I also like that you can advise the rate you want to make. I was rarely presented with projects that were for less than I requested based on my experience and I would still be using them had I not found a full time role so close to home.

Two stars for at least reaching out to me…
Submitted my resume to one of their wide-​net job postings on Craigslist not really expecting to hear anything back, and was surprised when I got a call from one of their recruiters a week or so later. Made an appointment and went in the following week after reading all the Creative Circle horror stories on the internet, sure that this was some sort of scam designed to pad their database with talent and not to help me actually find work. The rep I met with was so upbeat and positive about finding me a job very quickly, and even gave me the name of the company with the spot they were trying to fill — actually, the very same posting I had applied to. She talked about the manager and the interview process (she said they had placed three other candidates there in full-​time positions), and also asked me to okay the salary range that she’d email me later that afternoon because I was such a strong candidate, she’d recommend me immediately. I couldn’t believe it was a real job and not some sort of Lorem Ipsum job description. I was flooded with relief.
I confirmed the salary range and waited. For over a week. Nothing…
Then I started to think: Was this a real job? I started researching the client company, the hiring manager and direct supervisor there, and made an astonishing discovery. The Creative Circle recruiter, who had supposedly placed three other candidates in their marketing and creative departments, was not connected to any of the client company’s employees on LinkedIn. So what, you ask? Well, I was connected not only to my Creative Circle recruiter (who has over 500 connections; you’d think she wouldn’t bat an eye about connecting to people in an organization that is rapidly hiring and who has hired from her talent pool in the past) but to a handful of other recruiters who *were* connected to the marketing director there. I felt sort of duped.
A few days later, I got an email stating that the company had decided to proceed with a stronger candidate. No duh, probably not a Creative Circle candidate, either.
The email went on to say that I should continue to respond to their email blasts for positions for which I think I’d be a good fit. Isn’t that your job to match me up with places you’d think I’d be a strong candidate, not just hit me with emails for any old job? By the way, in the past three weeks I’ve only received two Creative Circle job emails, both for things I don’t even do, even though the recruiter assured me that they send out job postings «all the time, several times a week.» But I see several Creative Circle postings every day on the job boards.
In all, I’d love for my relationship with Creative Circle to lead somewhere, but I won’t be holding my breath.

I’ve gotten two contract jobs with them and they’ve submitted me for others — and they reach out to me first, which is rare in my experience. Definitely the best creative agency I’ve worked with in Philly.

Creative Circle. What’s so creative about this contract agency?
Not much.
In Philadelphia this national firm caters to contracting development people (front and back end) for big pharmaceutical agencies. Occasionally design but not much and very little else. This is Philly’s big pharma, mostly development, extra-​disposable employee pool.
Sure agencies are creative, however big pharma is quite possibly the most restrictive so get those ideas of making fantastically cool things for people to tinker with, be in awe of and remember the next time they want the product the agency is campaigning.
When I think creative, I don’t think big pharma. I think film, television, radio, fashion, art but big pharma? No. I think regulations, regulations and oooh, regulations. I understand in other cities such as NYC or LA Creative Circle may be quite different but in Philly, pharma is king (does Philly have any other industry other than healthcare?).
My experience:
I received a listing in my email and thought «this is a great fit! I should go up for this.» Considering I’ve had poor results with staffing firms, I did not listen to my better judgement. Oh how I have learned.
I exchanged emails with a Creative Circle staffing specialist. She seemed quite nice in the initial messages and wanted me to go in for a meeting. There was never a conversation about my resume or if Creative Circle Philly had clients where my past experience could fit in. This should have been a red flag. Again, lesson learned.
Meeting day!
Great. I’m psyched. I drove to the meeting. Street parking was non-​existent. OK city. I can deal? I ended up paying for parking which was pretty steep even for someone who actually is employed (unlike my poor «poultry» self). I thought «opportunity!» and paid my money, locked my car and walked into the swanky, slick sky scraper.
Great! It didn’t look like a fly by night operation. My mind left my partial chicken feed money that I used for parking and focused on the positive.
When I arrived with my completed paperwork I sat and waited a very short time. Pleasant enough. I didn’t feel like I was sitting in the vets office waiting for to be «examined» for existing eggs. Now I wish I would have been instead.
The woman I met with was young, stoic, looked exasperated (oh god another unemployed _​_​_​_​) and had a check list. She took my paperwork, shook my hand, offered me a seat at the table across from her then asked about my background. I told her.
[Obviously never once to look at my resume.]
She kept a blank stare the entire time as if she was in her happy place with unicorns, fluffy kittens and the Old Spice guy serenading her. She asked questions from her check list such as would I be willing to work in the far flung suburbs and on my personal notebook and a host of other boiler room questions that had –nothing– to do with my resume or my experience. It was off putting to say the least.
She did not try to determine ability, adaptability or anything other than the last [un-​chic] place I worked and only what I could go out of my way, in a major way, to do. She did not seem to consider that yes, I came from industries that actually are highly creative and extremely challenging to work in and that guess what? People in those industries actually –do– WORK.
Her exasperation really shone through at this point.
My disappointment set in.
I remembered fighting midday traffic.
I remembered that part of my meager chicken feed fund was gone into parking because I thought «opportunity!»
I remembered how much I hated wearing buttoned up business attire.
I remembered how much I’d said I’d despised staffing firms and recruiters and how I’d never attempt to get work though them again.
I broke my own vow. My bad. Never again. Noooo.
I wanted to kick myself.
I kept my smile plastered on, shook her hand and walked out with my head held high but I died a little +1 on the inside.
Between being unemployed for more than a year, her condescending and «siiigh, one of theeese people again» attitude toward me, minus funds that are significant for me I felt totally and utter demoralized.
I got my wheels. I drove away. I never heard from her again, even after a few enthusiastic emails stating my availability and reiterating my strong points, my past and what I –can– do for her clients.
Never. Heard. From. Her.
Not even a thanks but no thanks.
This left me to come to the conclusion that If you have no agency experience, especially with big pharm, you’re not viable for anything.
If you’re one of the lucky 50 — 100 local freelancers who do have pharma agency experience, this may be for you. Everyone else, I don’t advise considering Creative Circle at all, ever.
My time wasted.
My money wasted.
My tummy minus chicken feed.
My feathers ruffled.
Her time wasted.
Frustration for everyone.
And me with full blown, unwavering disrespect and disdain for staffing firms and recruiters.