The Creative Group

My experience working with TCG was great. The recruiter that I worked with, Shayne, was very personable and professional. She seemed genuinely concerned about my career interests and demands. I never felt like a number, or that she was trying to simply place me to get commission. She offered sound advice when necessary and provided relevant opportunities rather quickly (I was hired within a couple of weeks of starting the process with TCG). But, I imagine your experience with these types of agencies depends on the recruiter that you work with.

The Creative Group are awesome! I’ve personally had a great experience with them, and especially my two favorite recruiters Brandon and Kelly. They’ve helped me to excel in my professional career as a graphic designer. Most recently they’ve gotten me placed at a great agency here in San Francisco. I’d highly recommend them to any creative looking to gain an upper hand in the industry.

I’ve worked with Brandon, Kevin, Amy, and Lisa. They are all great to work with, easy to talk to and have your back. Brandon landed my first gig, although it fell through from the client’s side, he still hustled for me, Kevin hooked a test interview, but it was enough for me to appreciate and mention, and Lisa & Ina helped me get my 2^nd gig. I appreciated all their efforts b/​c being a print designer is becoming harder now that the machines seem to be taking over. Out of the 5 agencies I work with, they have been able to land something for me. This is one of the better agencies to work with.

Like many who have used Robert Half, I’ve left messages with the office for this particular branch (and never received callbacks) after registered my resume on The Creative Group site. Nothing. No return calls if I have questions or a need to tell one of these recruiters what I’m looking for. Nothing.
I’ve even tried submitting my resume to the various positions on the site, but no call from recruiters.
I called the quality assurance number on the site and ‘complained’ then I got a call from a Heather Johnson from a San Jose office who left a message on my phone (7÷22÷15). I called back, but I’ve yet to get a another return call.
Currently, I’m working with the OfficeTeam in San Mateo, but so far I’ve only been on a one week job. This is after I was supposedly set up with a full time job after I quit my previous job… only to find out it closed when I was ready to start working… and the recruiter failed to tell me, before I quit my job, that I receive some confirmation email when the job is truly in place.
The experiences with Robert Half seem to be very polarizing.

Nice people but they never got me a gig. I’m experienced, presentable and clear, so it doesn’t lead me to give them full thumbs up.

I reached out to a recruiter at The Creative Group as I saw they specialized in UX positions. I stated clear in my email that I was looking for UX Research positions. She then responded and said she had several UX positions but none were Research related, fine.
She then calls me around 6:30 pm on a random weekday and leaves a voicemail saying that she had some positions that would interest me and that I should come down to the office and meet with her, what a bad decision. She had already looked at my portfolio and resume prior to our meeting and was asking the same old bs what do you like about UX and Research and what makes you blah blah blah. Long story short she says «Unfortunately at this time I don’t have any positions that would be a fit for what you are looking for but you know what you are talking about and hopefully something comes up for you».
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You clearly called me in to make yourself look busy and to waste my time. The funny part is she said to look «spiffy», what a joke.
…

I sent in my resume to the Creative Group over a month ago and got an immediate response from one of the agents there, asking me to come in and have a chat with them. At first I was a bit hesitant, but eventually decided that it if it doesn’t cost anything, it couldn’t hurt.
The agent and her staff were very encouraging and welcoming when I arrived. Entering the the business world as a creative is extremely hard, but TCG’s staff made sure to put me at ease. Everyone was very friendly, bubbly and seemed more than eager to help me find a job «proactively». I must admit that it worked. I really believed that they would be able to help me.
But then I waited.
and waited…
and I’m still waiting for someone to get back to me.
TCG’s services are free, however I don’t believe that it is worth the time that you will waste in their offices. I’m sure that there are many individuals out there like me — qualified creatives trying their hardest to enter the job market with no professional experience, consistently getting rejected (because they’re new to this market) and frustrated that they have succumbed to applying for internships with a MA degree. The Creative Group not only wasted my time, they led me to believe that I had someone on my side — someone who recognized and appreciated my talents and was willing to help me take the first steps in my new career. But then they abandoned me and my resume completely. I have not heard from them, have had no follow-​ups and I am beginning to believe that the word «proactive» is just a marketing gimmick or a cruel joke to deter you from fulfilling your dreams of making a livelihood as a creative.
The job market is a cruel arena for inexperienced creatives to enter, regardless of their talent. It’s hard enough getting rejected consistently, and then have to watch lazy, less talented but more experienced individuals land your dream job. The last thing I need right now is to be involved in such a corporation and support this industrial way of working that lacks appreciation for actual talent.
In other words, stay away. And please never, EVER say the word «proactive» to me again — in any of its grammatical forms.

Good for the people who have had success with these folks, but my experience with them was frustrating.
I submitted a resume last year, got called the next day by a recruiter. Real nice guy, confirmed my info, connected on LinkedIn. Since I’m in the North Bay – not as many opportunities as SF – he said he’d wait to see what opportunities came up before bringing me in for testing & stuff. No problem.
Never got any further inquiries. I came across a few North Bay jobs that seemed like a good fit, and contacted him about them, got the polite response, but no action taken. He eventually moved on to another company.
Cut to last week, when I find a job opening in the North Bay right down the road from me – and I’m confident I can achieve in all their requirements! I contact TCG, sending an updated resume. The next day I see a recruiter named Kelly Simon has checked out my LinkedIn profile, cool…
Later in the day I see the same ad reposted on Craigslist.
OK, I guess I didn’t fit the bill. Still, it seemed like a perfect match, so I emailed Kelly (her address was in the job post), asking for info about the position and how I’d signed up with them last year.
No response.
Fine, people get busy. And job seekers get annoyed. ;)

Best recruiters for marketing/​creative professionals! Just know that, if you decide to try working with The Creative Group, it will take a bit more time to get matched than if you were to go with a different agency, but this is a good thing! Unlike most recruiters that I’ve worked with in the past, TCG won’t try to sell you on a position that isn’t a good fit. However, if they see a good fit for you — even if you don’t think you are — they will encourage you to try. That’s how they found me the company that I’m working for now, and I LOVE MY JOB… I learn new things everyday, and get to contribute to the incredibly rapid growth of a start-​up by bringing in new ideas and marketing practices. If TCG didn’t encourage me to try applying for this position, I would have never looked into such a job role due to my lack in confidence, but it turns out that I’m actually really good at doing what I do now, and TCG saw that in me before I did! I have nothing but great things to say about the staff at TCG, and I have already recommended EVERYONE I know to partner with them when searching for marketing jobs. They are incredible!!! Thank you, TCG!!!

Placement agencies are your door into companies that otherwise you’d have no chance in getting your foot in the door. When it comes to those of us that are «creatives» it’s even harder. That’s where agencies like The Creative Group come in.
The Creative Group outshines in the way of personal attention and the oft forgotten support and hope. I’ve been unemployed or underemployed for a long time, yet the time taken by Kevin Goldson and the encouragement he gives isn’t present in other companies.
Unfortunately he wasn’t able to find me a position, but being told (when quoting what I was making at the time) that I’m definitely undervalued makes me feel that it’s only a matter of time before I find myself fulfilled and compensated for my experience, education and talent.
I’d endorse The Creative Group for anyone that’s looking for a creative job and needs that connection to HR departments. As creatives we tend to be solitary and that doesn’t bode well for networking. That’s where Kevin and the The Creative Group come in!

I have to write this review, so you know my story. This agency is useless, the rates are very low. They will offer a marketing manager position with five years of experience for $ 22/​hr. They also don’t effectively speak to the employer about their budget. I had a job offer with a determined company and even went through with the HR department about benefits, things seemed settled, then I was not hearing from them again. Later, I emailed since nobody was contacting me then I find out the employer withdraw the offer because they did not have enough budget for such position. How does this happens? Another time they sent me to interviews having little to almost no information about the job description. Other times the employer would constantly changed their mind about the job responsibilities. I was sent to an interview where the Html/​Css skill was referred to as a bonus. The entire three interviews I had with them, they drilled me on my coding skills and made sure to let me know that HTML/​CSS was the most important thing that they were looking for that role. Terrible, terrible experience! They continuously keep calling me for offers. I applied for a few, prepared myself for and never received a phone call, or an email saying, hey I am sorry but they decided on another candidate. Things that you normally expect from any company. One of the jobs offers I even had to do a project for an advertisement company. I created a campaign for an ad company called crushpath, I am usually not a big fan of companies sending me homework before I even talk to them over the phone. Overall, unprofessional, they treat candidates here like they are a joke and have nothing else better to do. I would stay away if you are looking for professional recruiters. This company sounds like a bunch of kids out of college who just got their very first job as recruiters.

I have had the most amazing experience with the team at The Creative Group San Francisco! Everyone there is your career team! I have only been in bay area for a year and may career has sky rocked because of the TCG SF team!
Thank you all for all your love and support! I would not be where I am today without you!
Shout out to my mentor: Lisa Gibello! You should be so lucky to work with her!
Cheers
Devin Pipkin

I cannot say enough terrific things about The Creative Group.
I did something rather unorthodox – I moved to San Francisco in March 2014 without the security of a job. It was a major life change, albeit a calculated one, but a little nerve-​wracking nonetheless. Having had a great experience with The Creative Group in Phoenix, AZ, approaching TCG San Francisco was one of my first priorities. I worked with Brandon Davis and Kevin Goldson, two very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly professionals who immediately put my mind at ease. I knew after speaking with them that I would have two great allies in navigating the Bay Area job market.
Both Brandon and Kevin were very communicative; not a week went by that I didn’t hear from them. Within a few weeks they had placed me in not just a job, but my dream job. I am now the senior marketing writer and editor for a software company and love every minute of it, and I cannot thank Brandon, Kevin, and the whole TCG team enough for this opportunity.
Job seekers, I highly recommend the team at TCG San Francisco! The Bay Area job market can be fiercely competitive and it helps to have a friendly group of professionals to guide you along the way.

Working with Kendell and her colleagues at The Creative Group has been an incredibly rewarding and professional experience. I submitted my job profile through The Creative Group website because I was looking for a professional shift in my career into tech and social media. Within a week or two, Kendell contacted me about job opportunities. We met in person, talked about my experience, skills, salary requirements and types of places I wanted to work. She was incredibly understanding and didn’t try to push for companies I had no interest in. Within a couple of weeks, she called to see if I would be interested in going on a job interview for a part time gig at a well respected company. It wasn’t my favorite idea as someone seeking full time employment, but decided to give it a shot. I went on the interview and ended up really loving the company. Kendell then advocated on my behalf to the company to secure a full time position for me at my asking pay rate!
Throughout the job search process and placement, Kendell and her team have been responsive and communicative. Kendell calls to check in on my work scope to see if adjustments need to be made and offers advice for career advancement. Plus she’s also really fun and easy to talk to.
Considering you don’t have to pay them a dime, TCG is top notch recruitment. I would recommend TCG to anyone.

Neelu did a fantastic job finding a company and a position that’s just the right fit. She had great advice and insight throughout the process and was totally accessible and responsive. I would recommend working with her, and TCG, 100%.

I just graduated recently, and it must have been fate! After a month of job hunting, Brandon found me on Linkedin. I followed up with him and we scheduled a meeting at his office later that week. I met with Brandon and his colleague, Lisa, and I was truly impressed. After looking at my website and resume, they made a list of companies they thought I would be a good fit for. They told me it may take a few days or a few weeks, but they would contact me when they found a position I was a good fit for. Upon leaving their office, I was both excited and hopeful.
It did take a few weeks, but Brandon was great at keeping an open line of communication. He checked in with me every week with a brief phone call to let me know the status of his job hunt. Then one fateful day two weeks ago, Brandon called to let me know of a position he thought I would be perfect for. When he told me the details of the job, I couldn’t believe it. It was at a company I had admired for ages, and I met all of the qualifications for the position. He submitted my name for consideration, and then I waited to hear back from him. The following week, he called with wonderful news: I had gotten the job!
I started work last week and I couldn’t be happier. The job market is tough out there, but The Creative Group has far surpassed my expectations. This particular position is a temporary one (lasting about a month), but I know I can count on Brandon and Lisa to assist me in my job search in the near future.

I have been so happy working with The Creative Group!
I trust that the recruiters have my best interests in mind, and they have found me great work in the city. I moved to SF with only a freelance design contract lined up, so they have been instrumental in supplementing my independent freelance work with other awesome positions. Through freelancing, I have been able to add skills and client experience that I felt was unbalanced after spending 3 years at my previous design job. TCG recognizes the areas that I want to improve my skill set, and have worked to find specific positions for me. Also, they have been great in providing information about the SF job climate for designers in San Francisco and have been a great reference to run portfolio pieces and rates by.
I especially recommend Lisa and Alyssa, who have been amazing recruiters! They have great energy and are great at connecting talent with top companies.
5 stars, definitely.

If you are not serious about your design career don’t bother, but if you are at the point where you’re on the level or are willing to put in the work to get there this is the place.
With the opportunities presented, and the guidance provided by Kevin Goldson I was able elevate my visual design career well-​beyond where I could have done so myself. Personal attention and actual results defined our relationship, outside of a constant flow of well-​qualified design opportunities, Kevin also served as a kind of personal trainer for my own industry positioning.
I am in a great place now thanks to TCG and Kevin Goldson.

Nothing is more terrifying when you can’t pay your bills and you need a job. Desperate enough to work in retail but slightly ashamed in doing so .I would not be using my skill set or college education, I was beginning to lose hope after a year of looking on my own.
But where do you look when you’re a talented professional seeking full-​time or freelance employment? Networking can be hard, especially if you aren’t a very social person (which I am, but besides the point). LinkedIn jobs ‘apply button’ only goes so far, even if you upgrade. I called ad agencies, digital studios, literally getting in contact with everyone and anyone to see if they had any positions open, and of course if they did it was a fighting challenge to get an interview as our economy is in a crisis and there is a ton of people looking for the same thing I am.
Then a friend told me about recruiting agencies! Ah-​ha! I had found a new way to discover work, fingers crossed. I signed up with a few in hopes to have a better chance on finding a job. After the initial interview with them they said they’d contact me if there was a position I was fit for. Awesome. Yet, sadly, I was greeted with silence, not having my calls or any follow up emails returned regarding a position I was interested in — Needless to say, I was a bit put off with the whole process and weary about doing an interview with The Creative Group by the time my interview with them approached.
Giving one last shot I walked into TCG and told the receptionist I had an interview with Alyssa. She guided me back to one of the conference rooms to fill out paper work. Punctual and on time, with a professional smile Alyssa sat next to me and started asking me all kinds of questions about my resume (which the other recruiting agencies didn’t). She’d comment casually, «Fascinating».I wasn’t sure if she really meant that or not. I’d brought my portfolio on my laptop and we reviewed everything together (again, none of the other agencies wanted to see what I brought). Finally feeling like this recruiter was getting a sense of who I was and my background, I watched as she jot down notes. then stopped.
She looked at me, and I looked back at her. «This is incredible. I am blown away. I can’t believe how talented you are.» I really didn’t know what to say, no one had said that to me in a long time, I’d almost forgotten during my period of losing hope that I was better than working a retail job. I smiled and politely said thank you. Then she continued, «Say you’re amazing.» My eye brows rose. Was I? I said it just to humor her, which made me smile but then she said «No say it again, but louder!» I felt confidence at this point and said I was amazing, but louder. «Again!» So I did, very loudly, and finally laughed.
What a unique experience. Alyssa said this, «You are humble, talented and I am so baffled that you don’t have a job. I’m going to find you one. This month. You’ll be working. I promise.» I didn’t have faith in the other agencies but with her I got a sense of relief, I felt she was actually genuine about finding me work and maybe even gave a damn about my well being.
As the interview closed she told me I was awesome, walked me to the elevators and said she’d be in contact. I went home feeling HAPPY.
Literally the next day, Alyssa called me about a few freelance jobs. She had several she wanted to set me up with. We spoke every day since I left the office and that’s when I got a call from Neelu, TCG full-​time recruiter asking if I was interested in a full-​time position. I said I was. I planned on doing freelance but I was also open to the idea of going full-​time.
Now remember — this all happened within five days of leaving their office. I’d had several opportunities and was in constant contact with Alyssa (phone, email) and as it stood, lined up an interview for the full-​time position Neelu was suggesting (to which then I was in constant contact with Neelu, phone, email).
Granted they got me the interview, I had to do the rest at the in person interview at the company. And after I got out of my interview with them Neelu wanted me to call her to go over what happened. As the process rolled on the company wanted to hire me. Neelu negotiated my salary and starting date.
TCG had done exactly what they said they’d do. Find me work that month. IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. I’m not saying it will happen to everyone. You do have to have talent and experience under your belt to land a job, but TCG will make damn sure to find you work with what you are capable of.
Both Alyssa and Neelu took me out to lunch to congratulate me (again, not saying they’ll do that for you) but I mean, come on! Would I recommend TCG to anyone? Yes. Everyone. Go there. Do it now. I have directed all my friends to TCG who are looking for work — skip the other places, they aren’t worth your time.
ALYSSA /​NEELU /​TCG _​4LIFE!

The Creative Group and Macy Metzger helped place me at my first full-​time position in 4 years, after completing a 6 month contract. I made the move across the country from Philadelphia, Pa and they helped me gain some much needed stability in my new life here on the west coast through full-​time employment with an awesome company, and I’m doing what I enjoy and am good at!
Thanks for your help!