The Creative Group

I have always had wonderful experiences working with The Creative Group, especially Ayako, Kirsten, and Carrie.
I recently worked with Carrie on a role she was recruiting for and from the start I knew I would love working with her. The hiring process required a lot of coordination and effort on her end and she constantly stayed in contact and provided updates as she worked through all of the scheduling and planning. Throughout the process I knew I had her support and encouragement and always appreciated her honesty and transparency. Working with Carrie was a complete joy and I can’t recommend her enough!

Working with the Creative Group was a great way to get my foot in the door and find a permanent full-​time position.
I worked with Mandie, and she was a great advocate for me. She shows exemplary dedication to and knowledge of her clients and their needs. As soon as I contacted The Creative Group looking for a contract position, she hit the ground running to make a great match for my skills and experience, enlisting her colleagues to aid in my job search and presenting great opportunities. I felt very involved in the process and well-​informed the entire time. Mandie’s advocacy for me resulted in my contract role converting to a full-​time position. She has the best interests of all parties involved in pairing companies with employees.

This month, I worked with Craig to find a new job. He was nothing short of exceptional in every way. From our first phone call, all throughout the interview process, Craig was supportive, kind, easy to talk to and work with, and helpful. He provided me insight to the companies I was interviewing with and helpful feedback. I feel fortunate to have worked with him and would recommend him in a heartbeat to employees looking for jobs.

The Creative Group has been an invaluable resource to me in my search for contract positions in the Seattle area. The awesome team of recruiters have sent me a variety of jobs that not only match my skill set, but also my goals in terms of the companies I’d like to work for, and even within walking distance of my apartment. Mandie Medina in particular has been absolutely fantastic, and is constantly striving to match me with the perfect role. She’s been welcoming, kind, and I really feel like she wants the best for me. In addition, Charlene and Emily have been great as well. I trust this team to match me with great roles.

It has been my great good fortune to work with Ayako, Kirsten, Anthony, and Lindsay for several excellent contract placements at very good pay rates.
The Creative Group recruiters are exceptionally good at what they do. And they really care about the people they place in jobs. Ayako’s expertise and warmth has been a great blessing in my life over the last two years.
And I am so grateful for my current TCG assignment. Lindsay spotted the client request and had a feeling about it for me. I wasn’t sure when I saw the job description. But she’d seen my resume and knew me better than I knew myself on this one. She and Anthony set up the first interview, and a second one right after that. It was a fit.
Anthony moved fast to get me through the background checks and set everything up with the company. Lindsay was there on my first day, and what a delight to meet her in person. This is the easiest and most pleasurable review in the world to write. Yes, I highly recommend TCG.

I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Marianne and Ivan. My experience working with them and The Creative Group is that they are exceptional. They have a first class team. I took note of and appreciated how they wanted to learn about my wants and needs as well as my experience and expertise. They treat you as they treat the commercial clients they work with. I’ve found their network to be vast and the opportunities presented to me to be first class. They have my highest recommendation.

I really enjoy leaving the stressful tasks of finding and negotiating jobs to TCG. From the first interview (which I had with Katie — who is no longer with TCG) to my current point of contact (Ivan) I’ve really felt like my concerns and needs are listened to, thought about, and most importantly considered. To me, it’s these little things that maybe make their jobs tougher but, has really made me continue to appreciate and find success in working with the TCG team (and at this point exclusively).
One of the greatest things, for me, is feeling that I can ask any question and voice any hesitations to Ivan plus the TCG team and when I do, I know that I can get clear, transparent, and professional feedback to help me understand and find clarity. I also really appreciate the assistance in my career path — sometimes a role may feel like it may be out of my reach but, it really seems like TCG knows when to submit someone in case that particular role may be the next stepping stone for them.
My time with TCG started in 2014. The folks there are great, TCG is highly recommended by me!

I’ve worked with Ayako and Kirsten several times here. Long story short, they’ve been nothing but rock stars on every occasion. The Seattle area has become flooded with recruiters who don’t even so much as return phone calls, let alone actually contact candidates about a relevant role. That’s simply not the case with TCG. Ayako has most recently placed me in a contract role that had me going to work the day after she submitted me — and that’s not the only time. I got the rate I wanted, and I could work offsite and make my own hours.
Put simply, TCG is the best recruiting agency in the area. They respond quickly, are dedicated to helping you, and never leave you in the dark. I look forward to a continuously awesome working relationship with them.

Working with The Creative Group has been amazing. My recruiter Craig is the type of guy that doesn’t give up. He makes you feel like his first priority. Having him on my side through a tough but necessary transition in my life made everything that much easier. He stayed in contact with me weekly even if there were no jobs to apply for at the time just to encourage me not to give up. He even went out of his way to hook me up with other branches of the business. When he called to tell me I received an offer he was just as excited as I was. He was not only my advocate but also became a good friend.

Changing jobs whilst you’re employed can be stressful. Finding a new job when you’re unemployed can be downright frightening. You have to wade through the hundreds of websites while also spending hours online, on the phone and in networking events. Everyone has a differing opinion as the best way to get noticed. You have no idea if your emails, resumes, cover letters and online employment profiles are even being opened! You hit up your friends working at other quality companies… they nicely take you to lunch and tell you they’ll keep an eye out if they hear anything. But they’re not the decision maker, they can only do so much. More often than not, they don’t bring up the subject again after that initial conversation. Changing jobs can really suck.
That was the position I found myself in when I submitted to a job posting which was being handled by The Creative Group. I thought I was simply applying to yet another position, which most likely would fall into another black-​hole.
I had no idea what a gold mine I had stumbled upon. The Creative Group received my resume, and called me in for a face to face meeting. **What’s this? An actual person, not just some automated email?** Yep. I sat down with Althea P. and she took the time to understand my past work history, as well as where I wanted to go. She and her colleagues then provided tips on how to improve my resume, and cover letter. That was just the beginning.
The Creative Group is in direct communications with HIRING MANAGERS at the best, most sought after companies in Seattle. They got my resume in front of the exact people I was hoping to connect with.
It felt like their entire office was working on my behalf. I was no longer alone in my job search. I had a team of people who cared about me and my situation. When I got the call from Mandie M. that a team at [a large tech company in Redmond] wanted to speak with me, it came at no surprise. The account managers at The Creative Group had tee’d me up and I walked into the interview feeling confident and prepared.
Working with the Creative Group was so smooth, it made being unemployed much less stressful. The Creative Group helped me in the beginning stages of my job search, the interview process, and they’ve even continued to check in now that I’m employed again.
They have my highest recommendation!

Love the team at The Creative Group in Seattle — especially my recruiter, Anthony Peiffer. I’ve worked with so many bad recruiters over the years, so it’s refreshing to work with TCG. They really know what client service is all about. Although I didn’t get the position Anthony was looking to fill, he’s stayed in touch and has been working hard to find a great match for my talents. They know the market and it’s been a pleasure working with them.

When you see a job description on their site that fits your previous work history — they are an amazing resource. My POC Ivan pulled me into the office for a quick meeting within 3 days after receiving my resume, then set me up with an interview very quickly. He was an amazing contact person throughout the duration of my contract and was very happy to listen to any information I could provide.
I held my first freelancer role with them in December 2014, and that opportunity ended up converting me to a full time employee int he summer of 2015. Ivan was very open to discussing all of my concerns and settled all of my nerves about being on my first contract job. Freelancing isn’t for me, but I have learned a lot about it and I’ll definitely be calling him back if I end up seeking a contract position again in the future.

TCG is by far the best experience I have had with a creative agency in Seattle. Other agencies I went to either forgot about me quickly or sent out mass emails to all of their candidates without personalizing them to meet my specific skill set. Most of the time they wouldn’t bother to reply, but TCG always got back to me quickly about whatever I needed.
Each job opportunity TCG sent me was very personable. My recruiter, Mandie Medina, went out of her way to check in on me and send new opportunities frequently. She found me work quickly and genuinely cared about my success. It really felt good to know someone was cheering for me.

These guys are the best. Not only did they immediately find me an incredible placement that turned into a full-​time possibility, they followed up, stayed in touch and, I felt, really advocated for me.
I was unemployed and looking hard for a new job for four months before I found the Creative Group. If I ever find myself looking again, I’ll go straight to them. I could not be more pleased with how they handle their business.

My experience with TCG was nothing short of perfect. From the moment I walked in the door I was extremely well taken care of; the office and all the people in it were welcoming, professional and genuine. With so many staffing firms you have to jump through endless hoops to get attention. TCG is different; I applied online and heard from Ivan within a couple days. The people here are actively reading online applications and proactively reaching out. It’s clear they are dedicated to matching great candidates with great opportunities.
When I met with Ivan, it was obvious he had taken the time to comb through my portfolio and resume. He asked difficult questions, listened very carefully and pushed me to think hard about my goals and skillset. We had an honest and open discussion about where I wanted to take my career and how TCG could help. More than happy to answer my questions both during and after that meeting, Ivan offered great advice and guidance. It is just plain awesome to have someone like that on my side.
Ivan is friendly and easy to talk to, yet extremely sharp and intuitive. He quickly picked up on my interest in PR, and even though TCG didn’t have any relevant positions at that moment, wasted no time connecting me with wonderful PR people in his own network (who, like Ivan, were incredibly friendly and helped connect me to other great people in the industry). He even followed up a couple of weeks later and suggested I apply for an open position he saw at a PR agency (not through TCG). I was, quite simply, blown away by how much he cared.
The whole team is like that. I got an email a few weeks later from another friendly TCG recruiter named Emily who found a great role she and Ivan thought would be an excellent fit for me (it was). I ended up getting that full-​time PR position Ivan suggested so I didn’t pursue it, but just goes to show how smoothly the team collaborates and how dedicated they are to their candidates. I still keep in touch with Ivan, and am absolutely keeping TCG on my radar for extra freelance opportunities.
Long story short, I highly recommend The Creative Group for those serious about their search. I would not have gotten to where I am today (my dream job) without Ivan and the TCG team. Cheers to such a wonderful organization in this rough job market!

The Creative Group has two business groups: contract and full-​time. Amanda M (Mandie) and Anthony P, respectively, both put their best foot forward in meeting with me and connecting me with companies that were looking for my particular skill sets. Mandie would email me often to see how I was doing with job interviews and prospective work. She definitely made me feel like I had someone looking out for my best interests. That isn’t to say Anthony didn’t – quite the contrary. He quickly introduced me to a company that would be lucky to add a designer to its ranks. Both Mandie and Anthony were at all times professional and respectful of my time.
I was asked to join a friend’s startup so in the end I didn’t fully utilize TCG’s services. However, I would definitely recommend them to anyone in the greater Seattle area looking for contract or full-​time employment.

Making dreams come true! Honestly is the best way to describe what TCG does.
I had used many other recruiting companies to find a full-​time position. I was not having luck after months and not happy with other approaches, I almost gave up and went back to doing freelance work. Then I was approached by TCG through Linkedin and a few after my initial interview was interviewing with one of the best companies in the area. TCG got their hands dirty after that interview and got me working with the perfect team a week later.
Then to top that, my team lost funding 3 months later and within 4 days TCG helped me get handfuls of interviews and a job offer with every interview I could fit in my schedule. Which they helped me counteroffer for a large amount more and the team I wanted.

These five stars are for Katie Crawley specifically. I had been with TCG for a few months with no traction. When she became my recruiter, she invited me to the office to meet in person, which was gracious and smart of her. When I dropped in to chat, she offered me advice for how to best frame my experience for the Seattle market. Her suggestions were on point, and within a day I was on a job interview with a company I later was hired by for full-​time work just three weeks into my three-​month contract. Katie’s efforts on my behalf didn’t end at putting me in the interview; she also helped me negotiate a generous offer package from my company. Furthermore, her kind, upbeat demeanor makes her a joy to interact with.
tl;dr — Katie Crawley is capable, caring and smart. I had a job within three days of meeting her.

Some of us here in the greater Seattle area are not from the area originally. So having a great background, great skills, and lots of desire for career growth just isn’t enough to guarantee you’ll find work. There’s just so many other people out there working their way up in your industry that it can be hard to find a leg up. It doesn’t mean you aren’t talented or worthy of hire. It just means companies have many great candidates in the masses to choose from. That’s where TCG came in and blew me away. Imagine a team of your best, inspirational, professional, and genuine friends trying to help you move along in your career, connect you with the best opportunities, and set you up for success. That’s what it has been like in my experience working with Katie and the team at TCG.
I’ve been at things for roughly ten years now and I’ve even helped others get jobs in the area before. But I have never had such a hard time finding a job as I have in the last year. Having no luck on my own, I turned to TCG. I’ve even gone through the same interview process with other creative staffing agencies in town and they just do not compare. I simply cannot say enough good things about TCG!
Right out the gate, Katie responded to my inquiry and was impressed with my portfolio and background. She had me in for the interview and it was great. She has a background in the creative industry herself, so she already understands where you are coming from when you describe the kinds of jobs you are or aren’t looking for. It didn’t even feel so much like an interview as just a get-​to-​know-​you conversation. At the end of that interview she already had opportunities in mind that she thought I’d be a great fit for. She (and the TCG team) submitted me for some roles the following week, to which I was able to secure interviews for. I’m talking about the kind of interviews that I would never have a shot at if I were applying on my own. She really listened and focused on it being a good fit and a good experience… not just a ‘job’ or a paycheck.
Long story short, I’m a week into a GREAT job that TCG was able to match me with and it didn’t take very long from the point when Katie initiated contact with me. She is a real person who is committed to helping others connect with great companies, all while treating you with the utmost respect and value as a professional. Along with Katie, I had a number of other people at TCG interested in helping me find great opportunities, including Ayako, Sharayah, Emily, and Adam. I was NEVER treated like a number, a dime-​a-​dozen designer, an opportunity for commission, or anything less than absolutely professional. I was never blown off if I needed to call/​email and get an update on a position. Someone was always sure to follow up with me when they could. Katie even called me a week in to my job just to see how it was going. My own family didn’t even do that!
To anyone who is serious about their career and looking for great opportunities in the creative field in Seattle, connecting with TCG is absolutely the way to go. It may take some time to find the best fit, but you can trust that you have a great team of people behind you the whole way! I absolutely would recommend TCG to anyone I meet in the future who is looking to grow professionally.

I had a great experience with The Creative Group. Even though none of the opportunities panned out, I appreciated their guidance throughout the process. Everyone I worked with was super helpful and I felt that they really had my best interests in mind.