Hire For Work
An open community initiative of Blowtrumpet
For researchers, academics and analysts exploring what advertising does to us.
[Join us on Discord →] https://discord.com/invite/6qZe3tvnWB
Hire For Work (HFW) is an open community initiative of Blowtrumpet — the company behind State of Ads. If you are a researcher, academic or industry analyst interested in advertising effectiveness, media psychology, attention economics or the mental-health impact of media, HFW connects you with fellow researchers, hiring teams and the broader ad-tech community.
HFW is not gated behind our hiring needs. It is open to everyone, and the community exists for its members rather than for our headcount.
Why this belongs on State of Ads
How an industry brings people in is a structural question about that industry, not a recruitment matter — which is why it sits here alongside attention, privacy and fairness.
Advertising learns its craft on the job and has steadily stopped paying for the years in which that happens. Unpaid internships filter for people whose families can fund them. “Exposure” transfers value from the person with none to the organisation with plenty. Campus recruitment measures test performance and calls it potential. The result is an industry recruiting from a narrower pool each year, which then wonders where the talent went.
That is a fixable problem, and an under-studied one. Researchers: early-career pathways, unpaid work and access in the creative industries are an area with real data behind them and few people looking at it. We would collaborate on that. [Propose research]
Students and early-career members: this is the easiest room in which to meet the industry before it has finished forming your opinions for you.
WhatsApp communities
Join any group that matches your interests. All groups are moderated, inclusive and free. The seven campus groups are restricted to verified students and alumni of that campus — that restriction is the whole reason the opportunities posted in them are real.
Campus exclusive — verified students and alumni only
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · IIT Delhi | https://chat.whatsapp.com/GVrv5Y8NKFlKvoiE60GZeZ |
| HFW · DTU | https://chat.whatsapp.com/D41zI5eqpbdI1HpypVWW36 |
| HFW · NSUT | https://chat.whatsapp.com/DvNEJwQAJByGpphKiXXha1 |
| HFW · IIIT-Delhi | https://chat.whatsapp.com/ID4vC86DaZq1KicONsMKSl |
| HFW · BITS Pilani | https://chat.whatsapp.com/GGqc7Myhsr32WLZPqsR2tB |
| HFW · IGDTUW | https://chat.whatsapp.com/HjvmMX3IfCV0CV4TSRiqAW |
| HFW · NIT Delhi | https://chat.whatsapp.com/ICqSCNuK6KFAtjDpmQPTWX |
Engineering
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · Engineers | https://chat.whatsapp.com/LY3TW3kqVWQ2VD9FFdFGld |
| HFW · Frontend Delhi | https://chat.whatsapp.com/EwcwG0WFjPTFvW1ZCsTSIB |
| HFW · WordPress Devs | https://chat.whatsapp.com/CmYV2f5IESxIuRnA4gQvpB |
| HFW · AI Builders | https://chat.whatsapp.com/I7dOAy2MBnL1zmTNw5OFpA |
| HFW · InfoSec | https://chat.whatsapp.com/LThhkx95tLOCmh1u3kUSO4 |
| HFW · SysAdmin | https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ke2SvH9POL50yZIPHfHPPI |
| HFW · DSA & LeetCode | https://chat.whatsapp.com/CiCBkcWkysiFYNJCJ4lzFi |
| HFW · QA & Testing | https://chat.whatsapp.com/BkA9yh4zUBzCgbhoXc4Sms |
Design
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · Designers | https://chat.whatsapp.com/LHrExaH5Z5yCmSO2FjtJbh |
| HFW · Ad Creatives | https://chat.whatsapp.com/C7rxEHttSX6FQUm6zjPAbe |
Careers & jobs
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · Tech Jobs India | https://chat.whatsapp.com/Jld7xiShxqLH3ScGKh2bui |
| HFW · Paid Internships | https://chat.whatsapp.com/JqTRss5JCY5DxRb8WtWnqR |
| HFW · South Delhi Jobs | https://chat.whatsapp.com/L0nEDySqKle0iXcnsFSR9z |
| HFW · Fresher Jobs | https://chat.whatsapp.com/CI1NU3PkFqJDcCMcVst7vR |
| HFW · Ad-Tech Careers | https://chat.whatsapp.com/C1uOE9M3B0u8slSeAcYMiY |
Startup & business
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · India Startups | https://chat.whatsapp.com/FEQTa4PzgDIHAY1PjWa8Xq |
| HFW · Freelance India | https://chat.whatsapp.com/EdCAhXHIwmzFJ0ynsAFDbY |
| HFW · Founders Circle | https://chat.whatsapp.com/GHDAzN1bYlJGgsU11GkvVU |
Community & culture
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · Delhi Game Nights | https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kk0NHU6DkEI1ff84u7n8YA |
| HFW · Delhi Movie Nights | https://chat.whatsapp.com/C1fQBsphwMy1YQSD2xyg76 |
| HFW · Content Creators | https://chat.whatsapp.com/D2wm30UvCnr8PAdpMMLZjV |
| HFW · Gen Z Careers | https://chat.whatsapp.com/LspGBylb4DIGABUvoullvN |
Management & ops
| Group | Join link |
| HFW · HR & Recruiting | https://chat.whatsapp.com/F8fZRJbCDFYK9Q4Vn25B0v |
| HFW · Marketing & GTM | https://chat.whatsapp.com/EyiqPhEuQbzKCMrTwtPM7o |
| HFW · Ops & Admin | https://chat.whatsapp.com/FDcuUSVp5PqD8Jl2YVXowN |
Campus ambassadors
We are appointing HFW Campus Ambassadors to run the campus communities — students who already organise things and people turn up, who know who the good people in their year are, and who will tell us when something is not working.
What you would do. Run your campus group and keep it genuinely verified. Bring HFW onto campus through sessions, workshops and project nights. Make sure opportunities reach the people who should see them. Find talent and vouch for it.
What you get. First sight of apprenticeships, fellowships and internships, a direct route into the Sprint Fellowship, scheduled mentorship on your own work, a platform to write and speak — including here — and a certificate and written reference at the end of a completed term. Community recognition runs on keys, points and levels, which are non-financial, carry no monetary value and are not convertible to cash.
An ambassadorship is a community role, not employment. Where we ask for work that is genuinely work, it is paid and agreed in writing first. Open to enrolled students aged 18 and over, at any institution — including campuses with no group yet.
[Apply on Discord →] https://discord.com/invite/6qZe3tvnWB
Careers & opportunities
We are hiring across functions. Early-career graduates and final-year interns are welcome — if you are looking to create a ding in the universe, this may be your chance.
| Function | Role |
| Industry Connect | Advertising Research Associate |
| Industry Connect | Mental Health & Media Research Associate |
| Community & Campus Programs | Campus Ambassador Program Manager |
| Community & Campus Programs | HFW Community Campus Ambassador |
Every role is applied for on Discord. [Apply on Discord →] https://discord.com/invite/6qZe3tvnWB
All applicants are encouraged to submit a Statement of Purpose detailing their interest in advertising and technology, when they started programming or exploring the field, their 3–5 year career vision, and how this project fits into that picture.
State of Ads is a programme under Blowtrumpet Technologies · South Delhi. All hiring, reviews and HR functions are managed by Blowtrumpet.HFW: hfw@blowtrumpet.com · Research: research@stateofads.com