What Is It Like to Work for an Advertising Agency?

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To some extent, work in marketing is empowering because it enables an outflow of creativity set in a structured business environment with business purposes. Thus, working in advertising can help not only develop and provide an outlet for creative expression, but also develops business skills and perspectives that cross industry boundaries.

Nearly forty percent of the numbers of professionals across all industries are unhappy with their careers, but advertising professionals report only a 25% likelihood of dissatisfaction. People seeking a career in advertising and marketing can enjoy a challenging profession that reaps great emotional and financial rewards when the fit is right, and since forewarned is forearmed; it makes sense to learn what to expect in the field.

Account and Creative

Working in advertising means working in one of two areas, the account side, or the creative side. On the creative side, remember that first and foremost, it’s important to understand that working in advertising is just that—working. Though a wonderful outlet for creative expression, that expression in this case is the actual product being sold, which means a great deal of the practical implications of the job involve developing, scrapping, and redeveloping ideas at the whim of a client.

Ad agencies rarely keep banker’s hours and an entry level advertising professional can expect to work longer and more menially than established employees as they learn the culture and build experience. In short, although working in advertising makes sense for artistic types, it shouldn’t be confused with artistic patronage because learning how to creatively understand the client’s vision and then work diligently to achieve it, is critical. Effective creative personnel in advertising enjoy great respect and career longevity.

On the account side of advertising, the work is just as demanding. Account personnel are tasked with creating and maintaining relationships with the client. In addition, professionals working in advertising from the account side of the business will often be involved in the execution end of project, which may include film production, coordination with printers and manufacturers, and similar work. Primarily, account executives will deal with the clients. This essentially means translating client desires and responses from the creative team on an ongoing basis.

Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution

Depending on the agency involved, an organization culture may favor the client, in which case, the account executive is likely to face regular conflict with the creative team. When the creative work is perceived in a more favorable light than the billing; the account executive can expect to regularly put out customer fires. Perhaps most importantly, the production side of the business is a diplomatic side in which the need to balance customer needs and expectations with creative drive is critical. If a person’s enjoys helping those with opposing viewpoints reach consensus, the account side of an advertising agency is uniquely suited to the job.

Advertising agencies have a high turnover rate and it’s likely that turnover comes from incorrect expectations. With foreknowledge of what to expect, however, a professional just entering the field can expect a long and prosperous career.