Advertising Careers & Job Hunting

I’m a copywriter looking for an AD partner in NYC. Here’s my book:www.mattkennedycreative.com

Let’s pair up and make some funny stuff!

Looking for a sr.-level AD partner to do comedy TV work full-time at one of LA’s best agencies. Must be local! Send books or dm if you want to chat :)

I have been at my agency for 3 years and my average week is 55 hours. The in house role I am looking at would cap me at 40 but with a 12k pay cut. How quickly would I make that back, realistically?

I am on my fifth version of my resume this month because every job description seems to want something slightly different. At what point do you stop tweaking? I'm honestly not sure how much it eve… more

I had an interview last week where the entire team dialed in late and no one seemed prepared. That gave me a lot to think about. What interview red flags stand out to you.

Do any of you actually ever got a job from a job posting, sending resume and getting called back? Or was it always a connection?

I applied to a role on January 3 and the posting already has over 400 applicants. It made me wonder if applying this early even matters. How are people standing out when the volume is this high.

I applied to five jobs this weekend and three of them sent rejection emails within an hour. At least it was fast but it still stung. How do you stay steady when responses come in waves like that.

I just checked the calendar invite for my interview Tuesday and saw there are 4 people on the panel. Feels like I'm being ambushed, why does it take 4 people to interview someone for a junior role… more

I noticed some job postings tonight do not even list the hiring manager or the team. That always makes me suspicious. If they cannot tell me who I would be working with I do not trust the process. Wha… more

How long do you wait before assuming you did not get the job? Three days. A week. Two weeks. I keep checking my email, getting disappointed.

What did your job search teach you about yourself this year. I learned I stay too long and doubt myself too much. I am not carrying that into 2026. What are you leaving behind?

How many of you are walking into 2026 already knowing you will not be in the same role by next December. I have not told anyone yet but the decision feels real. What is the first move you are making i… more

The recruiter just told me the job I applied for was put on hold after I finished the last round. Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do I get all that wasted time back 😩

I keep getting rejected for jobs that feel like exact matches for my background. Same tools, same industry, same level. What the heck is going on??

I had two great recruiter calls in early December. I keep checking my inbox, nothing. At what point do you follow up again versus accepting you’ve been ghosted?

I’m job searching in private because I don’t have the energy to explain it to anyone. Not miserable enough to quit, not happy enough to stay. Just stuck in that in-between.

I’m so tired of interviews that go nowhere even when everything seems to go well. The calls are good and feedback sounds positive, then weeks pass with nothing. It feels like companies want backup o… more

Does anyone else feel weird job hunting when they’re not miserable at work? I’m not desperate to leave, but I know I’m underpaid. It feels awkward interviewing from a place of “this is fine, but…”

I'm having such a hard time job hunting while experiencing burnout from my last job. Everyone says to sound enthusiastic and energetic, but I’m honestly just tired. I worry that fatigue is showing… more

Has anyone experienced interviewers trauma dumping about their workload during an interview? This guy literally said, “I’m surviving on caffeine and hope.” Uh sir, you're supposed to be selling th… more

How do you tell if a company is actually “pausing hiring until January,” or if that’s their polite way of ghosting? I’m trying not to take it personally, but the vibes are ambiguous. What’s the best f… more

What do you do when a company wants to schedule a final interview the week of Christmas? I’m trying to be flexible, but I’d also like to enjoy my life. Is it okay to ask for January without ruining th… more

The recruiter said the hiring timeline was “immediate,” but now I’ve been waiting three weeks for feedback. I’m starting to feel like they forgot about me. How do you re-engage without sounding impati… more

I just got an offer for a role they told me is hybrid but can’t tell me which days are in-office because “leadership is still deciding.” Seems like a setup.

I'm interviewing for a role and the agency changed the job description halfway through the process. Now the responsibilities are different from what I applied for, and I'm not sure if I should… more

Does anyone actually use those online resume scanners companies recommend? I keep seeing conflicting advice about them. Are they worth it or just another distraction?

Is it a bad sign if a company keeps extending the hiring timeline? I’m trying not to jump to conclusions, but the constant delays feel off. Should I keep waiting or move on?

Does anyone else get thrown off when an interviewer suddenly switches from super friendly to super formal mid-call? One minute they’re laughing about weekend plans and the next they’re robotically ask… more

Why do companies ask for a portfolio of your “best work” and then barely spend 30 seconds looking at it? I’m out here curating like it’s a museum exhibit and they’re flipping through it like junk mail… more

My biggest job search problem right now is that I genuinely don’t know what I want and it’s embarrassing. Everything I see looks like a slightly worse version of my current job. I want change, but I d… more

I applied to a role that honestly scared me a little because it felt above my level and now I’ve made it to the next round. I’m excited, but I’m also super anxious about being exposed as unqualified. … more

I’m noticing that the roles I’m most excited about are the ones where I feel the least confident after the interview, and it’s messing with my ability to read situations. I keep replaying my answers u… more

Is title inflation making job searching worse? A “junior” strategist at one shop is doing “senior” work at another. It’s confusing. How do you decode these listings?

Why do ad agencies still list “flexible hours” when it means nights and weekends? I’m trying to move but every listing sounds like chaos. I want something sustainable. How do you spot real balance?

Why do creative roles always need massive portfolios even if the job is partly strategy? I’ve done strong work but not everything is public-facing. It’s stressing me out. How do you show range without… more

Has anyone switched from a boutique agency to in-house and liked it? I’m tired of juggling ten clients at once. In-house sounds calmer but maybe too slow. What was your experience?