Over 40 in Advertising

I’m glad there’s finally a list like this. But it’s so obvious these were done by PR people at agencies because of the blatant display of Titleism. Show me a list of 40 over 40 of people voted on by t… more

Hey if you are over 50 or turn 50 this year, don’t forget you can add additional $6,500 to@your 401k ( if that’s something you are able to do financially, I realize that is not something all can fund… more

So there are creatives THAT extraordinary, in less than 5 years are senior level?

Ageism laid bare. This is the sad reality of the business. Agency leaders who linger into their 60s, who have completely dismissed the value of their contemporaries to keep themselves afloat. Shame on you Mark Rea… more

I was just scolded by a GenZ/Millennial account person for not submitting my first draft of an HCP message map doc in PPT. I used word bc we are just starting the content exploration. Omg.

I am constantly worried this life I’ve built will be taken away from me in an instant. That I’ll lose my job and never get hired again then lose my house. As soon as I was responsible for more than my… more

Once again, got turned down for a really great CD job after multiple (successful) interview rounds because they think I’m “OVERqualified”...despite them saying they loved me & my world & all m… more

Lost my in-house job today due to the impact of Covid on the financial performance of the company. I was there only for five months. I thought I had found something good after spending many years in … more

Finally secured a job after 6 months of COVID unemployment. Sure I had to go client-side, take a lower role, a massive pay cut, and will have to move across the country — but I’m legitimately relieved… more

on a scale of 1 to 10, how pushy do you have to get to ensure projects keep moving? bonus question: and why is that number always 11 for me?

... I’m applying for those because I still love doing the work, being in the trenches. So why wouldn’t an agency wanna bring me (or you) in at a lower salary than we should be making? Why shouldn’t they appreciat… more

Been trying to figure out why a lot of agencies & other senior creatives are not interested in having people “of a certain age” come in at maybe a level below where they should be. For example, I… more

Do you find it ironic how ageist this business is and yet almost 80% of the creative references I see for projects were created by someone over 40?

Quote from Mark Read, WPP CEO:


“We have a very broad range of skills and if you look at our people – the average age of someone who works at WPP is less than 30 – they don’t hark back to the 1980s, luc… more

I consider my most interesting portfolio pieces to have been 8 years ago, and the last five years have been fine - just never got those briefs again. Just sad that I can’t lean on those clearly dated … more

Just laid off after 16 years at company. Let the freak out begin. 😳

If you are hired for a project at a big company but it’s not long-term, how would you position/announce it on your LinkedIn? Announce you’re freelancing/self-employed or as a consultant for the big co… more

Been on the market since May. Apparently too senior for AD roles (though I’d gladly take one), but not enough senior roles (GAD) to go around. So.......pizza delivery? Pivot to landscaping? 😂 Anyone … more

Not sure if this is the right bowl for this. I am having hard time transitioning from working at ad agencies to work in-house. I thought I could bring some expertise and graphic sophistication from sp… more

Anyone in this group experience age discrimination?

Getting close to a client side ECD role in an area of the country I want to retire. I’m a bit nervous about leaving the agency world but I’m 53 and thinking about where I want to be for the next 7-10 … more

Anyone working from London? How is salary-wise? How is raising a family while working as a creative? I think I’m done with NYC and would like to go back to my European roots.

“What are your salary expectations” “What is your range, I am open to adjusting and my previous salaries while very senior are not relevant to what I’m looking for today.” “So what salary are you look… more

Feeling pressured, with the expectation you need side projects to get hired. I’m a parent, went through a rough personal experience that spanned years, and honestly spent.

Anyways, good suggestions fo… more

For anyone over 40 who got let go in the US - it says you have 21 days to review any severance package. Do you still get a salary during those 21 days? 🙏

Does anyone have a good reco for a survey tool that streamlines responses across large segments of people? And a reco for a social listening tool? Doing research for a small brand with eroding awarene… more

For various “life reasons”, I’ve taken a few wrong turns on my career path, and my book, which was once great, is now irrelevant, “studenty”, and no longer represents my abilities accurately. Have any… more

What are your go-to job websites you use when job hunting besides Google and Linked In?

Last week I was feeling great. Had all of my ‘non-traditional’ ideas make it into the final presentation deck. Today, I whiffed badly on a writing assignment. Ready to quit and mow lawns or something.… more

How old were you when you started reporting to people younger than you? I think I was 29 or 30.