For some reason, I tend to get fired after a year or two at every agency I’ve worked at. As a result, I have severe PTSD from it to the point where I over-analyze and overthink/over stress about every little thing (such as my D frequently canceling our 1:1s to little comments like “a lot of Qs have popped up recently and use your resources” and “we talked about this last time”). I really like my current position/company and don’t want to get fired again but I’m really stressing out. Any advice?

Get therapy, you probably don’t realize how much your stubbornness is impacting your career. There’s some unresolved childhood trauma and bad habits that you have to work through.

Stubbornness or being argumentative comes from an intense desire to be validated or understood. In life, most people won’t know how to validate you, so you have to make peace with this so you don’t drive yourself crazy (and others in the process).

If you have developed PTSD from being fired in advertising, you might be in the wrong industry. All of the greats get fired. Because getting fired is NOT a reflection of you as a person, it's a reflection of the company and their culture.
Advertising is a high tension, fast-moving parts industry. And you gotta be a little Anthony Bourdain about it and love the mess.

Now, with that said, if you feel overwhelmed, like it's hard to stay caught up with all the fast-moving bits, and your manager says, "Use your resources", that's okay. There could be a few things going one.

1- the company isn't your culture fit. And your manager isn't the manager that will get you far in your career. You need a manager who will champion you, train you, pull you up with them. Are they that? If they aren't that, then go find a manager who is that.

2- Find tech and ai tools that work with your brain to make the work easier. Have ai do the hard work of keeping you organized. I am dyslexic AI saves me. I even have ai read me analysis of decks so I dont have to physically read. Invest the time to find the rught tools for your brain. And invest money in those tools. And if tech doesn't cut it or you have $$$ to spare, invest in a professional coach.

3-Do it your way. You will always feel less than and question yourself if you attempt to mimic others. If you do it your way, you will find what you are amazing at and start to excel and shine. You have to find your voice, your vibe, your distinct point of view.... this is also why having a tool that works with your brain is important.
And if you can't do it your way in your current role, then bring your thinking to the table in other ways. Make presentations for your department on topics they should know about. Introduce new research tools or methodology. Create a running club for your coworkers, etc. As long as it shows you showing up with your brian and your passion, you will shine.

Fired or laid off

This feels familiar to me. In my case, I discovered (late) that I have adhd/ocd. So that’s a bit of a struggle…and harder pre-diagnosis. Now that I understand what I’m dealing with, I work with my supervisor to manage situations more effectively.

I’m not sure the same is true for you, but (if you haven’t yet) it might be worth getting tested?

To be totally honest those comments from your manager do raise a flag for me. But, they also contain your answer. Your best bet is to start being very obsessed with making sure you fully understand all your accounts, projects, feedback trackers, processes, etc, and pausing before you ask a question to make sure you genuinely can’t answer it yourself. Your boss needs you to be more self-sufficient and capable of covering tasks without them babysitting.

I would set up quarterly meetings with your manager to discuss feedback, progress, and growth. This would be different from 1:1s that cover more tactical updates. If you can’t get time quarterly, ensure you’re doing them every 6 months. This gives them a clear opportunity to provide feedback and you will not be surprised later on. You can also have justification that you tried to get feedback and improve if you ever are in a situation where they’re trying to fire you.
Sorry you had to go through that experience!

I’ve been laid off twice in my 12-year career.
The first time hit hard. I had moved overseas for a job at an agency that proudly called itself a “family”—only to be let go during COVID. It messed up my life. I had to return to the UK mid pandemic when everything was shutdown, and my girlfriend at the time lost her visa (which was tied to my job) and had to move back to her home country. The whole experience gave me PTSD that lingered for years.

The past two years I’ve stopped putting agencies on a pedestal—and ironically, that mindset has been the best thing for my career and myself.

My advice is to not take things too seriously. Focus on your happiness. At the end of the day, we’re all replaceable.

Did any of the agencies give you a reason for being fired? Was it performance, behaviour, or just a lay off?

Well what do your PIPs say your problem areas are? Start there. Also this sounds like you're not incorporating feedback if they need to tell you your questions are repetitive and to figure things out.

Oh, god, I thought you were a creative, OP. You gotta get out of being in charge of organizing anything or keeping track of anything. Try and be a writer or strategist. You are not an account person of any kind at all. You’re probably really creative and love that aspect of your job but despise the rest. Ya gotta weasel your way into some kind of creative department.

Also, keep in mind that all the email threads and scheduling are not normal. At no point in the history of humanity have we been asked to keep track of so much and been punished so severely for not doing it. Your brain is like mine, we’re made for war. Not whatever this is.

GL

It sounds to me like you might benefit from spending a weekend figuring out organizational tools or approaches that work for you. These are simple, but a different color notebook for different accounts or brands. Write down the actions and details when an email comes through and cross them out once done. I find that writing things down manually helps me to remember things in the sea of info. I think it’s bc my mind can’t differentiate the sameness of everything that comes thru email/teams. It also provides a reference point I can easily go back to when I need a reminder. Good luck OP!

I'm with you. Laid off 2x in past 4 yrs. Position eliminated last position. I have resigned myself to the fact maybe working for a company or even working in design is just no longer healthy for me. Been in therapy for over 10 years, but every time I lose a position, it gets harder to find a new one that pays the same or the right fit. Feel like I've "aged out" :(

Try less social media

OP -I feel your pain. If you do have ADD, it can get overwhelming when there is so much pressure. Sorry. The ADD topic has come up throughout this thread. I hope it’s not offensive to you, or you take it wrong. It helps to explain why you might be having trouble coping. I have it, and it does become vexing to deal with. I totally get that it is hard to keep up with the email threads. Solution: When a change comes in to the project, copy & paste it to your own word doc. At the top of each comment (in your Word doc) label it with (name) made this change on (date/time) and then the change. Now, you have your own running list of how and when a project changed. Before you meet with someone, read through the last few changes that had occurred. Now, you have it fresh in your head, at least the last few bits that you read. If asked about something that you forgot what happened, then say, something like, “Oh yes. I remember something being said toward that. I have my documents organized. Let me just double-check that.” Then, you’ll feel more in control, be organized, and probably be more efficient. I also think you might benefit from working at an in-house company where the stress might be brisk, but not overwhelming.

I’m also prepping to undergo a really pricey health process so I can’t afford to lose my job.

Been there. I was the same way with full time work. When I went independent, everything changed. I’m much better at my job now. Full time just might not be the best way of working for you.

Came here to say; you sound like me: ADHD and anxiety. Treat the anxiety and worry less about the ADHD. Stimulants like adderall make anxiety and sleeping worse. I’m on 10mg of Lexapro. It’s done wonders for me. Also, you have to make sure you exercise and watch your alcohol intake. Finally, you should know that this is a really wacky industry full of wacky people and wacky companies. If you worked in an environment that was a little more stable, this wouldn’t happen so much to you. I’m freelance now, and my life is amazing. I know that’s not an option for you right now, but goals are good to have.

What triggers the initial move to Ax you?

I don't really fancy some of the comments bringing up the topic of disorders. I think as a company/ team there should be collaboration, teamwork & open communication to solve issues & work towards a common goal- something I feel this industry lacks. By all means, you should seek help like Theraphy to work on your personal issues, however the best bet would be to get out of advertising. I wish you the best- all these challenges are just to shape you into a stronger, more resilient, person. Reflect & learn - improve.

I was on the client side with engineering-driven, high tech companies and a few small agencies. Loved the work. Hated the people! Everyone is an expert, usually if they know nothing. The engineers have the power of the purse. Every budget is $20K, no matter the project or goals. Got fired even if results far outdistanced industry standards, like a 17% response rate. Engineers all need to be the smartest person in the room, so if you’re smarter you are out! They really shouldn’t even have a seat at the table, yet there they are. Management doesn’t understand how marketing works, they need to be 99.9% certain of the outcome before doing anything, even when they’ve never tried it before. Make sure you have some autonomy before taking the job. Make sure you set and spend the budget. And have creative authority. Nothing worse than listening to a bunch of engineers analyze creative and then think they have decision making power. Was in a meeting once to determine creative strategy, one guy had 20 years experience with company and said after that it was the best meeting he had ever been in! When I asked why, he said because you ask tough questions. a few days later in the hall I asked him again why that was, and he said no one in the company ever asks tough questions. No one. It was actually a warning.