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my cousin is working as a design engineer(related to mechanical engineering). He is havjng 4+ YOE for the same role. He has done diploma in data science from IIIT-Banglore in UPGRAD. Now he wants to look for an oppurtunity in IT field. Can someone let us know the process if u r aware of so that it would be helpful for him. he has done few live projects in UPGRAD in order to get his certification. Upgrad is 1 year course Cognizant Tata Consultancy Accenture Infosys Deloitte EY PwC KPMG
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New York is king for the ad scene.
Chicago is second.
It’s very hard to make ends meet on a junior salary in New York (I mean it’s not great in Chicago but overall it’s a much better quality of life on low income)
I mean doesnt pretty much every major holding company have a building full of agencies or multiple offices in Chicago?
Chicago- all of the same agencies, a summer you actually enjoy instead of leaving, nice people, clean, I can’t say enough amazing things but I’m also biased
If say start in Chicago where your dollar goes further and then move to NY when you’re earning more and able to live more comfortably.
Know many people who did Chicago>NYC>Chicago.
Chicago offers a better training ground and room to fail softly. Some then jump to opportunities in NYC and gain more exposure, then hop back to a senior role in Chicago.
My vote is Chicago. I understand there's tons of more job opportunities in NYC, but on junior pay you're likely not gonna have a good time with the cost of living.
Chicago might not have as many agencies, but it isn't bad. Plus, you can manage the cost of living there a bit more and get almost as many amenities as you would living in NYC.
Plus, we're in the age of remote. You might be able to work for an NYC shop and live in Chicago.
Should say remote with the option of working in our offices. But most of everyone I work with just stays 100% remote.
NY, hands down
i live in nyc and make decent money now. when i first moved here as a jr it was hard to make ends meet, lived in a tiny apartment w a roommate, ate $2 slices for lunch to save money, never took a cab on the weekends no matter how late or cold it was, and also had the time of my life. being older and more established financially is great, being young and broke and free and working your way up is awesome too.
Cheers to the journey.
Unless you’re at Droga or W+K, Chicago hands down imo. I can’t even fathom having that NYC cost of living on a Junior salary
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New York is quaint. Chicago has generally cleaned up with award shows. And you can live pretty well off on a low salary. I find that New York creatives can be insanely pretentious, weird in a bad way, and rude. I like not working with assholes. I don’t even see these people in Cannes.
What type of pizza do you want to eat in between concepting? Follow the cheese.
Chicago doesn’t have as big of an ad scene as NYC, but as others have said, you’d be better off there on a Junior salary. Jobs are extremely competitive in both cities, so keep that in mind.
NYC. Better agencies. More opportunities. More fun. I loved living in NYC and being a young ad agency copywriter.
Years later, I moved to the Midwest and visited Chicago monthly. The one thing you need to consider, in addition to income and opportunity, is what is it like to live there. Unless you love bone-chilling cold (the lake effect is a cold like no other), the Midwest is a tough place to live. It is warm about 3 months a year and only nice, sunny weather about 90 days a year - it’s the most depressing place I’ve ever lived. I’ve lived in nine states and the USVI - I don’t recommend living in the Midwest. ( I lived there 15 years and hated living there. I did some fantastic work at some great agencies, met wonderful people, and it was inexpensive - except for winter when heating costs are insane- but it is not a fun place to live.
If you don’t mind, cold, grey and cloudy - Chicago is less expensive and has some great agencies. NYC will always have my vote for the best overall experience - but I never needed to have a roommate either. (I lived in a huge rent controlled apartment off Sutton Place, so I never struggled financially.)
Lol... this is the most melodramatic Midwest-weather-hating post I've ever read. Congrats.
One of my ad school teachers said to start in Chicago at an agency that still does good work and then move to NYC after a year or two.
His reasoning is that you probably have a better chance to make work as a junior in Chicago and you'd be making a much better salary once you move to NYC.
I didn't take his advice because my spouse was tired of moving around. But, as a single person, I think it's something to consider.
New York. I’m from Chicago but moved to nyc. More opportunities here than in Chicago.
Depends on what your priorities are. I am very biased to Chicago. A lot of agencies have offices in Chicago and NYC - so why not start at a city with lower cost of living (and higher quality of said living)? Ended up at a global agency where I had the opportunity to move wherever I wanted (ultimately chose the west coast for the weather). I love visiting NYC - but its not for me (I have higher standards, like not living in a shoe box). If you're at the right agency, you wont be bound to a city for long anyways.
This is a good take- but I’ve also heard arguments for the opposite. When you’re young it’s not a big deal to have roommates or eat ramen every day in nyc. That’s what your friends are doing too. But the older you get the harder it will be to move from Chicago to NYC and give up your closet space and dishwasher.
NYC crime also a lot softer if safety a concern.
Don't be silly. In the areas that ad agency folks would be venturing, there's zero difference.
Look in both places and choose the best agency regardless of the city.
ny
New York! Hands downs
New York or nowhere imo
but it’s more complex than that. you should choose the agency that will create the best opportunities for you to make great work. if you choose somewhere in chicago that will set you up nicely to make work for your portfolio that will land you the next gig (plus the cost of relocating), go for it. if you’re working with great people who have worked around the country and the world and will help you make the things you care about, go for it. if you’re choosing between two mediocre agencies, i’d pick nyc.
as creatives, our career and salary growth depends on the work we make and the potential we have in future roles. that said, anecdotally if you accept a lower starting salary, you’ll have lower growth than your peers. for example: in my first year, i made 70k, one of my friends made 55. now i make 100k and she’s making 70. we have the same experience but she started at a lower dollar amount and continues to earn less.
the median individual income in nyc is less than 50K (based on 2020 census and adjusted for inflation). people manage on much less, and many juniors can make their salaries work. maybe you’ll have a roommate, maybe you’ll have a longer commute, but the people at your level will be experiencing the same and will still be having fun in the city
I think there’s something to be said for this. I’ve worked at a few notable agencies in smaller markets, and if you’re already in, or coming from, a small market they take advantage of your salary. Even if it’s a large city. I’m working for a New York agency now, doing the same job, working less, and making substantially more money. It’s criminal what agencies get away with under the guise of “small markets” in large, non New York cities, when we all functionally do the same job.
There is nothing more fun than young 20s in nyc
Don’t miss it