Got a job at Publicis as a Senior Associate Paid Social after being at another large advertising holding company for a year as an associate. I don’t feel like my associate role prepared me to be a senior associate but I want to leave because of the environment. I am currently still doing associate level tasks. I’m incredibly nervous because of the responsibilities of the senior role. What is your advice to doing well in the senior associate position despite having somewhat lack of experience?
But also don’t overthink it. We’re not rocket scientists, we run ads.
Just be honest with your managers, and be willing to learn quickly. They know you’re not making a lateral move and still hired you for a reason. They would probably appreciate you being upfront with what you do and don’t have experience doing, but they also know they’ve hired an associate which inevitably means some teaching to fit into the new role.
Agreed! Given the current climate, we all need to hit the ground running, and sometimes a steep learning curve is necessary as we familiarise ourselves.
The business has invested in hiring you, and the full return on that investment is expected to be realised over one to two years. The good news is that you seem clear about what you need to achieve, where you may be falling short, and what strengths helped you secure the role in the first place.
Could you begin working on YOUR growth plan? What would you like to feel more capable of in 30, 60, and 90 days, and then in six and twelve months?
Pay attention to and learn from colleagues (above, across and below you). You don't need to reinvent the wheel; see what works and then identify the gaps, incorporating and sharing what was helpful in your previous role. Good luck!
You must be at CoLab. They hired dozens of people in roles they are not fit for.
Echoing the notion that your team knows they hired an associate and that you will need some coaching, but adding 2¢: every team is different. The Sr Associate on my team still handles a lot of typically associate level tasks because we don’t have an associate in scope. But we try to give her as much higher level work as she can take because we know her ultimate goal is growth. We’ve also empowered her to speak up and say “hi I need more stuff/I want to work at a higher level” because we want her to know she is in control of her growth. I’d encourage you to do the same — be proactive and say “boss i need a little more work, I’m not feeling challenged.” Guarantee your managers aren’t holding you back on purpose, and will be happy to give you more responsibility.