Related Posts
More Posts
How do I learn how to interact with clients? Like advice for someone in sell side sales? Anyone know any good books or other resources? I found this video and I want to learn more tips like this: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/14/master-class-entertaining-wall-street-clients-commentary.html
Additional Posts in Advertising
Laid off at Ogilvy yesterday
Pharma, is it the career kiss of death?
What’s blasting through your headphones?
Starting my Sprinternship on Monday. Any advice?
New to Fishbowl?
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
You can apply to be an ACD at a big shop.
CDs and ACDs are different levels at different shops in different markets.
Maybe you are an ACD at a big shop with room to grow. 👍🏼
You’re not stuck.
This is the way.
If the pay is equal or more, there’s no reason you can’t be an ACD at a bigger shop and build your book and team building/leading from there. It’s a tough situation. Good luck!
Being a CD is about having experience in leadership. You need to get that experience so taking an ACD gig at a larger agency and getting that would be my advice.
It is a catch 22. Direct reports start at Art Director level, typically, if not sooner.
If you do not have a design team think of all the hands you interact with to get the job to the finish line: account, developers, vendors, clients, etc. Lean into the story they are looking for as best you can to show that you can manage a team and deliver.
This is what it takes to jump from a small market to a large market at a higher level. That and maybe taking a title cut.
I did this as an AD in a smaller market. Took a Senior Designer position at a larger agency. I was quick to jump onto responsive design which was experience they were looking for at the time.
I do. Depending on the shop and the project I have overseen the work of designers and interns as a Senior Designer.
Chief
You can just apply to ACD roles at bigger agencies if you feel as much. It varies a lot. Sometimes places want to cheap out and hire a CD who's actually an ACD ready for that leap. Some places CDs still operate as creatives with no reports, there's no consistency.
Why not apply to both roles and get a sense check at the interviews? It'll help you figure things out too.
Can you just say your title is ACD?
I only mean that in the sense that I wouldn’t lie on my resume and pretend I was never promoted. I’m not so tied to the title I wouldn’t take a good ACD job somewhere.
Rising Star
Do you have any management experience you can highlight? Did you mentor interns or review work in different situations? I don’t think you need a team under you so much as you need to assuage their concerns that you don’t know how to manage people once given the opportunity.
Yeah, I review the design work on the projects I lead, but I end up writing the copy. I also managed a bunch of interns this summer. I just don’t have direct reports and I don’t lead any writers. This is good advice though, thank you.