null
Enthusiast
Related Posts
Pro
Additional Posts
What agencies are doing well in Seattle?
Chief
Game on! Your move Deloitte 🙃
Rising Star
Man, someone should really connect these two...
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Thanks for this. I’ve been straight up fired once (from a very small agency that didn’t make great work). And I figured, if they didn’t want me, no one would! But it felt like such a low, that I had nothing to lose. So I made some spec work and put it in my book with things I actually liked. Immediately got hired at a way better agency and made way more things for my book than at the last place.
Just once for me. But I ended up turning down 3 solid leads and entertaining two offers within two weeks. One with a former company who would’ve loved to have me back. And the other with a new company in the city I had moved to for the job that fired/laid me off.
Strangely, the new company I’m at wanted me a great deal, and offered me more money (without me negotiating at all) than the company that let me go, put me on better clients, gives me better work/life balance, and so much more. I feel respected here.
It was definitely a scary and unexpected time being let go. And it definitely impacted my confidence. But I’m so grateful. I left with all of my dignity and my whole team supported me through it, along with my new agency - the owner included.
My new agency owner actually personally helped my navigate a shady non compete too. Bonus points.
Laid off: 3
Fired: 3
Quit right before being asked to leave: 2
Your response made me feel so much better. I quit a toxic agency before I was fired, and I had such a heard time questioning and doubting myself and capabilities. I’m much better now, but at that moment it was heard. I did learn a lot about myself in that time frame though.
4 times. One happened on Dec. 23 - best Christmas ever! My last one happened when I bought my house. They waited to tell me when I got back from PTO and moving in to tell me. So I lost my job before making my first mortgage payment. Fast forward 10 yrs. I’m still in that house. Stayed in prayer and in focus. Things turn around.
I got that once as well. Two weeks before Christmas, wife three months pregnant with our second child, and mortgage papers going across the agency owner’s desk. “They asked me to sign these as proof of employment. I can’t because we’re letting you (and two others) go. Today starts your two-week notice.”
Good news was that I was already testing the waters, found a new agency and started on January 3 making $10K more plus full benefits.
Three of the four agencies that laid me off went out of business. Stay positive and keep moving forward.
I’m also at 5 (in a 20 year career). And you’re right, I’ve always been better off after too.
I now have a brand side job I love and I get paid extremely well. But to be honest the amount of layoffs I’ve gone through feeds my “I’m not good enough”/imposter syndrome.
Glad to know I’m not alone.
Enthusiast
Hear you on the imposter syndrome. Sometimes you’re on the top of the world and sometimes you’re under the weight of it.
5 times in nearly 30 years in the industry. It's just part and parcel of the advertising world. Consider your first firing a rite of passage. It's hardly ever personal, so don't let it impact your self esteem. As the OP said, new doors will open.
Once, at the beginning of the pandemic. It left a mark on me and I’m a bit traumatized, all my colleagues were as surprised as I was since I was “the favorite”. It made me realize no matter how good or confident you feel, being let go can happen to anyone if you are not “good for busine$$”.
Subject Expert
It taught us all a lesson, living for our jobs doesn't ensure we get to keep our jobs. I thought the reactionary layoffs were terrible for morale.
3. And each setback propelled me forward in my career and $$. Great to hear I’m not alone.
Enthusiast
You’re not. Exactly the same. Better $. Better clarity in who I was and what I actually wanted.
Subject Expert
I was bounced twice. Surived countless others. But every time I dodged a round of layoffs, I really wished I hadn't. Jumped to go freelance before I could catch my third L or watch any more friends pack up their desks. Now every gig has an end date that's never far away. And I'm okay with that.
“Congratulations, you made it. Now, here is Charlie’s workload”
Every full time job I’ve had. Now I freelance. So technically every single freelance job as well.
Three. All sucked, but each time turned out to be a blessing in disguise, in that I ended up making more money and doing more interesting work. My career advanced faster than it would have otherwise.
6 and ready to leave the industry.
This is a good, helpful thread. Not a lot of people share their numbers. I guess there’s an element of shame to it (at least for me) and the reoccurring feeling of not being good enough/imposter syndrome, or simply waiting for it to happen again… but I guess it really is part of the industry (cruel) and happens to us all. I’m at 5 over 16 years.
Enthusiast
5 at 15 👋
Three. Last one was in May 2020, no points for guessing why. After which I took a job in a little agency where the management wanted me but the CD didn’t (saw me as a threat) so I quit.
If anyone is looking for an ACD/CD art guy who also knows how to write a write up, DM me.
My story doesn’t quite have the rainbow ending but good to know that people have landed on their feet.
You just haven’t gotten your rainbow yet. Keep digging.
Thanks for writing this. I’ve been cut three times but ended up better off each time. The place I work was just honored by ad age so 🤷♂️
Yep just had my third layoff and it does get better each time. Although, my last layoff was from an Ad Age 2021 brand of the year.
2 here. Both times it worked out great. First time, I had a great freelance gig lined up the same day. The 2nd and more recent time (3 months ago) took me a little more time to start freelancing, but I’m swamped now.
If you get laid off, be mad/sad/confused/etc for as short of a time that you need. Then go crush it doing something else.
2 and after the 2nd one I ended up at my dream agency where I currently am. So yeah, most times it ends up being for the better.
Three.
Each provided a life-stage-evolution I was in need of. Namely the first and third we’re life-changing. The second was just… ultimately a good thing.
I've never been laid off, but I've had a feeling that companies have made life difficult for me on purpose to force me to resign
Zero in over a decade across 4 agencies somehow. Feel like I'm on borrowed time 😬😬
Once. I was technically freelancing, at a good hourly wage for the hours I put in. It was the most toxic environment I’ve ever experienced- you know the ones- “We’re like a family here!” After 2.5 years and me being the one who held all 4 of his offices together during the pandemic, the poor office manager had to call and tell me; the owner/Physician wouldn’t do it because I scared him. Seriously. I stood up for myself, and once I even laughed at him when he screamed at me. I am forever glad, and it was like a huge weight off my shoulders. I took a much needed break and spent a month in Hawaii and took 6 months off. Now I have clients that I love and Im happy AF. Never let it get you down, there’s something good around the corner.