i’m 30 now and scared of aging out the industry, what i’ll do when i’m older, seems there are limited spots for a few older people. anyone who has left the industry, what did you end up doing?

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The industry is going through a lot of self reflection claiming that it is trying to eliminate bias. It is worth questioning why the industry that claims to be trying to rectify historic biases of gender and race sees no issue with being so obviously ageist. It isn't like admen are elite athletes with a limited shelf life. The industry could definitely use more adults in the room and it is unfortunate that more agencies don't see that.

likesmarthelpful

At 55 I’ve adapted and survived to a point. I’m out working a generation of agency people who have never had to work like their lives depended on it. But I am losing my patience and am starting to feel like I just don’t want to play the BS agency game much longer. When I got let go as a GCD at 52 it was because of my age, seniority, and most of all, what I finally was making $$$ in the last few years. Experience doesn’t matter if the really old bastards at the very top need to cut people - it’ll be the earners at 50+ years, and it’ll be guys just starting to put their daughters through college. And AND! - It’s not like the people at the top are giving my old salary to the wonderful young women and people of color I worked with - they are keeping it for themselves.

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Making bank in pharma while doing actual creative/ art on the side. The sooner people stop pretending that selling products is a creative pursuit, the more creative they can actually be... and in the process, make money for themselves rather than a holding company.

likesmart

Intouch Solutions is hiring creative peeps but the most senior right now is an ACD role in Boston.

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Recent IconRecent

Im 47 and still dialed in. Just landed the biggest deal of my life. I got the dope on this covid era new biz stuff.

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Climb or Die sounds like a hells angels patch for LinkedIn

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Do great work, be kind and professional and it will take you far. I was hired staff as a CD at BBDO, at 49. And I’m a woman. It can be done.

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Too bad kind and professional doesn’t apply to successful men in the biz.

likesmart

What is “too old” for you? I’m 35 and couldn’t be happier at my current organization. If you are worried about “aging out” at 30 this is somewhat short sighted. See yourself in a leadership role and figure out how to get there.

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I think there is truth on both sides. It’s easy to say one should have more hustle but luck is also a factor. I went freelance when my department shut down years ago. It’s been ok but can be very hard. But often even after great interviews, the gig fizzles out, (killed, postponed), or they ask if you’ll accept half your rate. If I were to accept $400 a day I’d have half of these Bowls screaming at me that I’m setting a bad example. But when it’s been rough it’s tempting to take anything. The one thing I can’t change is my age and my rate reflects it in a sense. I try to emphasize flexibility and I drop it when I perceive a budget is tight and sometimes this works. But it’s demoralizing for sure, ask Creatives or Account if they shouldn’t be well compensated for talent or skills. Most staff jobs in NY are going to producers in their mid thirties or very early 40’s. And places like Buzzfeed or Vice forget it, I’m not paying another stupid Uber to go to Dumbo for the third time and have them tell me my resume is everything they’ve ever wanted. I’m mid 40’s by the way and I look about a decade younger. I’m not really old, just not young anymore. I’ll also say that my colleagues are struggling with freelance, some are staff creatives, many went to pharma, but my mentors are either retired or retired early or kinda trying to freelance but have little work.

Aegism is everywhere. Where you don’t want it to be is in your head. You are what you believe you are. The president elect of the United States is 78. The VP is 58 and she is considered the future of the Democratic Party. You need to think like this. Be fabulous. Stay in the game.

likeupliftingsmart

Totally agree. Yes there is ageism. And you can’t let that hold you back. Plenty of opportunities for those aging. 60 is the new 40. 80 isn’t out of anything. Wisdom comes with experience. You can’t buy wisdom.

I run an e-commerce business. Took a lot to get it started, but now it's running smoothly I work about half as much for 5x the money. I still come up with ideas and write ads, except now I'm my own client.

likeupliftingsmart

That awesome. I have been thinking of doing this as well. Any suggestions on where to get info for this?

likeuplifting

I’m 33 and am actively crafting my book to be more attractive to an in-house brands. (Basically filling it with really practical stuff from really impressive brands.) Then I plan to try to become head of marketing (or something similar) at a medium sized, controversy-free business I can feel good about — like bark box.

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Quit worrying so much my child. You’re just starting down the road. Oh to be 30 again.

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@freelance I’m a 40 year old director with 100k in student loan debt and 900k in home loans. Was loving freelance life until I recently took a full time gig because I love the agency. If you’re great at what you do you’ll succeed - hustle and get some feedback on your portfolio outside of a job interview.

If you sit and wait for someone to find you you’ll get passed by, not because you’re a child or elderly, but because you lack hustle.

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I’m 30 and I made the switch to social work this past year. If I’m going to be working 50+ hours a week, it might as well be for something impactful on humanity. Plus, I plan to go the micro track of becoming a therapist and helping all of you from facing burnout 😅

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congrats! burn out already got me, too late.

likeuplifting

I’m a woman creative Director. I’m in my late 50s. At 49 I was hired as a creative director at BBDO. Produced lots of great work. Still winning awards. And now, I’ve been successfully freelancing. Work hard. Do great work. Be kind to people. Show up. Don’t be a baby and a whiner. Bring solutions instead of problems. Be smart. Be nimble. Be inspiring and be inspired. Keep current and reinventing. Have big hustle. And what I mean by that, means sometimes you have to work weekends and late nights. And by sometimes, I mean quite often. And that you have to go find the work, it’s not going to land at your feet. That’s the name of the game. Your heart and passion have to be in this to survive. It’s not easy at times. But what is? Good luck!

likeuplifting

I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. But this is a competitive business. And I don’t know when being professional, showing up, working hard are masculine values? Certainly being nice is not a masculine value. And I have been in this industry a long time and I’ve seen a lot of not nice stuff. And I thought that my way of taking the highroad may have taken me longer to get there. But I got there. I wish I could’ve gotten there faster, sure. And as far as capitalism well work is work. I’d rather get paid to be on the dole. What is it you suggest?

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Expand your skill set. Everyone needs a marketing team on the brand side. My goal is to be a marketing director on the client side. I currently work client side with lots of super smart marketing folks so I’m learning everything I can.

likesmart

Be good at your job; dress stylishly; stay on top of current culture; Botox. You'll be fine.

likefunny

Depends how old you look

funnylikesmart

More how you carry yourself. You can look your age but have a sense of “in the now” and vibrance. People get married and mortgages and all that sucks it out of them.

so, idk if this means anything because I’m 30 too so it’s not like I have a TON of life experience here. But in the last year I left sparkly agencies for a nonprofit/social impact agency and the age difference is shocking. Almost everyone I work with, and our clients, are older. So this gave me hope that maybe not every corner of advertising has this problem.

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Where do you work? How did you find the job? That sounds amazing!

It's scary, but there's no retirement plan for advertising. And it's even scarrier to think the answers you get here from older folks won't really apply to you in twenty years.

But I hope it's a little comforting that no matter what, the things that make you talented in this space will translate to any other field. ❤️

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lmao

helpful

Save as much $ as possible.

likesmartfunny

@Edelman 2, it’s called “Personal Investment Chatter”

Save as much as possible and think retiring outside of the USA

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Max out your 401k. Seriously. I wish I did that earlier.

As for leaving the industry, if you find the magic answer, please share. This is probably the most common question on Fishbowl.

Side note: I got into this business at the age of 30, so hopefully you don't feel too much pressure about being too old for this industry.

Kudos to you for planning ahead.

likehelpful

I’m 40 and advertising is finally becoming fun. I’m managing. Leading. Motivating young creatives. Helping them do the things they want to do. It gets more fun as you start driving the bus.

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