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Fishes, OK so this is true. Wipro is delaying the joining by half a month due to some restrictions or organisational changes & not ready to compensate for that half a month loss of salary. Very rude & absurd behaviour from them. Hence rejecting the offer as such company if u aren't sure when to ask for joining u may revoke the offer letter later on. Hence multiple options in hand is necessary nowadays. Infosys Tata Consultancy HCL Technologies
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Former brand strategist here. Corporate was unfulfilling. Hired by a boutique agency to lead strategy for SMBs. Left to launch venture-funded startups in the US. Promoted to partner. Got bored again. Former client hires me to plan their US entry. Now on the C-suite path.
I had a late career start in advertising (no nepo connections unfortunately lol) but all told, took 12 years to get here and grateful I’m still having fun. Just gotta namaste everyday.
Thanks for the love, friends. My advice is:
1) Always leave when you see red flags - loyalty and integrity goes both ways
2) Complacency is death - once the work starts feeling easy, leave or you’re doomed to be the smartest person in the room
3) Live well below your means and save - having ‘fuck you’ money lets you take risks and move on quickly
4) Go where you can do the most good - don’t be dazzled by titles and perks that keep you in a box
5) Be patient - action doesn’t always translate to reward and publicity isn’t a shortcut to mastery
6) Marry the right person - sabotage is everywhere, you don’t want it in a spouse
Bonus tip: Speaking as a woman, just by holding strong to your choices, you’ll invite disapproval, unwanted opinions and assumptions about your biology, personality, morality, etc. This is inevitable and know that you’re not defective, weird, or worthy of disdain. (Don’t let yourself be put on a pedestal either.) Follow your inner compass and tune out the distractions, and eventually, you’ll find other nonconformists on the other side.
I'm having as much fun as I've ever had with the work and my team. But I'm completely over working for a holding company agency. It's been a dramatically eye-opening experience experiencing a corporate machine trying to extract maximum value out of talent while avoiding any reward or investment in them.
Advertisers are, generally, adept storytellers. Unfortunately we are great at reframing and telling ourselves stories about the job we do and how important and fulfilling it is. Sort of like an award entry case video. A buffed up version of a half truth stuck together with gum and thumbtacks if you look closely.
It’s too painful to face the cold hard truth of the realities of this industry. OP, you clearly are seeing things for what they are. You won’t survive in this industry much longer if you continue to do so;)
I, for one, am happy living in the delusion while saving like crazy for the inevitably forced retirement.
OP — Do you think you’re disenchanted by the state of the work or the state of the industry?
Haven’t been in ad for long, but I feel like there have been times the rose tinted shades are pulled off and I’m like “ah, it’s not that great.” But then I see work that really inspires me, and im reminded im in the right industry just maybe not at the right place or on the right accounts or even the right team.
Maybe that’s the same for you? Idk. But I do get it.
I’m also curious how people manage to stay in ad for more than a decade, and how they get to a place where they’re making work they absolutely love with people they enjoy (more than they just tolerate). So, if anyone wants to answer OP’s questions honestly, I’d love to know as well
Advertising is the worst career, except for all the other ones. I’ve been doing this for more than 15 years and at its worst it’s still better than any other job I’m aware of where I get to work in ideas, with creative people, in a setting that isn’t too corporate. I prefer indies to holding company agencies, but I like my job more than almost all of the lawyers, accountants, retail workers, or real estate agents I know. There’s a handful of people in hospitality I know who effing LOVE what they do but it’s maybe the only industry less stable than ours.
5% of ad creatives get to retirement. And those are either special talents or they find a niche to exploit. This industry owes you zilch. Be great or be gone.
It’s a fallacy that the best people always do well. I’m old and I’ve personally witnessed highly talented people get fired and very untalented people succeed. A lot comes down to luck (being on the right account with the right set of people at the right time) and the ability of higher ups to spot and support good people. Unfortunately when those untalented folks succeed, they are unable (or afraid) to champion others who have the potential to do well.
I think it depends on the agency and people. My current agency took away my joy. I use to LOVE advertising. Never saw myself doing anything else, ever. Now idk.
I’ve lasted 39 years (& counting). Quit my last job (ACD) and have been freelancing ever since. Happiest I’ve been in decades, career-wise. I still enjoy the work. Especially now that I’m not on staff. You get to skip all the unnecessary bs/team building/outings/politics. It’s a beautiful thing. (Of course, you need to have the stomach for freelancing)
4 years in and I'm thinking of quitting to enter the education sector. I want to help kids not fall into this industry like I did, or at least feel like they have other options.
In general if you’re not pushing for agency leadership, you’re going to get pushed out to door eventually. And even leadership has an expiry date. It’s just a lot later on average.
Get out while you can OP. Seriously.
The industry died when it was taken over by overeducated spineless marketers who drank the koolaid of the focus group. From then on it’s been one CYA shiny object after another.