Is it this hard to find good mentorship, or am I just in the wrong agency? The copy head is somehow from an economics background, and the way he approaches things is always more practical and not with a creative lens. I don't enjoy it and want to work for someone who thinks like a creative, especially because I know I have it in me to excel in this field. If you were in my place, would you leave your current agency without another job to fall back on?

If you feel stifled and lacking growth, it’s worth exploring other agencies or roles, but ideally, try to secure your next position before leaving so you’re not left vulnerable financially.

I’m sure there are some good mentors left, but its a rat race, your cds are threatened its a dog eat dog world and the only way we get a more cooperative workplace is through #democracyatwork

There’s nothing that says mentors have to work at the same company as you. Find events to meet people and, if you find someone, ask them to coffee, ask them questions, and ask if you can continue the conversation. I’ve found that people that you would actually want mentorship from have a high propensity to say yes. I’ve done that with a number of younger people and have hired at least one of them over time.

It doesn’t solve everything but it solves some things.

Hard to find mentors with wisdom, when they lay off everybody over 45…

I think mentorship is harder than ever to find for new/newish creatives. Don’t feel stuck where you are, you can always leave, and next time you’re looking for a job, keep that top of mind and ask interviewers if there’s a culture of mentorship at their agency

I quiet quit my job for about a year before being laid off with severance. Honestly can’t say if it was worth staying or not. I’ve quit full-time jobs even after landing short-term freelance gigs and turned out alright, so I say look for anything as a door out.

Yeah the agency in my screen name here was also a lot more schmooze ability vs. actual experience and competence, for hiring our overseers. I blame the extreme income imbalance between higher ups and worker bees, that’s grown in the last 20 years or so = the sh💩show of quantity($$$) over quality.

this is why Jason created this mentorship program, you should check it out https://joinfishbowl.com/post_jeahwepv25

100% yes, 100% not a relevant factor, 50% your frame of mind. And, yes, I know the math doesn’t math, but here we are.

Mentorship, in this industry, and every other industry today, is a rare commodity, and something that a sliver of professionals are fortunate enough to find and hold on to, no matter your industry, current role, desired career trajectory, and onward.

In the face of this reality, and very truly not meaning it to come across any harsher or more judgmental than necessary… it would seem naive, at the least, and foolish, at most, to discount or write-off a colleague or potential mentor - especially one who very well may be willing to grant you the time of day that most others won’t - over a misguided idea or assumption that a certain or varying “background” somehow precludes them from creativity or the ability to help shape it in others.

“Thinking like a Creative” necessarily means the ability to recognize and appreciate creativity in others; and, most certainly, beforehand, posses the capacity to understand and respect that it is manifested in different forms.

It’s everywhere thing. Even at the best places. Certain people get it and others don’t. It’s politics game. I am in the same boat. It definitely affects bipoc, lgbt and women more often and it’s often because managers have to see themselves in you to care and invest in you, while others are left out to pasture. I know from experience and actively know firsthand. And I want to valid your feelings that it’s not you thing. It’s industry wide thing where they are not teaching / sponsoring people anymore for fear of being replaceable which in truth, we all are expendable. Continue to do you, learn and actively seeking opportunities elsewhere that do see your value but collect that check in the meantime. Especially in this economy. The economy might collapse at any time and while it sucks now, being desperate and poor is worse. Well, you might not like their practicalness right now, trust me I get it, there is a lesson that you can learn and approach from far why that matters because you might need to use later time / give you a better understanding why they are that way.

Mentorship is becoming increasingly more difficult. The best mentors are typically people at the middle to high middle part of their careers, and they want to give back to other people in the industry. They remember that someone mentored them and they want to be part of that cycle of mentorship. Unfortunately, most of those people today prefer to work from home, which makes it far more difficult for them to mentor others.

I understand why people like working from home, but it does make them more of an individual contributor than a manager or a leader. You don’t have to agree with me, but I see this every day because talented people who could mentor others are not willing to do it.
They usually tell me it’s because their workload is too high. I honestly believe their workload is too high because working remotely, working from home, having too many meetings, having to constantly jump on calls versus talk to someone across a desk or walk across the floor isn’t as efficient. Everyone works harder when they have to work on cameras and screens at across spaces.

People also forget the shared learning experience of sitting in a pit of other creative and overhearing the conversations your partners and neighbors have with their own managers and mentors. Coming up as a copywriter I learned a lot from those around me and the advice they were getting and the problems they were having.

What's a mentor? I mostly learned what not to do by watching leadership