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I recently finished my Masters in Cyber Security and have a Bachelors in Software Development. As much as I love the technical aspect of my degrees, I think the happiest me would be in tech sales. I had found an opportunity at IBM for entry level sales starting in 2023 and was wondering if anyone had gone through this or the Summit program? Looking for insight on applying and would love to chat with anyone who has or currently works for IBM! Thanks in advance!
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Depends on the country you’re coming from. I don’t think creatives from the US or UK or Brazil, to name a few, have their experience discounted — because those countries do great work (often much better work than Canada). But some other countries’ advertising has a very different vibe that doesn’t fly in Canada. It’s too neon and corny and salesy and cheesy. For example, most advertising from India and Eastern Europe feels quite corny by Canadian sensibilities. So it’s a bit of a gamble for an agency to assume your tastes will translate to making good ads in Canada. Also, it’s an even bigger gamble to hire a copywriter from a country where english isn’t the main language.
@creative1 you’re right the good shops here know the value of Cannes, D&AD and One Show for sure but the local ranking thing is still super important here. For an outsider, that takes some time to navigate. Canada has been very welcoming for the most part but there are some big egos (often with less top awards than I have) that have treated me like I’m an imposter, not part of the Canadian circle. Does this keep me up at night? No. But I can certainly understand the frustration shared by the OP.
It's a business calculation backed by a long history of discrimination and a clique tendency of the industry. And this is because advertising is nominally a progressive one, so it's certainly worse in other industries.
Multiculturalism doesn't mean acceptance. People are protective and territorial, especially when they feel threatened, even if the threat is not real. Fear is strategically instrumentalized to keep things the way they are.
Talent, merit, effort, whatever you call it, are all marginally taken into account, and this is bigger than you. By the way, this is not exclusive to Canada, and it's likely a reality where you come from too.
But if you're a foreigner, a woman, black, brown, yellow, red, or even a quebecker in anglo-canada (the other way around is debatable), you'll have to work 5x more, to earn 5x less. Still, it will never be enough, and people will always find an excuse to blame or diminish you ("Canadian experience" is just one of the examples). And they will do that sometimes in front of you, sometimes behind your back.
Not all places are the same—agencies can be more or less open to real diversity, and not just formal representation. But in general, you can't beat the Zeitgeist. Know that in these days you're swimming against the current, but not alone. Only time will tell.
I’m not gonna speak on behalf of POC but I’m an immigrant woman with a noticeable accent and never felt like I was treated any less than and my salary is on par with the industry salaries for my position. The only thing that did hold me back was my own internalized insecurity about not being born Canadian and having an accent. It is harder for immigrants in a lot of ways but at some point you have to accept responsibility and do your best with the current circumstances you’re in.
The positive side is that Canada is a country where your career can progress very quickly (in terms of role and salary) if you're great at your job. In my case this initial drawback was well worth it.
I can def see that, the hardest part here I'm also seeing is breaking through the ad industry bubble and getting in. Thank you for sharing your exp too btw!
Different means you'll need to get up to speed on certain aspects but it also means you can bring something different. Account may not be the role where it's the most important but in an industry where we HAVE TO bring a different perspective to win, bringing in new ways of working and seeing things will always be a good thing.
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It shouldn't be but there's an unconscious bias for sure. Sometimes for example, they get hung up on the accent and not the context of what you're saying. Some hire by face value. That's why despite having Lions and D&ADs in your pocket, oftentimes the loud white guy with no metals have more chances of getting the job.
I agree with many of the things that have already been said, another thing to consider is it’s a very tight job market right now. Hiring managers are in a position to pick and choose from many candidates.
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Account experience is VERY different. Incomparable in some countries
I agree to an extent!
Not a creative but I do have a couple horror stories from when I moved here and I was trying to get my first Canadian job so it’s not you!
They really really value Canadian experience and imo the only exception to this is US experience, that could open more doors for you :)
Sorry to hear that the transition has been tricky
I'd say your best bet is probably reaching out to the agencies that are part of the networks