What reasons do people leave W+K if it’s the holy grail workplace of so many? If you check profiles, many leave after just a year or two. Did they not find their groove there (surely not everyone there produces gold)? Did they just want a huge jump up the corporate ladder? Did they tire of cloudy skies?

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

I don’t think there’s a perfect agency. Most don’t have singular cultures. Your direct team, the accounts you serve—that’s your experience. Some pockets, awesome and others toxic.

likesmarthelpful

Maybe. Just maybe. It’s like any other place to work and it sucks at times. Call me a skeptic.

likesmartfunny

They dont pay very competitively. It used to be worth it to produce all the great work they make.

Nowadays I think the strategy of luring people with quality work, but paying them below average is becoming less attractive. Millennials are pretty adamant about being paid their worth.

like

That’s sort of true. The industry is definitely skewing younger and cheaper these days.

But certain agencies are also paying a somewhat noticeable amount below average for the positions they do have. Until recently I would include Grey in that pile of agencies as well tbh.

likeuplifting

Flat structure means it’s almost impossible to move up

likeuplifting

As Martin said above, no agency is perfect. Maybe you want a raise. Maybe a promotion. Maybe as a creative, you don’t want to stay in one place forever.

I worked there, and you make fun ads…but the last thing you want to do from a business perspective is say “I’m making fun commercials, therefor I don’t need to pursue more money or opportunities to manage.” We make ads…don’t drink the kool aid and lose sight of the big picture.

likesmart

I plan to stay as long as possible.

likeuplifting

Lots of people just drink the kool-aid honestly. If you’re not blinded by the name, there are a few reasons to leave (underpay, unrealistic expectations, no WLB, toxic management, etc.). All varies by department, but yeah.

likehelpful

Sure.

$$$

like

it’s not perfect but it’s better than the other three agencies i’ve worked at

likeuplifting

I worked there for three years. I liked it a lot, made some good but not great work, liked the people, but I wanted to get paid more and work less. So I cashed it in for a better title and much more money at another good, bigger shop.

Also, never saw myself getting promoted there. Not soon enough, anyway.

Sure is nice to have on the ol’ resume though.

like

My friends who work there get hit up allll the time by recruiters so I’m assuming you can make a lot more money by leaving.

likesmarthelpful

A talented friend works there. They love it. They make good work, but not good money. At some point, you have to flip those priorities.

like

WK on the resume is a good ticket to another shop. But I wonder too why anyone would leave after a year or two.

like

$$

like

The want or need more $$$

like

Loved his stunt. But I think they hired him on social for nyc.

like

True. But it was honestly a hell of an opportunity and I got a lot a lot out of it. No complaints here.

like

This thread made me want to see how Chase (Can I write for Sprite?) is doing. I’m surprised he left W+K after a little over 2-1/2 years.

Goes to show, sometimes you might think an agency is your dream job and for one reason or another, you find a company that better aligns with what you want.

like

Doing fine. W+K was great. People were great. Work was great. Opportunities were great. Just wanted to try other stuff. Currently trying other stuff.

like

Because maybe at the end of the day, it’s just a job that doesn’t contribute much to society? or when they try to do good, it comes from a place of wanting to win pretentious self congratulatory industry awards? so people go someplace where they get paid more money and use that to enjoy with friends and family?

Related Posts

Is there anyone in HR that can clarify this for me a little- Hawaii is a state that prohibits future employers from asking your salary. How does this apply to remote positions? Is it only based on the home state of the company? Or would it apply because I am applying from Hawaii?

like

Hey Fishes,
Looking for a change,
Any reference will help to make a first jump successful.

YOE: 2.9
Technology Stack: NodeJs , MySQL/Mongodb, JavaScript jQuery.
Secondary Stack :- Angular, VueJs, Kafka, Docker and Kubernetes using ISTIO.

like

Long story short - Illinois IRS made me submit W2s for tax correction due to working out of state. Illinois IRS told me not to pay the amount remaining until my W2s were reviewed and I received a letter of the decision. Told multiple times not to pay and that my account was on hold. NOW they assessed a penalty and was told the call center can’t fix this after. I called in July to get this done before deadlines. What can I do. I was specifically told not to pay and that the penalty won’t b there

like

How much do you need in free equity to begin RE investing in either flips or rentals?

like

Has anyone had interviews with Meta/Facebook in a field of market research? Any tips? Also how long is their process? What’s important? Any insight is appreciated. Thanks

like
likeuplifting

Pretty sure i had delta variant 2 weeks ago. Is it still possible to get omicron variant if I’m boosted & have antibodies from a different strain? anyone positive with covid now who had delta variant recently?

likesmart

Looking to negotiate a promotion to a Senior Finance Manager role at a FinTech in London (eg London Stock Exchange) but not sure what comparable roles in London make at other Fintech’s. Anyone have any ideas what I should aim for? Currently around TC £70k GBP gross.

like

So I'm not trying to be dense, but how is it worth billions of dollars to send Artemis to the moon when we haven't even figure out how to fix our own climate

like
like

PwC PS - how’s the transition going?

funny

If I may ask. How are y’all networking so far? Every book I’ve read talks about offering help or a win win situation. Do you just stay connected to college friends? Do you take the time to write good linked in posts ? Have seen much success?

like

Hey Geniuses! I apologize in advance if this question has been asked before, I'm new here and just trying to learn as much as i can. Does anyone know a great source to learn Macros for beginners. I would like to create one for work. I appreciate it

like

What are the best consulting firms for digital marketing?

like

What's Deloitte NY Commercial Tax Group like? Specifically the NYC office regular main core Tax group (non finance, non real estate etc).

like

How is commuting from Evanston into Chicago (the loop)? Specifically, if you don’t live in walking distance to the trains in Evanston is there parking at the train stations or is there a bit of walking from the parking to the trains? Just trying to figure out commute time if we I were to buy a house in Evanston not near the train. Thanks!

How good are hikes at Flipkart..

I have offer from Flipkart and my current company was matching close to that.

Just wanted to have understanding how good are the hikes at Flipkart

like

Can you recommend moving company? I talked to some including two man and a truck, but it is much more expensive than I thought it would be with their 4 minium hours. Moving from DTLA to KTown.

like

Is there anything similar to Vista Consulting Group for other PE funds? Heard KKR has its own unit of internal consulting - is that true? What other examples are out there?

like

Additional Posts in Advertising

Any advice on how to transfer internally to another team/department?

likesmart

I’m anticipating 2 offers and need some opinions. A) ACD role @ not exciting agency doing potentially great work, significant commute. B) AD role in house at a great company. Minimal commute. Both SF.

like

Instagram is off-putting now.
There is just too much happening there.

Post Photo
likefunny

What is your agency’s maternity or paternity leave policy?

like

Does international experience (media) even matter anymore in this industry? As in a US citizen working abroad then coming back to the states Any experiences to share on compensation, career growth.

like

How do we fix advertising?

likefunny

What companies have in-house agencies?
I know of Netflix, Verizon, Casper and Intel. But can anyone help me out with some other good examples?

like

How much do you have to save before going freelancing? Considering I’ll have to buy/lease a new mac and get my fam a decent health plan.

like

Does anyone in pharma believe that creative actually works? Any proof?

like

Let’s say you accidentally invent some incredible thing—at what point do you give up the in-house and go to an agency? But... you’re you, and you’re supposed to know how to do this.

like

Looking to hire someone who crafts amazing resumes for creatives. I'm terrible at writing / explaining what I've been up to at work, and need your help telling my story. Please send me some examples of your work + price. Thank you!

like

I would go crazy without my CW partner. Who else’s partner keeps them sane?

like

Has anyone gotten a university teaching gig without a grad degree? How?

like

Who does the ad work for Ashley Madison? Is it done at an agency, in-house, or a brothel?

like

Looking for practical advice on improving my attitude to work.

So imagine an imaginary scale where 0 is the worst piece of work a studio could produce and 10 is the best possible outcome.

As an animator working in an agency, I normally end up involved in projects towards the end, so by the time I get my hands on a project I can add between 1 and 3 depending on how much effort I put in.

If a project is a 3 when I get it, how do I summon the energy to make it a 6 that I could to make a 7 a 10?

like

“We will remain open because it’s the right thing to do for our clients and to keep the business moving. Let’s make our clients love us now more than ever.” - the bbdo way of handling a pandemic.

likefunnyupliftinghelpful

working from home? say Aye!

like

Man that United Healthcare Chuck Norris spot... ouch.

like

I know this has been discussed but can’t find exactly what I’m after... How much is too much money to negotiate? Negotiate for more money and more PTO or just one. Both are low, especially the PTO

like

How involved are PMs at your agency? What are their responsibilities on different types of projects? Ours seem to be resource managers and time trackers only. Feels redundant.

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal