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Actually 2nd! But the first time cost of living wasn't eating me alive as badly as it is now, and by 6 weeks, I had had many promising convos.
Marry someone not in advertising.
Chief
Try to get short term work doing anything for any amount of money. You don’t have to tell anyone. Something coming in is better than nothing.
Some of this has been said but:
-File for unemployment if you haven’t. Don’t wait to use up savings
-Start hitting up every contact you’ve have. Ask them to flag you if they see work and ask if they know any recruiters
-Research agencies/companies on Linkedin, connect with recruiters & CDs, send out short intros. You should email/dm 2-3 new people per day. Cold contact is like 2-5% reply rate but you only need one
-Be open to all work/rates. You can always quit when something better comes along
-Look for other jobs if you need to pay bills etc money is money
-***Take plenty of breaks to do things that make you happy… take walks, see friends, pet doggos
You need small achievable goals every day, balanced with taking care of yourself. Talk to someone if you need to and most importantly do not give up. And taking other jobs or moving back in with parents etc is not giving up. This will pass, but you won’t get past it if you don’t keep going.
Chief
Cannot emphasize enough: let people know you’re looking. 1 on 1, not LinkedIn blasts
12 months with on and off short term gigs and savings helped survive. I just got FTE and freelance work at night. Job stack whoever you can. This job market is that hardest for our industry than it’s ever been. One gig I’m a senior designer another I’m a marketing strategist. Or an art director or a creative director or a product designer. Wear many hats and upskill or pivot. Keep doing something new to keep opportunities fresh.
This industry is cooked. I’ve been through a few bad times in advertising but something about this one hit way harder than previous experiences. At the end of the first year of this advertising recession, I knew something was off. Especially with the perfectly timed introduction of AI writing software.
I saw the writing on the wall early on. It’s not just advertising that is suffering. Media and entertainment in general were hit. Actors and screenwriters were hit. However they joined forces to push back against the use of AI to eliminate them from their jobs. Creatives in advertising don’t come together to fight for each other like that.
With that’s said, I left this industry for something else. Less stressful. More stable. And, more promising.
I suggest you analyze your skill set and do the same.
What kind of work are you doing now?
Pro
Went in-house in a recession-proof industry. Smooth sailing. Look for those perhaps.
Pro
Yes correct. I got lucky — right place, right time. And thank you!
7 months in, I just have really good savings thankfully but absolutely having one mental breakdown per week. The next recruiter ghosting me might just get yelled at frankly, I can’t keep my composure a lot longer haha
9 months here, lots of ups and downs. Luckily savings are helping financially, but it won’t last forever. I have breakdowns at least every other week. It’s hard out there. Start planning scenarios based on time & your financial situation.
Hang in there. You'll pull through.
Not well
I’m about to hit 2 years and oh boy am I nervous
omg, I'm ten months in, just yesterday employment insurance stopped. I'm so lost, going down through a dark hole right now. I'm this close to go ask for a job in retail and hang my skills, degree and experience, if someone need me in the future I'll come back.