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Strategy Director Salary / LA / 8-10 years exp?
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Not sure your situation. But when I was an account manager the only way I made significant increases was by jumping around. Not sure this is the economy to do that but if you are really great at your job and you are wanted by another agency go for it. I always suggest letting your bosses know that you are disappointed with the increase/bonus, just as a courteous so this way when you leave it won't be a surprise when you tell them it's due to the money.
I more or less had the same exact situation as you when I was in ad agency life and my solution was switching to a new industry (insurance) with higher pay. Unless you are able to snag a cushy in-house position, it’s really hard to justify staying in advertising with the frequently toxic agency life and low pay.
Look elsewhere when you think growth is no longer there.
OP you might get more relevant feedback here: https://joinfishbowl.com/bowl_m8aigk72so
I’ve been there it gets better and trust me those disposable tasks still break me but they’re so so valuable and are actually character building! When you become AM you do a combination of AE and AD tasks so nailing the AE role and the gruelling tasks and the burnt feeling mean when you get the AM title you can do the AE bits of your role quickly with no help and give yourself more headroom for the AD bits that eventually help you progress. Learning more about client sensitivities and being in those conversations is so helpful as you grow. There is a light at the end of the tunnel but my God it was fucking painful! And I hit a wall every 3 months I call it my monthly meltdown but I can spot it about 6 weeks in advance now from experience so book days off around those times.
Mentor
Just pray and hope to God you don’t become like the managers who make your job miserable there’s good ones out there! Good luck I’d stay away from people who were bullied when they were juniors and didn’t speak up for themselves and have a tough love approach.
Mentor
I say this because it’s your career your not at school and being in a junior position doesn’t mean you’re a child.
there’s paragraphs more to elaborate on with my experience here, but I’ve honestly never felt so stuck. I am really good at what I do but so badly want to be compensated fairly. I feel like my skills have been taken advantage of and after a couple of agency experiences I’m scared of hopping to another and getting the same end result. Would love to hear any of your experiences on the ladder and how you may have advocated for yourself. As an early 20-something, I don’t want to lose the excitement and passion I walked into this industry with and I feel that I’m on the verge of burnout.
How long have you been in sales?
Run, don’t walk to your next interview. It never gets better. It never gets easier. It never is enough for your employer. This unfortunately is status quo for AE/AM/CSM’s in todays economic climate. Employers have fought back against the quiet quitting wfh movement of Q3/Q4.
I closed $2.7 million out of $10 million total in sales for the year. I got a $2,000 bonus and a $10,000 pay cut plus added duties. It's very disheartening.
Home repair
Tough love answer (Sorry, not sorry): Only 2 years in, you need patience and to level your expectations. You seem to love the work and sounds like you’re good at it, so place the bet on your performance, not a charity case.
Your best chance for meaningful compensation advancement is promotion. Get the job description for the next role and start stacking examples of how you’re performing those responsibilities. Promotions are a two-way street. You advocate for yourself and your manager advocates for you. Get on the same page with that equation. Promotions happen when you’re already performing at the next level. The faster you get there, the faster you get paid for it.