Originally published on LinkedIn in July, 2023.
To those starting out in their ad careers:
1. If your first agency experience is awful, don’t throw in the towel. There’s thousands of agencies with different types of bosses and culture, know what values you have and how that can align with your next role.
2. Sometimes you can’t crack the brief because you’re not inspired by the service/product or strategy. This is normal. Find a ritual that gets you into the headspace of inspiration, a piece of work you really admire.
3. Unfortunately, you may never get a mentor in your agency given the tight deadlines and quick turnarounds. Seek outside the agency and look into resources that can partner you with a fit.
4. Forget the name on the door. Forget the amount of awards won. Focus on finding the right boss who can nurture, grow, and help you hone your craft.
5. Compare yourself to your own trajectory, not those beside you. Where you started day 1 vs. where you are now are worlds apart, appreciate those wins. This industry pits us against each other and you’ll get bogged down by imposter syndrome if you don’t check yourself daily.
…I can write 100 more. But these really helped me when I first broke in, here’s to hoping it does the same for you.
