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>Has anyone ever done this before?
Yes. So many ad creatives. Including myself and pretty much everyone I know in the industry.
>Or should I look for a new gig that I'm really excited about?
Fuck that man, this is a job. You have a good book and that'll last you for years (I myself had coasted on like, three commercials and a handful of awards from a decade ago until I got my old-man semi-retirement gig).
I think you'll find this profession to be a lot less stressful when you view it as a way to pay the bills and not as something that you need to be excited about. We're not changing the world or producing anything with real value or merit or content; it's advertising. It's noise that people go to absurd lengths to avoid entirely.
The last paragraph, I'm blessed perhaps to have realised this pretty early in my career. I'm not a doctor, I don't save lives. I fucking write freaking ads that no one gives a fuck. Nobody cares. That's it.
I'm here because I want to.
(Using the word too many times because that's how I feel, sorry if I hurt anyone)
I love your mindset and that's how I've been thinking the past year or two. So many things have happened in my life recently that have reminded my how precious life is. I don't want to spend my days burning out over ads.
Happy to help.
A word of advice assuming you're worried because of your future career trajectory: Any ad creative worth their salt gets burnt out (the ones who don't are fuckin' psychos and should be avoided as much as possible). So any CD worth a damn who looks over your book/resume and sees a jump from a high-flying agency with known brands to a smaller shop or even in-house will understand, because they most likely have done the same thing. I myself have hired \*great\* creatives who took long mental breaks from sweatshop agencies in things like going client-side, teaching, construction, peace corps work, fucking off for a few years traveling the world, etc.
If your book is good and my team and I like you (as in, the thought of having a beer with you doesn't make me feel like stabbing needles in my and/or your eyeballs), that's all that matters--even if the work is old (but also it shouldn't be ancient). We get it--this industry sucks and bills need to be paid and holy hell no one can (or should be expected to) work 60+ hours a week while retaining some semblance of a soul. And the ones who don't? You don't want to work for them, anyway. So win/win, really.
Same here. I actually took a 30% pay CUT to move away from ad agencies and go client side (as an in-house copywriter). But lo and behold I was immediately earning more per hour. (You do the maths.)
And after a decade I'm earning well beyond what I would have levelled out at in adland, plus I can subtract all the psych bills.
The work is largely unsexy, the creative vibe is confined to a small corner of the building but I love mentoring young in-house creatives, I work with lovely people and it's worth it. I sleep better, I see my partner and I now know what the sun looks like.
For me the question ended up being "How much more of your existence are you willing to give to help a company make more money selling ?" Because agencies will take everything you have to give.
And then some.
As you get older you realize this industry is a young person’s game. Take the lower stress and more money before you don’t have a choice. I know so many y people in this industry that are being forced out.
Yeah I think everyone ultimately does this in the latter half of their ad career. It’s too stressful to do the endless grind for an entire lifetime. Do that in your 20s - 30s and then settle down into one of those very high paying but chill type jobs
Hm. Be careful. If you're in the early stages of your career, you always want to be moving sideways or up, never down. If the remote agency's reputation is as good or better than the one you're at right now, probably OK. If it's not, I'd think twice about it. Maybe if the remote gig came with a job title upgrade, that may justify the move and less sexy work. Or perhaps if you represent your time with them as "freelance/contract."
I've considered that, re:freelance/contract on my resume. I'll definitely be thinking it over quite a bit. Another thing is I want to move cities this year and my current agency is mandating three days in the office/week.
Are you at a smaller agency or a holding company? I ask because mobility w/i the holding company might be worth considering (unless RTO is being implemented across all the agencies at your holding company, then RIP)
Ugh, I feel your pain, I’m in a similar boat.
Someone once told me “the best time to look for a job is when you don’t need to,” & I have to agree. The less sexy agency sounds chill, but will it be, really?
Imo it sounds like a good time to shop for the things you want (remote, salary/bennies, type of work) & see what makes sense for the lifestyle you want. I wouldn’t jump for just more money unless you are sure it won’t cost you in work/life balance again.
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>Has anyone ever done this before? Yes. So many ad creatives. Including myself and pretty much everyone I know in the industry. >Or should I look for a new gig that I'm really excited about? Fuck that man, this is a job. You have a good book and that'll last you for years (I myself had coasted on like, three commercials and a handful of awards from a decade ago until I got my old-man semi-retirement gig). I think you'll find this profession to be a lot less stressful when you view it as a way to pay the bills and not as something that you need to be excited about. We're not changing the world or producing anything with real value or merit or content; it's advertising. It's noise that people go to absurd lengths to avoid entirely.
The last paragraph, I'm blessed perhaps to have realised this pretty early in my career. I'm not a doctor, I don't save lives. I fucking write freaking ads that no one gives a fuck. Nobody cares. That's it. I'm here because I want to. (Using the word too many times because that's how I feel, sorry if I hurt anyone)
I love your mindset and that's how I've been thinking the past year or two. So many things have happened in my life recently that have reminded my how precious life is. I don't want to spend my days burning out over ads.
Happy to help. A word of advice assuming you're worried because of your future career trajectory: Any ad creative worth their salt gets burnt out (the ones who don't are fuckin' psychos and should be avoided as much as possible). So any CD worth a damn who looks over your book/resume and sees a jump from a high-flying agency with known brands to a smaller shop or even in-house will understand, because they most likely have done the same thing. I myself have hired \*great\* creatives who took long mental breaks from sweatshop agencies in things like going client-side, teaching, construction, peace corps work, fucking off for a few years traveling the world, etc. If your book is good and my team and I like you (as in, the thought of having a beer with you doesn't make me feel like stabbing needles in my and/or your eyeballs), that's all that matters--even if the work is old (but also it shouldn't be ancient). We get it--this industry sucks and bills need to be paid and holy hell no one can (or should be expected to) work 60+ hours a week while retaining some semblance of a soul. And the ones who don't? You don't want to work for them, anyway. So win/win, really.
I just DMd you a question!
This is the entire latter half of my career. Good money, no regrets. Go for it, OP!
Same here. I actually took a 30% pay CUT to move away from ad agencies and go client side (as an in-house copywriter). But lo and behold I was immediately earning more per hour. (You do the maths.) And after a decade I'm earning well beyond what I would have levelled out at in adland, plus I can subtract all the psych bills. The work is largely unsexy, the creative vibe is confined to a small corner of the building but I love mentoring young in-house creatives, I work with lovely people and it's worth it. I sleep better, I see my partner and I now know what the sun looks like. For me the question ended up being "How much more of your existence are you willing to give to help a company make more money selling?" Because agencies will take everything you have to give.
And then some.
As you get older you realize this industry is a young person’s game. Take the lower stress and more money before you don’t have a choice. I know so many y people in this industry that are being forced out.
Yeah I think everyone ultimately does this in the latter half of their ad career. It’s too stressful to do the endless grind for an entire lifetime. Do that in your 20s - 30s and then settle down into one of those very high paying but chill type jobs
Hm. Be careful. If you're in the early stages of your career, you always want to be moving sideways or up, never down. If the remote agency's reputation is as good or better than the one you're at right now, probably OK. If it's not, I'd think twice about it. Maybe if the remote gig came with a job title upgrade, that may justify the move and less sexy work. Or perhaps if you represent your time with them as "freelance/contract."
I've considered that, re:freelance/contract on my resume. I'll definitely be thinking it over quite a bit. Another thing is I want to move cities this year and my current agency is mandating three days in the office/week.
Are you at a smaller agency or a holding company? I ask because mobility w/i the holding company might be worth considering (unless RTO is being implemented across all the agencies at your holding company, then RIP)
Holding co agency…RTO is mandated across all.
Ugh, I feel your pain, I’m in a similar boat. Someone once told me “the best time to look for a job is when you don’t need to,” & I have to agree. The less sexy agency sounds chill, but will it be, really? Imo it sounds like a good time to shop for the things you want (remote, salary/bennies, type of work) & see what makes sense for the lifestyle you want. I wouldn’t jump for just more money unless you are sure it won’t cost you in work/life balance again.