7 Things I Learned When Jumping From Smaller Ad Agencies to a Local Indie Giant
Let me know if you can relate!
Over the years, I noticed that January seems to be the season for reckoning when it comes to staying at a current job or taking the leap, iykwim.
I’ve done my fair share of “reckoning” over the years, not because of flightiness but because of changing priorities (family, finances, other pursuits).
And while I’m incredibly grateful for all the experiences and lessons along the way, it would be a shame if I didn’t acknowledge the things I learned while transitioning between jobs.
After 3 agencies, 1 client-side stint, and 1.5 years at my current job, I feel that I can shed some light on the “culture shocks” one might experience when going from small boutique agencies to large independent ad agencies.
Hopefully, these help you as you navigate the next step of your advertising career.
7 Things I Learned When Jumping From Smaller Ad Agencies to a Local Indie Giant
Applications take longer at bigger agencies - If you’re used to talking to HR and maybe two levels of managers, the hiring process at a larger agency will involve more layers. You might even experience talking to two different department heads if they think you’re a better fit for multiple roles.
People are more specialized at larger agencies - Say goodbye to being the strategist-copywriter-social media manager! A bigger team means separate departments for each task or process. But I find that it still helps to be a jack-of-all-trades. Or at least, you can maximize the fact that you have a basic understanding of what the other teams do. I was once a copywriter who also did ad placements and some community management. I even did topline Facebook analytics reports! Now, there are entire teams for media buys, community management, and performance reports - but I can appreciate every step of the process and the valuable work each team member does.
There are more processes the bigger you go - And that doesn’t just apply to your actual copywriting or pitching tasks. Take reimbursements, for example. Instead of having just one finance & admin person to talk to, you may find yourself directed to a specific finance officer, needing to fill out multiple forms, then waiting a couple of days for confirmation.
So. Many. People. In One Room! - Events will also be a bit of a shock if you’re coming from boutique agency to a team of 100+ people. You suddenly realize you don’t know everyone’s name, face, or where they sit at work. You might not even have worked with some of them! If you’re an introvert, it can get overwhelming at times. But if you’re used to being the life of the party, it can be exhilarating.
Bigger agencies usually mean bigger budgets & clients - Big-name clients typically go with the local arm of their AOR (advertising agency on record), if not a large indie agency. This means more household names on your resume, more budget for creative executions, and more fun for you as a team!
Successes (and failures) are more visible in smaller teams - The sparseness of layers and team members magnifies contributions as well as mess-ups. It’s also easier to trace where and when errors happened since you can’t hide behind the size of the team. But once you learn to do the work well? And you become a proactive mini-leader for your tasks or small team? You’re sure to stand out - something that can be more of a challenge in larger companies. (But hey, once you stand out there, you know you’ve made it!)
Another bonus of smaller teams? You get more facetime with the big bosses, which could lead to more mentorship opportunities, life lessons, and closer relationships with them. Which leads me to my last point…
Smaller agencies mean close-knit connections - The dynamics in a smaller team result in tighter connections with most (if not all) people there. Bigger agencies replicate this effect by team members gravitating towards their own circle (or circles) within the company.
Of course, all of this is merely based on my own experiences plus the experiences of some colleagues. Your mileage may vary! It also boils down to the ad agency you end up in, the people you’re with, and the clients and work you share.
Do you agree with the items on this list? Did you do a transition between companies of different sizes recently? Let me know what it was like in the comments!