Advertising creatives who went corporate/client-side. How did you do it?

August 28, 2016 9:25 AM

I've been an AD/ACD/freelance in Chicago for 15 years and I cannot stand agency world anymore. Plus, I'm 40 something, and seems like new hires are usually very young, and the lack of people over the age of 35 at agencies these days is appalling. Need help figuring a way into client/corporate side.

I want to go corporate side. I like to design communications, solve problems, and work hard, but I have zero interest in backstabbing for awards, 14 hour days/7 day weeks for crummy client pitches, etc.. Plus, I've had bad experiences with the volatility of agency reality: Clients self-destructing or moving their business, meaning layoffs, layoffs, layoffs. I'm looking for a single client life, while understanding that corporate side isn't Utopia.

How do you find more ways into the corporate world, places with internal creative departments? I've found every AD job I've ever had, full time and freelance through networking and social media, though I pretty much only have professional/business friends and contacts in agency-world. I had a recco for a large credit card company, but logistically it didn't work out, though that's the kind of thing I'm looking for.

Any suggestions? Is it really a matter of applying online without any introduction? I've been doing that, but it just seems like tossing a message in a bottle out into the ocean. Plus, I've contacted recruiters with some pretty spotty, almost shady results. Real stories about this would be ideal.

Thanks.

posted by jeff-o-matic to Work & Money (1 answer total)

I've jumped into client side a few times and strongly recommend it for the right client. A lot of in-house creative departments value agency people just by the nature of them being agency people.

The first time I switched, I applied to a job post. Weird, I know. But I actually got a call back. (There were lots that I didn't.) This was my first in-house job and it was surreal. Going home at 5pm, always taking a lunch hour, getting sent to conferences, inspiration Fridays (where we'd go to a museum or something once a month).

I went back to an agency mostly because of creative challenges. "What should the end cap say for Spring" gets old, even if it's cushy.

The second time, I worked for a client that I liked that my agency was working with. Tons of strife and paperwork weirdness due to the agreements not to poach, but they wanted me enough. (I call working directly with clients shopping around. It's easy to see which clients aren't complete asshats early.) This was a much more senior position, so my hours and workload weren't cushy, but my pay was almost double my agency salary, I got stock grants and I did really interesting work and changed the way the business operated (for the better). From there, I went on to other clientside gigs with people I met in agency life who had gone off to their own inhouse gigs.

My current gig, I got through a friend's referral. (He still works agency side, but a in-house recruiter contacted him and he said, "No, you want Gucky." Strangely, he actually said that. The recruiter was confused and he had to explain the concept of handles.) It was the longest interview process I've ever had (6 months), but it's a great job. High stress, high pay, interesting challenges. The only time I've had to work evening/weekends is to launch a huge new thing that will probably be the defining thing of my career, so, worth it.

The good clients want to recruit the most talented folks and keep their people happy. So they send their people to AIGA, How, local events, etc. So, you should start going to whatever local creative events they have where you are. AIGA often does studio tours in both agency studios as well as in-house, and when it's on their turf, you can bet that their ECD or equivalent is there and you can talk to them, hand a card. Don't bother with AAAA events and stuff. Look for the events and conferences that have a good mix of clientside folks. (I don't know what's the best group on the Chicago scene, but I know there's tons of design events just from all the folks my company has moved out here from Chicago based on those.)

At the place I work, people who get hired through applying online usually get hired for a position different than the one they're applying for. More like fueling the creative pool. But if you don't apply, you can't get. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and has links to an online portfolio if you're going this route.

Recruiters are typically not worth dealing with unless they've already been contracted to find candidates by the company. Someone who's working on sourcing directly for a client? Great. Someone who's just shopping you around? Pass. The better the company, the less likely they'll even look at candidates from those folks.
posted by Gucky at 9:53 AM on August 28, 2016 [2 favorites]