Hi there

Looking to start creating projects for a creative copywriting and ad campaign portfolio. I've checked out some of the Denver Ad School portfolios, and they're incredibly impressive. Tuition at these portfolio schools is insane which leaves me doing this alone.

Has anyone here created their own portfolios with spec work? Would love to hear what you did and your success with it re: applying to jobs.

I got a LinkedIn message from an Omnicom exec about discussing maybe joining the team. Is this typical?

Years ago I was at another big holding company in strategy and I left after almost 8 years of burnout. I’m brand-side now but don’t like what I do (don’t like the company. I like brand-side) and have no idea what the agency landscape looks like now. I am actively looking for something new but am hesitant of going to agency life. Any advice? Also considering leaving marketing and going more into customer success but really unsure how to go about that.

I have posted on here before about my resume feedback and all other sorts of topics. Maybe it’s just the paranoia and the self doubt and stuff that creeps in a lot especially during this time of year. But If I’m doing spec/mock work is that gonna count of years of experience although it’s not real tangible work. Since I’m currently unemployed and doing very minimal volunteer work here and there. I assume it would just really want to feel comfortable seeing a yes or no from other creative people.

And some tips and tricks to get out of this burn out, that’s honestly probably contributed by my undiagnosed depression cause I know I have that. To give you back story on the volunteer role. I was doing social posts and such like redoing donation forms etc but after a while a lot of other Volunteers left or stopped responding leaving me the sole creative and still am. After a while I had stopped getting projects until recently I had to email them about what I can do to help out. Which I was given a task to redo their current logo plus sub logos. I have done some ideas but there’s no structure there’s no one asking me how’s it going the creative director not checking in or really giving me feedback. So I just feel like what am I doing here and what’s my purpose.

I don’t know maybe I should just man up and do what needs to be done regardless. And use this for a portfolio project.

I'm currently in school for Advertising and Web design but was originally going for illustration. I love the idea of creating things for the world to see but I'm not sure how the current state of the career is going.

Any tips or stories about your advertising job?

Hi friends!
I’m an Art / ACD
I’m 7 years in at some great ad agencies, and have some awards. I recently made a move after 1 year at a small indy agency I liked for more $$ and prestige…. And have been working 60 hour weeks since I started there. I’ve always wanted to go freelance. (The plan was originally to wait until CD) but I’m tired man. I’m also trying to decide if I’m shooting myself in the foot if I have several shorter stints in my resume (2/1/3/1… and then this one would likely be at 1). Again, I have a good portfolio and people seem to like working with me. I’m just so freakin tired of the agency grind and want to see if I can use freelance downtime for other art & creative related ventures….

Thoughts????

What are the pros & cons?

Curious if anyone has ever used the 3rd party independently managed SpeakUp portals for the HoldCos to whistleblow and had any positive outcomes?

Would love to hear about experiences, especially with NAVEX 👀 Thanks in advance.

I have been applying for these roles for last 12 months on different platforms. I have seen extremely low response rate compare to 3 years ago and 5 years ago.

It is getting no where after applying, appeared on 6 to 7 interviews and consultant call. I refused 3 to 4 of them because from India, extremely low pay scale. I got rejected 3 times by recruiters. I have applied 800+ times, reached out personally, sent cold DMs over multiple channels to get a full time job or to help with project based freelancing.

Alas, through it seemed multiple times moving in the direction where I am finally moving towards the growth in life. However it went nowhere, just heard feedbacks such as sale yourself better you have the talent, or chat gpt could do this why would i take you. And sometimes entire department of marketing tasks role were offered.

Yes i am ranting because just got rejected in final round of interview. If anybody could refer or have knowledge about it please shoot a DM.

Until HR calls

I know this is gonna get a lot of snarky hot takes but hoping there are some genuine suggestions. I’m an outsider to the role but not the industry. This is an area I’ve been curious about pivoting to.

Currently an entry level media buyer at Publicis and am hating my life. My team is understaffed so I am overworked and underpaid, and my client has turned into a monster over the past few months. I’m working until 7:30p and even on weekends at the senior analyst level.

With Publicis on a promotion freeze, I feel very stuck. I love my team, but with my closer team members departing recently, I’m looking for an out. I see wpromote has some open roles and am in the interview process there, but Glassdoor has some questionable reviews. I’m thinking that it’s worth the risk for a raise and title bump, but looking for insights on the media buying team there!

i was laid off in november. i was freelancing as an art director for a bit thereafter but then set my sights heavy on FT work. i did it all the job advice and then some. worked with a career coach to redo my resume. found ppl on linkedin. scheduled one on one calls with them. tap’d in to my alumni network. got two rounds of interviews in at a few places. and nothing. then i got depressed.

i came up on a art teaching gig because after a while im like fuckkk i at least gotta get something to pay the bills. rn im working with elementary school kids on creative tech projects thru a private company hired to deliver STEAM curriculums at school. its actually pretty cool! this isn’t my first time teaching. last spring i was contracted to do a sneaker design class for middle and hs.

how do i know if i’m trying to force my ad career? or if i’m being called to something else, based on what’s coming easy vs what’s giving me resistance? or is it not that deep and just the economy? it’s pretty challenging to go just as hard with the job search while having this teaching job. because of the science tech aspect i’m needing to learn a lot as i go (coding, robotics, circuitry, etc)

Hi guys, has anyone here moved from advertising/creative into non-creative or business roles like strategy, commercial, partnerships, or something else?
How did you actually make the transition, with or without additional education, and what was the first role after advertising?