Posted on by Jennifer

agency-in-houseAbout seven years ago, I started my PR/marketing career in the agency world. Prior to that I mostly worked in-house at non-profits and entertainment companies. At first glance, agency world looked glamorous and the place to be. I thought it was where I should be–had to be–in order to have a successful career. The truth of the matter is that while working in the agency world I learned and burned.

Every time I speak to soon-to-be PR/marketing professionals, the one insight I share with them is–agency isn’t for everyone, but everyone should experience agency. And here’s why.

  • You get a chance to work with different brands. I’ve worked on 30+ brands–from consumer, food & beverages and technology to healthcare, financial services and public affairs. The great thing about having worked on so many different types of brands is that I learned how to do the same task (i.e. writing press releases, managing events, creating social media content) but with different purposes, topics and for different audiences (B2C and B2B). The versatility kept it fun! And I learned about so many things at once, which added to my resume.
  • You get a chance to advance in your career, quickly if lucky. I was fortunate to get promoted several times–Intern, AC, AAE, AE, SAE and AS–all within six years. In my case these were mostly just titles since my responsibilities were sometimes more advanced than others with the same title–I worked in a smaller group giving me more accessibility. The key thing about working and growing in your agency career was working with the right people and working strategically hard.
  • Your work becomes your life and your office your home. I remember the days of being late to meet-up with my friends, or not showing up at all. Or that one Valentine’s day I was late for the homemade dinner my boyfriend at the time had made. I was angry about work but instead directed my anger towards him, ruining our Valentine’s–now thinking about it, that should’ve been my highlight and work ignored. The thing about working at agencies is that you have day work at the office and night work by going to events or dinners with clients–you’re always working while most of your friends have a clear distinction between day work and night personal time.
  • You’ll be more of a doer than a strategist. Coming right out of college, all we want to do is take over the world and show how much we know and can deliver–especially us millennials. I’m not saying this just because it’s what I thought but it’s what every college student I speak with tells me. But after a few weeks or months into your agency job, you begin to realize how you can share your ideas during the brainstorming sessions but you won’t always have the chance to run with your idea. Many times you’ll have to do what those above you tell you to do, even if sometimes you don’t agree with it. That is your job, to support those above you on the accounts you work on. At the end of the day, they have more years of experience than you. But this also teaches you about how to manage up and how to speak up about your ideas, becoming an advocate for yourself.

At the end of the day, there are no clear pros or cons about working at an agency vs. in-house. It ultimately comes down to what you want and your personality type. What is key is to have the diverse experience so that you become a better and stronger self.

I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve had within agencies. I grew-up. I realized what I wanted at work, and in life. I figured out where my purpose was. But most importantly I learned to believe in my ability to work with different personalities, different clients and different types of work environments.

So when you’re making the decision between agency vs in-house opportunities, remember that you are the driver of your own career and you should build your resume as you best feel fit.

 

Interested in reading more about agency vs. in-house experiences, here are some other articles I’ve read recently:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *