WORKING IN CREATIVE/ ADVERTISING AGENCIES

There is a lot of misconception amongst people about what entails the work life at a ‘creative agency’ or being a ‘creative professional’ in general. People come into this field with differing ideas about the job and what it entails and end up either completely loving it or being overwhelmed and being confused. And to be very clear, nor article (including this) can summate in any way what the job experience is like exactly. Creative work is highly subjective. What we can do is somewhat ease the transition for you if you’re moving to it from a different environment (like the corporate sector for example):

• Awareness : Knowledge is the true value asset. Believe us. Knowledge of the environment. Of your own strengths and weaknesses. Of your colleagues. Of the business and work environment around you. If you have it, then great. If you don’t, ensure that every new work experience you have in office goes towards adding to that. Being smarter than everybody else will go a long way towards securing your position.

• Flexibility : One of the best things about working in creative fields is that it really does not feel like a job, no matter how challenging it gets. Ultimately, you are left to rely on your instincts, creativity and quick thinking and the trade-off for that most times, is that there really is no ‘9 to 5’, you have to be willing to work long hours on a whim and that habit should eventually become instinctual. If you’re someone who’s career driven and willing to jump in to new challenges, take this as a great sign. The flexibility and dynamic nature of creative careers also allows you to pursue personal interests, like managing stock trading apps, outside of work hours while still being focused during key projects or deadlines. The discipline needed across creative roles translates well to analyzing markets or assessing investments.

• Open mindedness : People are different. And you’re just going to have to accept that. And then deal with a lot of people. If you’ve got authority issues of any kind, we suggest you suppress them for the time being. Learn to be a good listener and be empathic to people. Try and find common ground with even the most difficult and demanding people and get them to like you. Be sincere and accepting of their views and that will help you benefit in your profession.

These things are but a minor fraction of the qualities that help out in this field but are still essential in complimenting your overall talent and expertise in being successful.