The advertising industry is notorious for high turnover, with people bouncing from one agency to another as a rite of passage. According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average turnover rate in the advertising industry hovers around 30% annually.
I get it. You need to look out for No. 1, and when you see a new opportunity, you want to jump on it. But here’s a hot take: What if sticking around is the path to get you where you want to go?
Twenty-five years ago, I took a job at Deutsch. My first day was like any other, but that day turned into a month, which turned into seventeen years—all in the blink of an eye. Year after year, my friends in the industry, headhunters, and even my family told me I was nuts to stay at the same company. But I’ve always prioritized what I get to do and who I do it with. It’s a different way to look at the career equation.
To be clear, staying in one place doesn’t mean staying put. I’ve had lots of jobs. I’ve just had them in the same company. Here are a few tidbits that took me from entry level to agency leadership.
Act like you don’t have a boss
That doesn’t mean take the day off and work on your short game. But people show up differently when the responsibility falls on them. If no one else was going to review that thing, would you let it go as is? Or would you give it one more look, one more revision, a bit more tightening?
Ask yourself, what would you do if you had your boss’ job? What would you do if you had your client’s job (and responsibilities and pressures)? You’ll often find it pushes you to better thinking.
Default to ‘yes’
Years ago, I was asked to run our business development group. I was young for the job and had no idea where to even begin. What I did know was that I said, “Hell yeah!” before the question was finished. Then, 10 minutes later, reality set in. I had to figure out how to actually help us achieve our goals.