Dear Swordfish,
I am a little confused about the timeline in terms of how being with this company for 5 months plus being an AE with another company for 4 months relates to being a designer for 9. I can only assume you are referring to different timelines here.
Nevertheless, let's focus on the part where you decided you had enough of being a designer and moving on to being an AE again. While the others have covered rather important points about work culture and what suits you best, allow me to share with you some things that most might overlook.
If you are planning for a career in advertising (whatever the capacity) know this:
1. Unlike other jobs, the company structure tends to be very flat and broad. This said, if your immediate superior is very capable and young but is already experiencing problems becoming a partner in an agency, it's time to start worrying. Inability to progress or help your boss get on top is one of the first signs that the agency will experience an implosion sometime in the near future. The theory behind this is a long-winded one. You can pm me for more details on this if you wish.
2. Based on (1), your own career path in the company is usually measured on the merit of your work. That said, I don't mean by how much work you do. It means how much work you are SEEN doing and how much work you bring in for the company. Bosses that are intelligent and know your true value will appreciate all the other, more subtle qualities you possess. But in reality, those bosses are very far and wide in between.
3. A career path in designing is not entirely flawed. It is just based on personal choice (as others have mentioned) but those whose work shines will only be worthy of mention if they have a really strong senior or team lead that's willing to concede the credit to you where it counts. Do not underestimate the power of the portfolio here. For a designer, it is the equivalent of the experience you gained from servicing difficult clients as an AE.
4. Being an AE is more about the quantity of work as opposed to the quality of work when compared to a designer. That said, it's not an invitation for you to simply get your job done and forget about it. It's about being there whenever the client needs you. Being on hand to answer all the questions posed in an acceptable fashion and to immediately revert to the client on jobs pending and other complications. It is all about being present.
5. I apologize for my panic earlier on the issue of your focus change. I thought the decision to change from design to AE was by your company. If so, I would advise you to get the heck out of there as soon as possible. In addition, forgive me for saying this, but if there was very little resistance in your changing from creative to servicing, that must mean you are not working your full value as a designer either (or that the agency is small).
6. Let's talk shop. Salary is one of the most important things where people measure their worth and the worth of their time. AE in most agencies tend to have more tiers, so the progression in salary is more refined. On the creative side though, the tiers tend to be less, so you will notice a more significant jump in the pay each time you are upgraded. The practice to give salary increases and bonuses is significantly rare in this industry, and even more so in recent times (due to economy and competitive price wars). Don't expect to get fed on just pay raises alone. The opportunity cost in waiting for a pay raise to justify years of hell don't make it worth your time UNLESS you already love the job in the first place.
These are some interesting points to ponder. Hope that they are enough to help you come to a clearer decision and picture on the industry in general.
If you still intend to stay in the industry but intend to make the most out of it for as long as you are staying, then feel free to PM me and I can advise you on strategies to command more pay in the industry.
If you intend to leave, as tinkerbel and many others have said, please do consider making the most out of your stay. Learn up, experience all there is, train up your discipline and build your networks. If you did well in all of these, people will notice and people that do notice will find you later on.
Cheers,
Jesse
P.S.: Sorry for the lengthy post.
This post has been edited by thyceult: Jul 22 2009, 10:26 PM
advertising industry...what do you all think?, long hours, stressful, low pay