Agencies Are Serious Career Accelerators. Here’s why it’s time to consider the move

Agencies Are Serious Career Accelerators. Here’s why it’s time to consider the move.

In-house or agency.

If you’re a marketing and communications professional, you’ll likely face this decision at some stage in your career.

It may (or may not) be obvious to you, but there’s a big difference between the two. Everything from opportunities and challenges, to working structures and autonomy can differ hugely; in short, being a PR specialist in-house and a PR specialist in an agency isn’t the same thing.

There are a lot of opinions surrounding ‘agency life’, but if there’s one thing that most people agree on, it’s that agencies and consultancies will rapidly accelerate your professional development.

And if you’re looking to climb the career ladder (fast), or need fresh opportunities, agency could well be the ideal route for you.

The One Big Difference…

…is exposure.

In an agency, you’ll often have much more diversity in your day-to-day than in an in-house role. Across brands, industries, clients, and projects. And amongst the peers and partners you work alongside.

In real terms, two projects can look the same on paper within an agency, all the way down to objectives. But the strategic approach, methods, and client priorities could be entirely different. Meaning how you execute those projects – and what you learn – is vastly different.

Naturally, this is what drives the level of development agencies and consultancies are so well-known for. Having exposure to new opportunities, ways of working, and even teams provides consistent learnings. And in comparison to other positions, this will give you a rare and expansive perspective on the business world. Great if you’re fairly early on in your career.

This can be a steep curve to anyone heading into an agency for the first time. Deadlines are tight and client expectations can be high. And unless you’re in the unusual position of being dedicated to solely one brand account (as with some large agencies), you’ll be required to balance a number of clients and account knowledge at any one time.

But, if you are looking for a fast-track to in-depth learnings, all of this will work in your favour. Here are some of the most notable pros to agency life.

5 Career Pros to Agency Life

• Diverse Day-to-Days. Variety really is the spice of life – especially at work. Having several different accounts, clients and goals helps keep work interesting and demanding. It also provides the perfect backdrop to test out new tactics and learnings in real-time.
• Industry & Trend Immersion. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to be fully immersed, and stay on top of trends. You’re surrounded by driven professionals and clients, and because agencies need to be at the centre of market changes, L&D is a leading investment for teams.
• Growth Is Prioritised. Agencies have a very specific commercial structure, and you’ll typically have a set hourly rate to charge to client accounts. This means it’s in the best interests of the agency and teams to increase your skillsets through new opportunities and training.
• Creativity & Collaboration. Agencies require out-of-the-box thinking. Being faced with new demands, new challenges, and market changes leads to teams coming together to find unique solutions, and often, shift the status quo. It also makes upskilling much simpler.
• Lifelong Networks. Agencies can provide unique connections, and many professionals find that these bonds and working relationships (be it with colleagues or clients) last throughout their careers. Providing new windows of opportunities, no matter what path you take next.

Choosing which path is right for you

Take a role within a company for the company, or work across a number of brands and clients at once.

It may be a reductive view, but this is essentially what it comes down to. Selecting which path you want to take will depend on a whole range of factors. Your professional ambitions and ideal career trajectory. If you have a specific brand you’ve always wanted to work with. And even personal characteristics.

Agency professionals are invested – very invested. In their discipline within the marketing mix, in skills and upskilling, and in what their role can achieve in a wider context. You’ll also find that clients trust your counsel and expertise; no need to fight to establish buy-in. Meaning you can simply focus on the work at hand.

If you’re looking to fast-track your career early on, or accelerate your trajectory as a mid-senior pro, agencies could be the way to go. The demand and fast-paced nature of the environment makes for advanced learning, and there’s a wide pool of opportunities.

Having said that, it’s also a great way to ‘cut your teeth’ in an industry or discipline. Opting for a role within an agency for 5, 10 or even 15 years could put you in an incredible position later on in life. And importantly, give you a strong network of peers and professionals to tap into in the future.