In the world of advertising and marketing, there are many different careers and paths to take. Whether you’re in creative, design, data, or account, all of these different careers end up in an agency setting or in-house. Here we will break down the difference and explain both the benefits and drawbacks of working in an agency setting versus working for one company directly.
Agency Setting
The term agency and advertising go hand-in-hand. From television shows to large companies around the globe, advertising agencies are notorious for a final destination for advertising and marketing creatives. In this setting, they are known for rolling up their sleeves, creating brilliant ideas, and changing the world of advertising as we know it today. Here’s a glimpse into agency life and why it can be influential but also detrimental.
Breaking down agency can be complicated because there are a lot of moving parts. Within each agency is different departments is the Account department, Creative department that encapsulates the designers and the copywriters, there is a Marketing department, and most likely a Public Relations department. Within these departments, these positions have multiple clients and multiple projects to work on at the same time.
Agency life is known for the long hours after work. They often run over-time because of the number of clients and projects that are happening at the same time. Younger adults make up the majority of juniors and seniors in an agency because of its fast pace and the amount of time and commitment it takes to stay on task.
The benefits of working in an agency are the ability to gain a lot of experience in a little amount of time, working for big-name clients, working together on projects with a plethora of different departments, plenty of resources, bold ideas, and creativity are welcome.
The drawbacks of working for an agency are the long hours and likeability to be overworked, working on too many clients and projects at one time, less control over the content you produce, and it’s a higher ladder to climb.
In-House Setting
In-house advertising and marketing is quite literally the opposite of an agency. Instead of working for a handful of different clients at once, you are hired directly by a company, and you work only for them. Many large companies hire their marketing team and are moving towards hiring their personalized creative team.
The company drives the vision of the advertising and marketing teams themselves and hire creatives that they believe will drive their vision. The work for in-house advertising delves a lot deeper than agency work because there are more time and availability to get down to the nitty-gritty.
The benefits of working in-house are working for one client instead of multiple, working on a smaller team, more control of creativity and vision, more in-depth work, typically a 9-5 workday, and the ability to climb the ladder faster.
The drawbacks of in-house work are that it’s not as fast-paced as agency work, you are only working for one client, so that can mean limited experience, fewer resources, and a lesser skill level.
Overall, both agency and in-house are not right for everyone. Depending on your personality, how much you like your work, and your work to a personal relationship may be the difference of in-house to agency life. You should explore both paths throughout your career, so don’t be afraid to give them both a shot!
Clutch is a creative staffing partner. We connect digital, creative, and marketing professionals with companies looking for freelance, temp-to-hire or direct hire resources.
