By Molly Rushton, Digital Art Director at Armadillo
From starting my career in an agency, moving to in-house client-side, and then making the move back to being in an agency, I’ve learnt a lot about the differences between the two environments. Both client-side work and agency work have a lot to offer, but as I’ve most recently made the switch from client-side work back into an agency setting, I wanted to cover the reasons why. Working in an agency is exciting, and if you’re anything like me then there’s a good chance you would benefit from the switch too. Here are five reasons why going from client-side to agency might be the right move for you.
You’re a keen learner
One of the main draws for me to move back to an agency was the learning opportunities and chances to develop that an agency setting provides. In an agency, you could be working across a number of clients or projects in a day, or you could spend the whole day focusing on a single one. The variety of clients and projects means you’re always learning new skills and approaches, and having new experiences within your role.
Being keen and willing to learn new things is absolutely vital when working for an agency. You need to be open and ready to face new kinds of challenges and learn along the way.
You’re ready for a challenge
New challenges are inevitable when working in an agency setting. With a variety of clients and different projects coming in all the time, you need to be ready for your role to be challenging on occasion.
If you’re looking to push your skills to new levels, refine what you do and get even better at it, then an agency might be the place for you.
You thrive on critical feedback
When moving from client-side to agency, the truth is you do lose a bit of autonomy when it comes to decision-making. You’ll have to refine your decisions to combine what you think is the right choice with what the client is looking for. This means that even if you think something is fantastic creatively if the client doesn’t see it, then it will have to be adapted to find the right solution for them.
The positive of this is that you get lots of critical feedback on your work. And yes, this is a positive. Learning to take critical feedback and grow from it speeds up your abilities to create the best work possible. This means you can create something that really works for the client this time, and something even better next time. When you’ve got it right, it’s a real buzz, and when you’ve got notes on what you can improve on, you get a drive to do better and better.
I get far more critical and, most importantly, constructive feedback now working at an agency than I did when I was client-side. If you thrive on feedback and you’re ready and willing to improve then an agency setting is a good place to be.
You like variety
The variety of work that an agency provides is incredibly exciting to be a part of. You can be working on different projects all the time, keeping things fresh and interesting, ensuring you’ll never get bored. Working across different industries, with exposure to a large variety of markets will mean you’re always adapting, problem-solving and upskilling in your role. No two days are ever the same.
You enjoy being busy
The pace of an agency is perhaps the biggest thing to be aware of when switching from client-side to agency. It’s much faster. You have to be ready and enjoy being busy. There are often quick turnarounds on projects and the variety means you can never get complicit. But for that reason, it’s a benefit! Being busy is creatively fulfilling. And don’t worry, it’s not all work and no play. A cool thing about agency’s is they often come with lovely employee perks. At Armadillo, we have Summer Fridays where we leave early to enjoy some extra time in the sun once a month over the summer.
The switch to agency work has been a good one for me. It pushes me to be my best, provides me with plenty of creative challenges and offers a great sense of fulfilment.
Are you ready for a change?
Then maybe an agency is the place to be.
