Disclaimer: The experiences of the people in this story belong to them and do not represent In Real Life Malaysia.
Have you ever been in a job for so long that it got boring? You feel like a shark in a tank, brimming with potential in a confined space. Do you love your job, but you crave more?
Well, that was me.
I was in my comfort zone at an advertising agency for 2 years. I was even selected to lead a team.
Creating content has always been my passion because it gives me a sense of satisfaction when my work gets published for the world to see.
But earlier this year, I felt like my job wasn’t giving me the kind of satisfaction it used to.
I felt I was stagnating.
After many days of introspection, it was time to move on
I applied to many jobs in corporate and finally landed one. It was a low-level executive position, but they offered me a higher pay to match my previous salary and good benefits as well.
So, I accepted the job.
As soon as I started, I discovered that fitting in was going to be a challenge.
There was so much to learn and work to do. Besides, I didn’t get any help because I was just an executive.
I got anxiety coping with the workload.
I thought I was a fast learner, but this job made me realise that making it in corporate was not as easy as I thought. There are so many procedures, departments and upper management to deal with.
So if you ever find yourself in the same boat as me, here are some things to consider before going into corporate, especially if you’ve spent many years in an agency.
1. Things in the corporate world move slowly
You have an idea? Good for you, but be prepared to do all the work.
By work, I mean lead the campaign on your own, figure out which department to speak to, go through various processes to get your idea approved — all before you can even dream of running it.
As you know, going through the many layers of people requires tons of time. Be prepared to keep chasing everyone for approval.
By the time you get your approval, there isn’t much time left for execution.
In agency life, it’s a fast-paced environment. Things change really quickly, clients often change their minds, there are lots of changes all the time, but it does not require more than 1 person’s approval to run.
2. You’re going to miss your freedom
In the agency, I had so much power and control over my work because as the lead, I could pitch crazy ideas and go wild with it. I could try out new tactics and strategies, and my team would always support all my wild ideas.
For example, I could pitch for drones to deliver food on the highway and my team would not think me crazy!
But in the corporate world, I have to stick to the status quo. Everything involves the corporate image. The management is not fond of ideas they find controversial.
3. People are less helpful and friendly.
In the corporate world, everyone is busy trying to climb up the ladder.
No one is obligated to help you as they have their own things to do.
Once, I tried asking my colleague a simple question regarding a software that I did not know about, and she told me to google it and figure it out myself.
I felt super confused and lost. Back in my agency, I could just text anyone and ask them anything I wanted. People were ready to converse at any time.
In the corporate world, not everyone wants to talk to you.
4. Jealousy is huge among corporate people
I’m the type of person that loves sharing ideas, and when you’re placed in a team, you would think it an ideal space for idea-sharing, right?
Wrong.
I had a colleague that I’d thought of as a close friend. We would always talk about various things.
But the minute I shared an idea during a department meeting, he got really mad at me and said, “Next time, keep your ideas to yourself. See, now we have extra work to do because of you.”
This is unlike agency life where everyone shares articles, campaigns, and ideas to inspire each other.
5. No need to think outside the box
In corporate, everything is done by third party vendors. You don’t really need to achieve, improve, think outside the box, or check in with clients, unlike agency life.
Therefore, if you like a job that is more relaxed, where everyone just co-exists in peace, corporate is the life for you.
6. Your time isn’t billed hourly
One thing that I found really difficult to adjust to was the tracking of my daily work hours. In agency life, every second counts. I had to record how much time I spent on each job so the agency could bill the client appropriately.
But in corporate, nobody really cares if you spent 2 or 3 hours reading the news about property. In my case, it is part of my job to know about property for the greater good of the company, so I am allowed to read leisurely at my own pace.
7. Corporations are less concerned about social media
Yes, that was new for me. During my agency life, everyone cared so much about social media. We had to learn everything we could about the new features or the latest trends.
But in corporate, campaigns are mostly done the traditional way; social media is secondary.
This is because stakeholders and investors do not really care about social media.
They care about what they see on the company website, and the commercial ads they see on TV or billboards.
8. You wear many hats in agency life, but just one hat in corporate
In corporate, there is a designed structure to follow. Every bit of work you churn out has to go through the appropriate department heads for approval, followed by proofreading and compliance departments.
Everything has to be vetted by many people. The messaging and design especially has to be approved by top management.
On the other hand, at an agency, you’re an all-rounder. You do it all. You’re the copywriter, the content creator, the traffic controller, the photographer, and whatever your client needs you to be.
Which is better? Corporate or agency?
All in all, it comes down to what you’re looking for — different strokes for different folks.
If you like being creative and enjoy freedom, an agency is the place for you.
But if you prefer a slow-paced, comfortable job where you don’t need to be creative, consider working in a corporation.
Having said that, every company has its own work culture, so what I’ve shared is simply my experience.
There is likely an agency out there with more hoops to jump through, and a corporation with more freedom.
Do I regret shifting to corporate?
Well, some part of me misses being creative in an agency. There are days when I long for my old life.
But for now, I think of choosing corporate as a long-term investment. Corporate life does offer amazing benefits.
Climbing the corporate ladder is not something I have ruled out completely. Nonetheless, my happy place is still an agency.
Maybe one day, I’ll run my own agency. Fingers crossed!
For more stories like this, read: 8 Flags To Look Out For In A Malaysian Job Description and Corporate Team Building Is A Crock Of Crap, And Here’s Why
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