A special collab with Iuren Ramiro
How To Deal With�Feeling Stuck In An Advertising Career
Get a copy here
03. Credits
04. Introduction
05. Survey Results�15. Chapter 1: The Comparison Trap
16. Chapter 2: The Truth Behind Career Progression
19. Chapter 3: Honoring Your Individual Journey
20. Chapter 4: 10 Practical Steps To Help You Break Through� Stagnation And Achieve Your Full Potential
21. Conclusion
Table of Contents
Iuren Ramiro is a Strategist with Agency WE in sunny, rainy, icy, scorching São Paulo and a proud member of the ANA and Lions CMO Growth Councils. He wants to help brands to have meaningful roles within people's lives.
With his almost 17 years of work in the industry, he’s worked as a creative, strategist (brand, shopper, digital, branding), comms planner, design thinking consultant, account manager, new business director, community manager, and podcaster.
The only thing that he hasn’t been able to do yet is to make people get his name right from the start - it’s Iuren, not Luren. (Ideas are appreciated.)
Credits
Iuren Ramiro
Strategy Director at Agency We
Connect with him here
In the high-pressure world of advertising, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind while everyone else is soaring.
This deck dives deep into the emotional rollercoaster of career progression in advertising, offering 10 powerful steps to help you break free from unproductive comparisons, find fulfillment in your own unique journey, and achieve your full potential.
Introduction
Survey Results on Career Stagnation
This month, we surveyed 70 members of our community to better understand the challenges and opportunities advertising professionals face in their career progression.
It was a simple, rough-and-ready survey but we hope you find this a valuable contribution to the advertising community.
Here are the questions we asked them:
01 - Do you feel you are currently experiencing career stagnation in advertising?
02 - How often do you compare your career progress to your peers in the advertising industry?
03 - Have you ever felt overlooked for a promotion in advertising?
04 - How often do you seek feedback from colleagues or mentors about your career performance?
05 - Do you feel external factors like company culture or industry trends have significantly impacted your career progression?
06 - Do you have advice to someone going through career stagnation right now?
07 - If you shared advice and would like us to credit you, please add your name, company, and title.
Most of the respondents are currently experiencing a sense of career stagnation.
Do you feel�you are currently experiencing career stagnation in advertising?
1.
More than 80% of respondents compare their career progression to others in the industry, with 36.8% doing so occasionally, 26.5% frequently, and over 20% constantly.
How often do you compare your career progress to your peers in the advertising industry?
2.
More than 69% of respondents feel they’ve been overlooked for a promotion.
Have you ever felt overlooked for a promotion in advertising?
3.
Over 20% of respondents rarely seek feedback, while 79.5% pursue it to some degree.
How often do you seek feedback from colleagues or mentors about your career performance?
4.
Over 85% believe company culture and industry trends have influenced their career growth.
Do you feel external �factors like company
culture or industry �trends have significantly impacted your career progression?
5.
Do you have any advice to someone going through career stagnation right now?
6.
“Reset everything, as if wiping off old dust from the mirror, and find your true purpose with the most straightforward yet powerful question: Why?”
Karla Andrić, �Independent Integrated Strategist, HAIKU communications
“Attend classes, read books, learn something new or re-learn the basics.”
Mia Estrada,�Copywriter, Golden Pencil
Here is some advice from professionals in advertising who have navigated feelings of career stagnation:
“In the ad industry, everyone’s a pro at selling—even when it comes to themselves. So, don’t buy into everything you read about industry peers online; remember, they’re in the business of hype. Careers have seasons—sometimes you’re on top, and sometimes you’re in a slump. Use the downtimes to pick up some badass new skills you usually never have time for.”
Bianca Geater, �Design Director, Dentsu Creative
Advices to someone going through career stagnation right now
“Sometimes the only way to grow is through change - a new job, a slightly new industry or title. Most direct path to a better salary too.”
Luke Telford,�Content Strategist, Westpac
“Focus on upskilling and warm networking as much as you can. Acquire the skill you've been thinking about in Q4 2024 so you can leverage it in 2025. Build an advocacy network and contribute to it so you can propel others' successes as they help you with yours.”
Brad Johnson,�Content Marketing Manager and Webinar Lead, Paytronix
“Look back on your history. What lead you there? What makes your deliveries...yours? It’s really important to see that because that's what you can control. You can understand what you did, what you like to do, what you and then, ask people what they think of you, understand wrong interpretations and fix them to become better. Who you want to be? Which skills do you wish to improve? Who can help you develop that? Think like that, because most things are beyond your control.”
Iuren Ramiro, �Strategy Director, Agency We
Advices to someone going through career stagnation right now
“Upskill, become a category expert, and be hungry and curious for new ways to improve what you do - and most importantly how you do (looking at AI here)
Farah Aslam,�Strategy Director, Ogilvy
“Keep yourself updated, explore roles in advertising and develop portfolio. Start freelancing.”
Shruthi Sivakumar, Social Media Manager
Chapter 1
The Comparison Trap
In the advertising world, there are times when we feel stuck, stagnant, while it seems like everyone around us is growing, getting hired, and promoted. This feeling can arise in various situations:
It’s easy for our minds to play tricks on us. We might feel like we’ve been treated unfairly, or that we’re simply not good enough. But these feelings are more common than you think.
Chapter 2
The Truth Behind Career Progression
The truth is, career progression is influenced by a complex interplay of factors, making it unfair to assume you’re incompetent just because your progress hasn’t matched your expectations. Your situation has nothing to do with someone else’s. You’re not privy to the hiring meetings or private conversations they’ve had. There are countless variables at play, especially in advertising, where hiring and development processes can be highly subjective and influenced by factors like salary, past work experience, enthusiasm during interviews, communication skills, life experience, emotional maturity, awards, talent, networking, political maneuvering, the employer’s urgency, company culture, and even hiring freezes.
Seriously, let’s think about this: it’s a bit arrogant to believe the world should revolve around our personal timeline. Between dreaming, planning, and executing, numerous changes and adjustments can (and will) occur.��And here we are, aware of only a fraction of the facts, filled with desires, and creating our own realities. When things don’t go as planned, we get frustrated, of course. It’s okay to seek explanations; they can provide comfort and guidance. But comparing ourselves to others to draw conclusions isn’t productive. We can’t be someone else, nor can we live in someone else’s reality.��We compare ourselves for various reasons, often because we’re conditioned to do so.
Chapter 2: The Truth Behind Career Progression
Chapter 2: The Truth Behind Career Progression
Think about our education: from a young age, we’re graded on our performance. Everyone takes the same classes and studies the same material, yet we receive different grades. This early experience sets the stage for a lifetime of comparison, as we establish benchmarks and compete with our peers.
This changes when we enter the corporate world. Here, individuals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, based on various factors like context, opportunity, experience, and the evaluator’s personal judgment.
Additionally, everyone starts their career journey from a different point. While you might be learning a new concept in class, your peer could be gaining hands-on experience through an internship.
Career progression is a bit like rolling a dice, and we often think we can control the outcome.
Chapter 3
Honoring Your Individual Journey
Here’s a question for you:
What if your career path, even if it’s not unfolding as you’d hoped, has its own unique merits that are worth celebrating?
What if it’s inspiring you to take a different, more interesting path?
This leads us to ask:
Is it truly helpful to focus on someone else’s success?
Or is it a waste of energy that hinders our own progress?
Chapter 4
10 Practical Steps To Help You
Break Through Stagnation And Achieve Your Full Potential:
These are important steps to take. It’s a form of self-reflection and a genuine conversation with the person who matters most: you.
Channel your energy inward and keep pushing forward.
Career stagnation is a challenge many people face, especially in the fast-paced advertising industry.
However, by focusing inward, reducing unhealthy comparisons, and following actionable steps, you can unlock your full potential and honor your individual journey to success.
Remember, your journey is yours alone—celebrate your progress and keep moving forward.
Conclusion
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