Ad students and entry-level job seekers face bleak prospects

Layoffs, marketing budget cuts, job interviews that go nowhere—this is the bleak picture the industry is painting for its next generation of professionals, and it could end up costing agencies and brands top talent. Ad Age asked 15 people looking to break into the advertising industry what their biggest concerns were about the prospect of finding a job. The 15 people are either students currently part of the creative ad portfolio school at The University of Texas at Austin who are set to graduate in 2024 or recent alumni of the Building Leaders and Creators (BLAC) internship program, which is for creative talent who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here Students cited increasing anxiety over seeing their professors laid off from jobs in the industry. Some of the BLAC alumni who have been job hunting said they’ve experienced hiring managers “ghosting” them after interviews. Rumors of fake job listings have job seekers on edge as they fill out countless applications with no response. Meanwhile, professionals of color are particularly concerned about how budget cuts and layoffs are impacting diversity in the industry. “There’s a ton of competition for creatives, and only a limited amount of entry-level roles,” said Maya Goodlow, an aspiring art director who was part of the BLAC 2023 cohort. “For a bit, I wasn’t getting many interviews. I fixed up all of my documents and work, and now I’m getting interviews. But it’s hard to get past that stage. I’ll get ghosted by places, and half the time I’ll realize that they filled the roles internally. That’s incredible for them, but it makes me feel like I never had a chance in the first place.” While it’s not uncommon for recent graduates to worry about landing an industry job, the rapidly evolving ad world has ramped up those fears significantly in recent years. Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club for Creativity, said ad school students feel largely unprepared to enter the industry given recent technological advancements. “They might see an industry that looks different from the one they studied in traditional ad schools, many of which haven’t fully adapted their curriculum,” Swanepoel said. “A once stable career isn’t necessarily guaranteed these days. Mass layoffs, coupled with the fear of what AI means in terms of jobs, is causing a great deal of concerns for students and professionals alike.” Read more: How to land a creative job at a top agency or brand “I’m not going to gloss over it: There has been a lot of turmoil in the industry recently,” said VCU Brandcenter Executive Director Vann Graves. “Students should prepare themselves for a longer job search process considering the amount of layoffs in the industry over the past year, leading to more competition for available roles.” ‘It’s a little scary’ “It’s hard to decide where to apply, because we see layoffs happening all over the industry, and we’re unsure what agencies offer a secure spot and opportunities to grow,” said Jacob Rubenstein, an aspiring copywriter and senior at the UT Austin Texas Creative Program. “People we’ve networked with have been unexpectedly laid off—really talented people. Some of the best creatives with amazing books and leadership roles have been cut. I understand the business aspect, I really do, but it certainly is concerning.” Renata Garcia is an advertising senior at UT Austin who said she joined the program because she wanted to create the type of advertising that “goes viral.” She said she has loved the program and was really optimistic about entering the industry until recently when she saw some of her professors get laid off from their full-time agency jobs. “We started to see that it wasn’t going to be as streamlined as we thought to get into the industry,” Garcia said, noting that in the past, professors have recommended UT Austin alumni for jobs at their companies. “It’s a little scary,” Garcia said. Jaydin Donte Geer is currently the operations and program coordinator for the BLAC internship program, from which he graduated in 2021. But he is also a victim of layoffs, having been “furloughed and then eventually laid off from my previous role as a production coordinator.” (He did not name the agency.) “Finding new opportunities has proven to be challenging,” said Donte Geer, who is based in California. Caleb Brock, a senior at the UT Austin Texas Creative Program, said while he is trying to remain optimistic about a future career in advertising, layoffs consume his LinkedIn timeline. “I have friends who are thinking, ‘Should I just go work for a tech company and do AI?’” More: Agency’s AI marketing lab connects brands with startups AI has caused its own concerns. While some people interviewed found the idea of AI exciting, others worried about its potential to further disrupt the industry and take over what were once considered entry-level tasks. “AI is a topic that concerns me deeply,” Donte Geer said. “Although technology is advancing, we cannot ignore the fact that it will never serve as a complete alternative to human employees, who are capable of making human mistakes. We must all be aware of how automation will affect not only the job market but our society as a whole and how we will operate in the future.” ‘Ghost jobs’ While there is widespread concern around dwindling job opportunities, U.S. ad employment did reach a new all-time high in January, with the industry adding 2,000 jobs last month across advertising, PR and related services. Still, the numbers don’t seem to tell the full story. The job hunters interviewed by Ad Age said they are exhausted by how many applications they are filling out with no success. Kai Fields is a freelance copywriter and BLAC 2023 alum who said he is no longer looking for a full-time position, “but when I was, it was intense.” “I filled out hundreds of applications to no avail,” Fields said. “I noticed the LinkedIn dashboard was full of thirsty competition scavenging for positions of every level, regardless of their experience. And when an application did land, I went through endless rounds of interviews that would end with my follow-up emails left seemingly ignored. If I weren’t so hellbent on landing a job I knew I deserved I would have started looking for jobs outside of the industry.” Some people, including Goodlow, said they’ve experienced being “ghosted” after what they thought was a successful job interview. “It would be nice if I could get feedback every once in a while so I could prepare better,” Goodlow said. Also: Inside the struggle to train and retain junior-level staff “My fear lies in the thought that getting my foot just an inch through the door will be more difficult,” said Bryon Anderson, a BLAC 2023 alum looking for a junior copywriting role. “You hear about ghost jobs [and] how companies will create fake job postings to meet a quota while creatives like me are sending applications into the void doubting their abilities, and if this is even a profession they should pursue at all.” Malaika Cesar-Nemorin, a senior account executive at agency Flint and Steel and a BLAC 2021 alum, said “I’ve heard horror stories about job postings that either close before you can apply and are still posted on LinkedIn or turn out to be scams.” Some people interviewed added that the salaries for the jobs that are available are sometimes too low to truly consider. Sasha Martens, president of industry headhunting firm Sasha the Mensch, has said he hasn’t necessarily seen a decrease in compensation, at least for top talent. But he predicted agency financial pressures could take a toll on salaries. If a shop does not undergo layoffs, it could opt to lower salaries for mid-tier talent, he said. “It is no surprise that agencies have been affected by the economy and as a result have been making cuts, but at whose cost?” said Luwam Gezai, a creative director and part of the BLAC 2021 cohort who is based in New York. “I’ve been seeing many agencies approach mitigating overall company losses by merging previous roles and listing them with cut salary ranges; some of which are unreasonable.” Gezai added: “Many of these same job descriptions require eight-plus years of experience; to put it simply, it’s unjust and makes me wonder how some agencies fail to understand how such working conditions would not only affect their employees but the quality of work they’d be able to produce.” Tracking layoffs and budget cuts How brands and agencies are bracing for a recession Click here Impact on diversity Hiring and talent experts in the industry have told Ad Age that layoffs are impacting people of color disproportionately. Diversity within marketing dropped in 2023 for the first time in several years, according to a new study by the Association of National Advertisers, which Ad Age wrote potentially signals an industry-wide deprioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “My concerns about layoffs and marketing cuts center around how they disproportionately affect employees who already face greater challenges entering this industry,” said Calandra McGee, who is currently looking for job opportunities and is a BLAC 2022 alum. “BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ people, those who are neurodivergent and disabled individuals encounter higher barriers to entry when seeking ad jobs, and unfortunately, they are often the first to be let go during layoffs.” McGee added: “As someone who is Black, Queer, female and has had a career transition, getting into the ad industry has been a challenge.” 4A’s CEO and President Marla Kaplowitz said though she doesn’t have information on how layoffs are impacting people of color in particular, agencies are still struggling with training and preparing diverse professionals for the next steps in their careers. She said this comes as layoffs impact “a lot more junior- to middle-management roles. If you look at just the compensation of agencies, more diverse people are junior to mid-level,” she said. “The numbers tell us that as you go up the agency ladder, diversity numbers decrease and unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse unless more time and energy is invested in mentoring creatives at all levels throughout their careers,” The One Club’s Swanepoel said. “The biggest issue that we’ve heard from diverse creatives is a lack of support once they’ve gotten their foot in the door.” Lauren Tucker, founder and CEO of inclusion management firm Do What Matters, shared her perspective in a previous interview. “People of color continue to be disproportionately represented in layoffs, especially in middle management, exposing the myth that the industry is committed to inclusion and diversity.” Recent news: Super Bowl commercial diversity continues to lag Tips for job hunters As the recent U.S. employment figures suggest, there are still opportunities in the industry if job seekers stick with it. “All is certainly not lost, but resilience, flexibility and patience will be required now more than ever,” VCU Brandcenter’s Graves said. “Students should hone their skills, focus on creating great work for their portfolios and seek feedback from industry professionals on what will set them apart. Consistent networking will be key, zeroing in on the agencies with the creative work and people they admire. The job hunt may not be as easy for some, but curiosity and tenacity are bound to reap a reward.” People who are job hunting have to know where to look for opportunity, such as applying for a job at an agency that just landed a new piece of business, Kaplowitz said. She also suggested being open to taking an internship to get your foot in the door as well as taking classes to bolster your skills on technologies such as generative AI, which can be a competitive advantage. “It’s not all doom and gloom,” Kaplowitz said. “It is a tougher market in that the pendulum has swung back to the employer. There are not as many openings … You just have to be very open.” Kaplowitz and Swanepoel advised people looking for jobs to look into resources their respective organizations, the 4A’s and The One Club, offer. For example, programs such as the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) and The One Club’s “Portfolio Night” offer opportunities to network and gain feedback from industry professionals. Brittany Goodwin, who landed a job as a social content analyst at Razorfish and is a 2022 BLAC alum, advised others in the industry to “stay hungry.” “Take on an internship if you are interested,” Goodwin said. “Internships create a great foundation to breaking into the ad industry and there are programs out there that can give you a jumpstart. And in terms of staying hungry, I found that putting yourself out there as much as you can will lead to opportunities. Use LinkedIn!” Donte Geer suggested offering to freelance for a company first. “It is cheaper for agencies and companies since they do not have to pay for your benefits,” he said. Yet several people also noted the importance of not settling. “You need to have confidence in yourself, your work and your skills,” Cesar-Nemorin said. “Make sure to thoroughly research both the agency and the position. I suggest looking into the backgrounds of people at the agency to understand their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. When you have the opportunity to interview, don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you need. The last thing you want is to join an agency and then regret your experience a few months down the line.” Tony Stanol, president of headhunting firm Global Recruiters of Sarasota, has advice for job seekers: “Make sure your LinkedIn profile is chock full of information and your accomplishments; Your resume is your golden ticket. Online tools will help you jazz it up for free; network like crazy; tap into the power of your alma mater and hunt down ad gurus there; and cast a wide net. Target as many agencies that are geographically close to you as you can.” And most importantly, be patient. “Remember, job search is a full-time job,” Stanol said. “You may need to ‘kiss a lot of frogs’ before you find a prince. While it may seem daunting, it only takes one ‘yes’ to change your life.” Ad Age Gen Z Contributor Column We welcome Gen Zers to submit fresh takes exploring Gen Z within the ad industry Learn more here

Ad students and entry-level job seekers face bleak prospects

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