How entry-level agency marketers can advance their careers by moving in-house

Editor’s note: At Ad Age, we use AI-assisted versioning to create additional versions of our original reporting. Our AI highlights key takeaways and connects insights to real-world applications—without altering the core facts or intent of the original reporting. Every AI-assisted version is reviewed by the newsroom for accuracy and fairness. This is an AI-assisted version of Why agency talent might find more job opportunities with marketers by Ad Age Senior Reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse and is based entirely on that story. Not long ago, agencies were the place to be. They offered variety, creative freedom and a front-row seat to big brand campaigns. But the industry job market is shifting—and fast. While agencies continue to restructure and shrink their teams, brands are quietly ramping up, hiring in-house talent to take on roles that used to live squarely in agency territory. Amazon had more than 400 open marketing jobs as of mid-March. That’s just one example—brands across industries are building internal teams for media buying, creative, strategy and more disciplines. Ad Age Gen Z Contributor Column We welcome Gen Zers to submit fresh takes exploring Gen Z within the ad industry Learn more here What early-career roles look like on the brand side If you’re early in your career—or looking for your next move—this shift opens up new paths that weren’t as common even a few years ago. Roles that might have once required agency experience are now being built directly into in-house teams. Many of the fastest-growing positions are in: Also read: Agency vs. in-house roles—what to know before making a change Brand-side investment in media functions grew nearly 56% year-over-year—driven in part by brands wanting more control over how their media budgets are spent, and more transparency than agencies have traditionally offered, according to Taligence’s 2024 U.S. Marketing Jobs Report. Also read: Why agencies buying and reselling media is controversial That demand is creating opportunities for marketers who know how to move quickly, think across platforms and adapt to changing tools and workflows—skills often developed in agency environments but now being sought in-house. Why this matters if you’re early in your career If you’re coming from an agency—or trying to break into marketing in the first place—this shift could open doors. In-house roles now offer: As Gregory Wright, senior VP of brand and media for the Association of National Advertisers put it, brands are getting better at competing with agencies for top creative and strategic talent. They’re partnering with design schools, offering fractional roles and positioning themselves as culture-first employers—something that used to be agencies’ edge. That’s an important shift, especially for younger marketers who were drawn to agencies for the variety. Today, many brand-side roles offer similar creative range—and the added benefit of being closer to the strategy, data, and decision-making. What this means for your career path None of this makes agency life irrelevant. Agencies are still hiring, particularly in areas like AI, measurement and analytics. And many brands still value agency-trained talent for their versatility and speed. But for those starting out—or reconsidering their next step—the fact that brands are hiring more, and more broadly, is significant. It means your first or second job in marketing might not look like what you expected—but it could still give you everything you hoped agency life would: the ability to move fast, learn on the job and build something real. Whether you land at a brand or an agency, the structure of early-career roles is shifting. As brands continue to invest in capabilities once owned by agencies, the distinction between the two is becoming less defined. For those entering the field, that’s expanding the range of where—and how—marketing careers can begin.

How entry-level agency marketers can advance their careers by moving in-house

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