Job Description
I'm a copywriter for an advertising agency, which means I am responsible for concepting and writing tv, print, and radio scripts for a variety of clients. Once an idea is sold, I am responsible for chosing a director, casting, final scripts, etc. You then go on the shoot and eat a lot of good food. I do a lot of writing .. headlines ... radio .. revisions to scripts .. emails .. It's not a bad gig ...
Pros
1) It's creative. I get to think and write and imagine and, when I'm lucky, actually make the things I am thinking, writing and imagining about. I get to create real things that the outside world will see, and, hopefully, enjoy. There's a pleasure in spending all your work hours making something tangible.
2) It's flexible. It isn't a typical 9 - 5. I can come in a bit later (which is great cause I AM NOT a morning person) and leave during the day if i have to. There's nobody checking up on me, which provides the independance I need in a job.
3) It's rewarding. When you spend months of your time making a tv commercial, it is great to be able to watch tv with your friends, point your commercial and say "i did that".
4) It's the anti-corporate. I spent five years in the corporate world and hated its rules, fakeness, language, ethics ... In advertising, some of this exists, but by and large people are natural. They don't use too much corporate-lingo, they appreciate when you send funny staff emails, they dress casually, they play music, put art on their walls, tell jokes .. They are the kind of people you like to hang out with. In essence, they are themselves, not the corporate robots you usually see. It's apple vs. microsoft.
5) It's always-changing. The nature of advertising means you get to work on multiple assignments for multiple clients. I might work on Mercedes-Benz on Monday, Arby's on Tuesday, New York Post on Wednesday .. etc. Each client has different challenges you can work with. You never get bored of the same product or people. You can dive into something passionately for four months, then, when bored, dive into something else. It is almost like having lots of different jobs during a year.
Cons
1) I make ads. In general, people don't like ads. While I try to spend my time making good ads, they don't always turn out that way. So I am partially responsible for making things that annoy people.
2) Advertising isn't responsible. My job is to sell my client's product, whether or not you agree or like that product. As example, you might has to sell an SUV with bad gas mileage even though you know it contributes to the greenhouse effect. Ethics sometimes get in the way.
3) Clients. They are the corporate world I grew to hate. They only care about numbers and focus groups, and will sell out your creative in a second. They don't have any creative sense themselves, so you spend much of your time watching your ideas die a slow and agonizing death. You know why most commercials suck? Clients.
4) Unfullfilled goals. A lot of creatives in advertising would rather be screenwriters or movie directors, so there is a lot of angst and bitching. Making a commercial isn't quite as fulfilling as making a movie, and thus most of suffer from the guilt of untapped potential.
Company Size
250-500 employees
Pay Range
$70,001-$80,000
Years in Job
2
Education
4-year college degree
City
New York
State
NY
