Corporate folks pretending to be creative. What could go wrong?
Pros
The pay is alright for the first couple of years. You get your base salary and a bonus, so it feels fair enough. But after year three, what actually lands in your pocket starts to shrink while more of your compensation gets tied up in stock. It ends up feeling less like a paycheck and more like a vague promise. The work-life balance is surprisingly solid. The pace is pretty relaxed, especially if you're coming from fast-moving clients. It actually feels manageable and, at times, even enjoyable.
Cons
The corporate culture is everywhere. You cannot have any real creative control over your work. Leadership is deep in Dunning-Kruger territory and will always tell you what to do, no matter how senior you are or how many successful campaigns you have led. If you do not fall in line with their "disagree and commit" mantra, they will quietly push you aside. It is a toxic environment, driven by politics and lacking any clear vision or mission. They say they embrace chaos, but really, they just do not know what they are doing or what they want.
