My experience working as a design contractor for small and large advertising agencies

The experiences of working as a design contractor for a boutique (small) advertising company and a large ad agency differ greatly. Surprisingly, they are both so different that it is tough to pick which one I prefer. Here are some of my thoughts on each, and you can decide what might work best for your style and schedule.

Boutique Advertising Companies
I’ll be honest, one of my favorite parts about working for boutique advertising companies is the dress code is a lot more laid back. As a freelancer who works from home in sweatpants the majority of the time, I especially appreciate this aspect of a small company.

As far as the work goes, you might think that small companies do not have big clients. You might think they have a few local ones and that’s it. Wrong. All of the boutique I have designed for have had me design print and digital ads for huge companies. Everything from toothpaste and breath mints to kitty litter and frozen foods.

While they may have small local companies they design for, the big companies are what they rely on to grow their business. If you work at a boutique advertising company chances are you will work on some pretty big projects that will sharpen up your resume.

I was a contractor for all of December and through the holidays. For one week, I was the only designer available. This not only made me look good because I was available when everyone else wasn’t, but it gave me opportunities that I would not have had at a bigger agency.

Large Advertising Agencies
Mainly I enjoy working here because the perks are so good. Free lunches, tickets to sports and concerts, and free products are just a few of things you get when working for a large advertising agency.I once attended a meeting where the (admittedly eccentric) CEO treated everyone in the meeting to a dinner because he was 5 minutes late.

Of course if you work at a large agency you have to dress the part of a professional because a client or potential client could walk in for lunch at any time. While the pay is the same, the work load is less than at a boutique company.

Instead of just one or two designers there could be up to six. For me, this was tough because as a contractor, my opinion never mattered. In the meetings I would keep quiet, and wait for direction. Working in an agency means you are often the last to know the changes. The client talks to the Account Manager, the Account Manager talks to the Creative Designer and so on. To be successful working in a large agency you have to check your ego at the door and be willing to be there to get the work done. Oh, and the coffee is free too, so even if you don’t have a say in the project you can still enjoy yourself!

The good news is that large advertising agencies hire about as often as small boutique companies so you have an equal chance of working in both office environments. Keep in mind that the experiences above are from working as a contractor for advertising agencies. Your experiences and goals may differ when working with an employment contract or for different types of companies. If you’re freelancing, take on projects big or small, with all types of companies because this business is all about experience and constant networking.