Before starting this article, I debated whether stating the obvious made sense. But I realized that what’s obvious to me may not be to others. Here’s a spoiler: this is for young people in their early to late twenties who haven’t yet found their path in advertising. But if you’re a leader or manager, whether in this field or not, I’m glad you’re here. Your guidance for the new generation is invaluable. Let’s go.
When I started as a copywriter, I knew one thing: I knew nothing and had a lot to learn to “get there”, without even knowing where “there” was. Today, with more experience, I see that learning never stops. What concerns me about new generations entering advertising is: when did we unlearn the ability to allow ourselves to learn?
In this post-pandemic world, bombarded with fake news, Netflix, and endless streaming services, we’ve created a generation of anxious people. Anxiety knows no age, but addressing immediacy within a team today isn’t just a psychologist or HR problem. We need to get the journey of a successful career back on track. That’s why leaders are increasingly looking for professionals who have the drive to want.
Wanting is the New Challenge
As the market becomes more selective, driven by the evolution of AI resulting in leaner teams, what is the profile of the new advertiser we leaders seek?
Everyone wants to earn more and work less. But the belief that the world owes us something and that capitalism is always exploitative has led current generations to fear working harder to evolve. Fear of stress and burnout kills the drive to want, and even the most talented individuals don’t risk working more during the time in their lives when it’s possible: their youth.
I know it may sound controversial, and I’m not calling anyone a coward. The diagnosis of new syndromes like burnout and the societal shifts toward a better quality of life are crucial—after all, we are all human. But this has discouraged striving, to the point where we have recent graduates who know nothing about technology or how to create and save an Excel spreadsheet (yes, this has happened at our agency). This ties into the tendency for minimal effort in a world where people are born already connected. If you are one of them, it’s not outdated to learn
Excel or the basics of Windows. This is, precisely, where the gap is.
Put it on the Big Screen: “We Want People Who Want”
The work environment in an agency can range from 12°C to 45°C depending on the day. What moderates this temperature are the client’s needs and urgencies, their market moment, the state of their business, and urgent campaign launches. The client shapes our daily routines.
What we need, and I can confidently say the advertising market needs too, are people with the drive to make things happen and understand that advancing comes only through a client-first attitude. To achieve this, you must have an open mind and tell yourself at the start of your career: “I want to learn, listen, practice, and then do to help make things happen.” The routine isn’t easy, but who said it would be? Recognizing that the world owes you nothing and that, lacking experience, you owe much to the world is the first step toward allowing evolution to begin.
At our agency, we seek people who want to understand technology, cars, investments, animals, food—in short, the mix of clients we serve. The creative being who becomes an ideator goes beyond understanding the client’s needs. It’s about exploring and experiencing each market with a genuine desire to learn. Only then can we create authentic, impactful work for our clients.
Do you see how this comes before the promotion? How significant attitude is in the mid-term? It won’t happen in three months, not even in six. Don’t obsess over time; it’s not a decisive factor. I, myself, took five years to move from a managerial role to a partner and director. Every journey is individual, but your attitude will define your role on the team and, most importantly, your relevance to the client. The status you gain will propel your growth. So, remember the mantra: the client comes first.
Attitude + Present
Today, attitude is crucial. It’s what keeps us present daily. Forget about the perfect moment or the ideal world. By doing a little today and showing your manager and team that you have the drive to advance, your leadership will recognize that potential and foster it, offering you opportunities when they arise.
Whether you are a student or a young professional starting your career, know that everything depends on you. Learn to row when necessary and wait for better winds when times are hard. But remember to always keep rowing. It won’t be easy, regardless of what your parents have told you. Forget what you’ve seen on the internet and understand that the reality in the workplace will be drastically different from college life because, at work, it will always depend on who you want to be. And if you’re already an experienced professional, I’m glad you’re reading this, and much of what I’ve said may seem obvious. So, I ask for your help in shaping the next generations by telling those who want to get there to learn to want.
The market will always select the best, and AI will replace those who don’t want. While machines learn automatically, the human brain is indispensable for programming them and becoming more intelligent daily.
Here’s some food for thought: what do you truly want?
