Official – working in media or advertising is more stressful than being a GP
Ad agency execs, reporters and news photographers have some of the world’s most stressful jobs, according to a survey by a recruitment site.
Careercast, which ranked 200 jobs, says that after surgeons and airline pilots, photographers are the most stressed, followed by advertising account executives. Newspaper reporters are in the seventh most stressful occupation, says the survey.
The factors taken into account include deadlines, dealing with the public, “win or lose” situations, the need for stamina and initiative plus the level of competition.
According to Al Crawford of Clemenger BBDO, the competitive environment is the main reason. Writing on the B&T blog he said:
“The self-generated reason lies in the Lord of the Flies environment that advertising tends to breed. Lots of Type A personalities with big egos and low self-esteem makes for an industry atmosphere often more akin to American politics than a trade union.”
The most stressful jobs:
- Surgeon
- Airline pilot
- Photojournalist
- Ad exec
- Real estate agent
- Physician
- Reporter
- Physician’s assistant
April 30th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
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Comments
1 May 09
1:13 pm
Self reported probably, which just says that those working in the ad industry have an over-inflated sense of self importance
If you think that campaign going out is anything like as stressful as diagnosing kids with cancer, or dealing with peak period queues at the surgery, or worrying about that mis-diagnosis lawsuit, then perhaps, just perhaps, you dont have enough perspective
I have always worked in very hard-working environments in the marketing business, with great people, but when it all gets too much it is important to realise that we are not saving lives!
1 May 09
1:39 pm
It’s marketing – nobody dies!
1 May 09
2:02 pm
If it’s stressful working in adland it’s probably going to be more stressful not working in the business.
If and when the massive downsizing from OS hits here there will be lots of tears.
That said Doe, do you work client side by chance or in account service?
Ever had a client come in on Dec 23 and say they want to see a whole new brand and retail campaign by Jan 2 or you lose the business and you have a trip overseas with your family planned and paid for?
Ever had a bi-polar boss?
Ever had a bi-polar, drug addict boss?
Ever had a bi-polar, drug addict, pathological liar boss with his third marriage breaking up?
Ever had to fire 17 people? Fathers of four. Single mothers…
Ever had to miss a wedding, birthdays, four weekends in a row trying to meet deadlines because a regional accountant laid off half your staff?
I could go on.
1 May 09
2:06 pm
Hmm, looking around the office right now, I can see plenty of advertising execs who aren’t looking too stressed… If I hide their cocaine and they’ll be pretty antsy by 5pm though.
1 May 09
2:06 pm
*cocaine and beer
1 May 09
2:07 pm
Hi Dale
have worked both sides, last 10 years agency, and have had to do lots of these things (less the layoffs).
Have had psycho bosses, shizo bosses, barely-competent-to-do-up-their-flies-bosses, and any number of others. Great clients, awful clients, clients that have been sacked by my business for not being reasonable too.
But at its worst, I would rather not be involved in the medical profession as an alternative career on the basis it is less stressful!
cheers
1 May 09
2:32 pm
Personally I think that checking that each flake in the breakfast cereal is the perfect shape, size and colour is EXTREMELY stressful. It’s not as though it is shot in real-time…they use slow-motion you know… and that would highlight any sub-standard flakes. Talk about being in the public eye!
Do we all feel better about ourselves now? OK, back to work.
1 May 09
2:42 pm
“If you don’t crack this brief, 20 people will have to be fired.”
Singletons style motivation.
Not in the least bit stressful!
1 May 09
2:55 pm
The actual work isn’t necessarily stressful although if you find it all a bit easy I would venture you are probably not very ambitious or successful.
And I agree we don’t do anything important.
I am, however, constantly amazed how hard people in Australia seem to make the business with politics, infighting, holding company crap, constant people changes and unclear direction.
All overlaid with reduced budgets, increased workloads and looming unemployment.
Happy Friday!
2 May 09
8:49 am
Hi
I’ll not get into trading success stories, but I think the point is that adland works like any other B2B relationship and…..nobody dies when we get it wrong, I’d also suggest you dont work for organisations that treat you like crap – lots of good ones out there
D
2 May 09
5:34 pm
Interesting to see that being a stock trader or paramedic didn’t reate in the top 8.
Can’t back this up, but i’m pretty sure that paramedics have one of the higherst % rates of stress induced depression and suicide……
Just shows how the people in the media industry see themselves “woe is me”
JD
4 May 09
3:12 pm
Thing is kids, none of us know ( i too work in Advertising, agency side now, sales then) how stressful life as a GP, Paramedic, Stock Trader etc is because we aren’t them. No, we don’t save lives but is that the only measurment we have to ascertain whether or not a job is stressful??
We spend other people’s money, we are held accountable if and when the client isn’t satisfied with the ROI, we are held accountable if the tvc runs in incorrect program, if the insertion in the paper wasnt in the preferreds, if the live read sucked…we are held accountable for everything, by the client and by our empolyers.
No one blames a doctor, paramedic etc if someone is diagnosed with a terminal disease or the patient dies at the scene of an accident, the parents don’t scream ‘you incompetent asshole, WTF went wrong, how could you let this happen, fix it or you’re fired’ because ultimately everyone knows the GP is there to help.
Most clients on the other hand, don’t.
Work is work – sometimes its good sometimes its bad but most of the time its the same in all industries.
This is a study, like many others, that can be read to suit the reader. Don’t take it as gospel or to heart.
4 May 09
4:00 pm
Ever been working in advertising while living with a coke addicted anethisist boyfriend who wasn’t stressed at all about his patients? Probably because he was too busy caring if his next email to sexynipples9 was going to get a reply!
Doens’t really matter what job you do everyone processes stress differently and can handle it with varying degrees of sucess.
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