Office jerks: why culture can be more rewarding than a higher pay-cheque
When looking to new career opportunities some marketers and creatives head for the highest pay-cheque, but Michael Willcocks reckons resetting your sights on cultural fit rather than immediate pay-offs will keep you happier for longer.
Time and time again I see young hopefuls emerge from university looking for an agency job, and they’re so desperate to get their initial paycheque that they dive at the first offer of employment.
They are promised quick ascension and pay rises, and usually that is enough to lure them in. But these hopefuls never seem to ask the most important question: Will I fit in? What is the culture like?
The questions they ask in an interview may be heavily influenced by their education career advisor or by what they have read from a ‘professional’ online, but most up-and-comers don’t seriously consider the culture question when looking for jobs early in their career. This is a mistake.
The foundation of a career is built by the agency you first work for. Culture should be one of the most important factors, whether you’re a newcomer or a weathered veteran.
Well intentioned, good advice, but the reality is it’s almost impossible to expose the jerk-hood in an office through research and interview processes. The biggest jerks are very skilled at covering it up for clients, for their bosses and for innocent newbies. Having once worked for an old fool who saw himself as an industry ‘legend’ but who in fact was a revolting, lecherous creep towards young women, and also a thief who stole from the company – you could never have uncovered it up front. He had all the superficial charm in the world. Having also worked for an super-confident young man who turned out to have the intelligence of a marsupial, was the same deal. Take a risk, but have an exit strategy.