Starcom

Pros: As a Media Planner, I've gotten good exposure to big client accounts. I've learned a ton about the advertising industry. There's solid training for junior roles, especially with digital campaigns. It's a great start if you're new to the media agency world in the Chicago office.
Cons: Career growth often feels slow after your first promotion. There aren't always clear paths for advancement. You often need to jump teams for new experiences. It's a big corporate agency, so you feel like a small part.
Advice to Management: Create clearer career paths and promotion criteria for mid-level employees. Encourage internal movement and new project opportunities without requiring people to change teams constantly. Invest more in leadership development for those looking to advance beyond a specialist role.

Pros: The health insurance is pretty solid here, which is nice. As a Media Planner, I found the basic coverage good for a large corporate media agency. They also offer a decent 401k match after a year, which is a definite plus.
Cons: Salaries are just okay, honestly not top-tier for the Chicago market. I wish there was more PTO, it feels a bit tight compared to competitors in the advertising industry. Pay raises aren't very generous either, making it hard to feel valued.
Advice to Management: Review the salary bands for Media Planner and other specialist roles to be more competitive. Consider increasing PTO, especially for employees who've been here for a while. It would help with retention.

Pros: The hybrid model for the Chicago office is a solid plus. It's nice to have some flexibility, not being fully onsite. You do learn a lot fast in this advertising agency environment.
Cons: Work-life balance here is a real struggle for Media Planner roles. Expect long hours, often working past 6 PM. It can be tough to disconnect and recharge when client demands are high.
Advice to Management: Try to manage client expectations better so junior media roles don't always have to work late. Implement more protected 'no meeting' blocks.

Pros: The team in the Chicago office is great, very supportive. You learn so much about the media buying industry quickly, which is good for career growth. They also offer a hybrid work model, which helps a bit.
Cons: Work-life balance is pretty bad, honestly. As a Media Planner, you're constantly chasing deadlines and client demands mean lots of late nights. It's tough to really disconnect, even with the hybrid setup.
Advice to Management: Try to staff teams better so folks aren't constantly overwhelmed. More support for media roles could really improve employee well-being.

Pros: The hybrid model was a huge plus, especially for us working on client services. Getting to work from home two days a week in the Chicago office definitely helped avoid the commute grind. It's nice not being tied to the office every single day.
Cons: Even with the hybrid model, it often felt like we needed to be available constantly for our clients. There wasn't much flexibility outside of those WFH days. As a Media Planner, last-minute requests could mess up your schedule quick.
Advice to Management: Try to empower teams more to manage their own schedules, especially for those on media buying campaigns. More focus on output, less on 'face time' in the office.