Life after in-house

I was nervous about returning to work in an agency, I needn’t have been…

As a young female working in a PR agency, I was acutely aware that I had an ‘agency expiration date’. When that date rolled round, I knew I would pick my career up and shuffle like a crab sideways and in-house.Some of my other female colleagues set their hearts on the world of freelance consulting, but we all knew, or thought we knew, that working at an agency was only for people of a certain age and/or demographic. That demographic being child-free and under 40. Of course there were some women bucking the trend, but they seemed few and far between, and they certainly weren’t out there persuading us that we should stay put.  

It was a conversation that I had with colleagues more frequently as I progressed in my career. At what seniority level would the time be right? How many years before starting a family should that leap be made? It seemed the timing would be a delicate balance. We didn’t know what the difference would be once we left, only that the move was expected.

So it was, that two years after marrying my husband, and now nearing Senior Account Director level, the time came. I began searching for internal roles and within a few months I found myself as a Head of Marketing, first at a tech start-up and then a multi-national corporate. It was the dream come true. I worked from home and was trusted to manage my day with never a time sheet in sight. My peers followed the same path; only one now remains working within an agency environment, the rest all followed their pre-destined route out.

That should have been that. I had a good job with flexibility, a nice title and one subject focus. However, like a salmon swimming upstream, I dramatically changed direction at the end of 2023 and did a U-turn to travel the route from which I had come. Fun fact, did you know only 10% of salmon survive their upstream journey?

I didn’t make the move lightly. By then I was a mum of two enjoyable and energetic children aged 5 and 2, and I can’t lie; the juggle between parenting and working full time was intense. We didn’t have a nanny nor any family living within a two-hour radius of our home, so we had to make allowances and lean on friends regularly. Why did I want to do it? Why sacrifice ‘the good life’? Well, despite the mayhem in my home life, I was beginning to get bored and wanted a return to pace in my professional one. Many corporates were mandating return to work policies, and I realised that some of the flexibility I had enjoyed since 2017 would soon come to an end.

Before making a hasty decision, I raised the idea of going back with some other in-house PR mums. Their responses suggested I was having a senile moment. No way could they return to an agency where the demands on their time and stress levels would be so high. I wasn’t put off, but I was nervous. Everyone around me was raising concerns. In response I decided I’d have to do my due diligence and find an agency that didn’t fall into the stereotype, and which gave me the best of both worlds – easy, right?!

Surprising to me, it was! I was lucky, I found an agency I felt good about from the off, but it could have been so different. Another contact in a similar situation spoke to several that clearly didn’t have the support system she needed to balance work and life as a mum. Her journey was longer, but she did eventually find the right agency team. They are out there!

If you’re in a similar situation and wanting advice on how to find the right agency fit, here are my tips:

1) Have a look at the makeup of the leadership team.

At Hotwire the global leadership team had strong female representation; 7 of the 11 listed on the company’s website were women. I think this is a vital indicator of whether the business is going to understand the unique needs of women, and of mums.

2) Ask questions to the people that can give you the answers you need.

Over the two interviews I had at the agency, I met nearly all the UK leadership face to face and was able to question them thoroughly.  

3) Be open about your needs….‍

I discussed my family during my interviews. It didn’t put them off and I discovered at least five of the Directors were also parents to young children.‍

4) …and expect them to be open about theirs.

It was acknowledged that there would betimes I’d have to work late or flexibly, but they emphasised that they were a company that would understand my needs as a parent.

5) Request to see their policies on the subjects that matter.

The company had strong female DEIB and Support When it Matters policies in place (covering areas including fertility, miscarriage and menopause). This was a strong indicator of what mattered within the business.

I’ve now been with Hotwire Global for over three months, and it’s been great. So far, the team have been true to their word; no one has reprimanded me for leaving the office on time so that I can say goodnight to my children before they go to sleep. They have trusted that if I have work to do, I will log on again from the train and from home after the bedtime routine is complete.Yes, my daughter is having to do an extra day a week in wraparound care at school, and there’s been an adjustment as I have called on an army of local parents to help deliver her back from school each day, but it’s working. Right now, she’s sitting in the living room having half an hour of TV time before I finish work at 5.30, then I’ll get in the car and take her to swimming for 6.15. The juggle is real, but for the moment, all my balls are in the air.

My message is this. Don’t be afraid to go back into an agency, or to stay in one if you’re reaching that time when you’re ‘expected’ to head in-house. Agencies are like any company or employer; some will be better than others. You just need to ask the right questions, set your boundaries from the get-go, and do your homework to ensure the one you plan to work with is the right fit for you and your family.

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