u/Coffee-Addict-1

Hey everyone,

I’m posting this because I’ve hit my absolute breaking point. I’ve been in the agency world for almost 5 years now, and I genuinely want out.

I spent my first 4 years at an independent agency. Unfortunately, after my salary stagnated for two years with zero room to grow, I had to make the tough call to look elsewhere. I ended up getting hired at PHD Media, which is under the Omnicom umbrella.

It’s been 9 months, and let me tell you—I want out ASAP. Honestly, I had more mental peace and a better work-life balance when I worked retail full-time.

Working here has made a few brutal realities painfully clear:
- Mental health is a joke: It simply doesn’t matter to leadership.
- PTO is an illusion: Your time off won't get approved freely; management literally dictates when you're "allowed" to use your own vacation days.
- Sick days don't exist: You're forced to "suck it up" because taking a sick day puts you so catastrophically behind that you’re staring down a 16-hour shift just to catch up when you get back.
- Work-life balance is dead: Signing off at 5 PM is a myth. The norm is working your 9-to-5, logging off for a minute, and jumping back on until late. I regularly get emails from team members at 2 AM.
- Terrible pay & high turnover: Salaries are garbage compared to competitors and don't keep up with inflation. People literally need side hustles just to survive—except you can't even maintain a second job because of the 24/7 expectations here. Burnout and turnover are through the roof.
- Micromanagement & mandatory office theater: The work could easily be done from home, especially on days when your mental health is in the gutter. Instead, they force you to commute just to deal with office distractions. Attendance is policed aggressively—called out in team meetings, grilled in 1-on-1s, and tied directly to raises, promotions, and whether you'll survive the next round of layoffs.

The Bottom Line About The Agency World:
The agency world is profoundly toxic. The only things that matter to the higher-ups are launching campaigns on time and keeping clients happy. They will throw you under the bus or fire you in a heartbeat if a client complains.

The Million-Dollar Question:
The only thing holding me back is where I can actually transfer my knowledge and experience outside the agency world—whether in marketing or pivoting to something non-marketing—especially in this brutal job market where landing anything feels next to impossible.

For anyone who successfully escaped the agency grind: where did you go, and how did you make the jump? Right now, it feels like the only option is to keep applying into the void and hope for the best. Would love to hear your thoughts or advice.

Hello friends,
I’ve been working in the marketing agency world since graduating from university. At my previous employer, I got hired as a digital marketing coordinator in programmatic advertising & later got promoted to an assistant digital marketing manager. At my old agency, I knew the process, my tasks, inside out & excelled at all my assigned tasks. I always got good results during my performance appraisals & during my 1 on 1’s.

I loved my old agency & the team I was on. The client was part of an Industry I really took interest in, so it made working on our marketing campaigns even more enjoyable. I enjoyed signing on my computer every morning & never used any sick days unless I needed to. Best part was my position was permanently full time remote, so I had a great work/life balance.

I worked at this marketing agency for 5 years. Unfortunately, my salary staged stagnant & wasn’t keeping up with inflation. There was no room to grow as our agency lost a big client which resulted in an hiring, promotions & salary freezes. So I made the tough decision to start job searching.

Through a recruiter, I got hired at another marketing agency for a digital marketing manager position in programmatic advertising. The team I’m on is extremely fast paced beyond what I can handle & theres a campaign launch every week. The worse part is this role is client facing, which I do not have any experience in. On top of that, I also have 2 other clients accounts I work on. So all together, I’m working on 3 accounts. Even with the account weekly time allocation of 60% / 30% / 10%, I’m still struggling in my day to day. I often feel that I’m not able to keep up. I’ve been at this position for 7 months, & I’m feeling like either this role isn’t a great for me or maybe I’m not a great fit for the role as the management role is completely different from my previous agency.

This job has started to take a toll on my body as well as my mental health, and having more worked everyday piled on just adds more stress. Worst part is my director, expect me to work past 5pm & this agency has really made working past 5pm normal. I can’t even count the amount of time I get emails after 5pm. I’ve even had emails send to me at 1am.

I don’t know if I may be the problem possibly not being qualified for the position I was hired for or I’m stuck in a extremely fast toxic work environment where my managers & colleagues only care about the client & launching their campaigns on time. I want to give my resignation, but then I wouldn’t qualify to get unemployment insurance. The thought of getting fired doesn’t bother me at all. I also don’t see any long term growth with this marketing agency as all my team does is ensuring the marketing campaigns are launching on time & doing everything they can to keep the client happy.

I’ve come to realize that in order to leave my current agency, I’ll need to find another job. My only worry is where else am I going to find a job outside the agency world with only programmatic experience. I’m at the age or in financial condition to start over with an entry level job again is not an option.

For those who are in the same boat as me, how did you escape toxic agency world & what are some career opportunities I may be qualified with my programmatic background.

Hello friends,
I’ve been working in the marketing agency world since graduating from university. At my previous employer, I got hired as a coordinator & later got promoted to an associate manager. At my old agency, I knew the process, my tasks, inside out & excelled at all my assigned tasks. I always got good results during my performance appraisals & during my 1 on 1’s.

I loved my old agency & the team I was on. The client was part of an Industry I really took interest in, so it made working on our marketing campaigns even more enjoyable. I enjoyed signing on my computer every morning & never used any sick days unless I needed to. Best part was my position was permanently full time remote, so I had a great work/life balance.

I worked at this agency for 5 years. Unfortunately, my salary staged stagnant & wasn’t keeping up with inflation. There was no room to grow as our agency lost a big client which resulted in an hiring, promotions & salary freezes. So I made the tough decision to start job searching.

Through a recruiter, I got hired at another agency for a manager position. The team I’m on is extremely fast paced beyond what I can handle & theres a campaign launch every week. The worse part is this role is client facing, which I do not have any experience in. On top of that, I also have 2 other clients accounts I work on. So all together, I’m working on 3 accounts. Even with the account weekly time allocation of 60%/ 30% / 10%, I’m still struggling in my day to day. I often feel that I’m not able to keep up. I’ve been at this position for 7 months, & I’m feeling like either this role isn’t a great for me or maybe I’m not a great fit for the role as the management role is completely different from my previous agency.

This job has started to take a toll on my body as well as my mental health, and having more worked everyday piled on just adds more stress. Worst part is my director, expect me to work past 5pm & this agency has really made working past 5pm normal. I can’t even count the amount of time I get emails after 5pm. I’ve even had emails send to me at 1am.

I don’t know if I may be the problem possibly not being qualified for the position I was hired for or I’m stuck in a extremely fast toxic work environment where my managers & colleagues only care about the client & launching their campaigns on time. I want to give my resignation, but then I wouldn’t qualify to get unemployment insurance. The thought of getting fired doesn’t bother me at all.

I’ve come to realize that in order to leave my current agency, I’ll need to find another job. My only worry is where else am I going to find a job outside the agency world with only programmatic experience. I’m at the age or in financial condition to start over with an entry level job again.

For those who are in the same boat as me, how did you escape toxic agency world & what are some career opportunities I may be qualified with my programmatic background.

While walking my dog, I noticed tons of flies outside. When I got home my clothes are covered in flies to the back point where I had to put my clothes in rhe wash.

Anybody else in the L7A notice heavy flies presence?

To the person who found my AirPods Pro 2 & reported I to the lost & found at Toronto’s Union Station.

Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it! It’s very rare to find honest people like you in this world who actually made an initiative to report a lost item in hopes it will be returned to its rightful owner.

Also, my apologies for constantly ringing the alarm through “Find My” app. Specially around 3am.

Once again, thank you for reporting my AirPods to the lost & found!

Hello friends,
I stepped outside of my house today & noticed a stinky smell. At first I thought, it was my neighbor as he was doing some gardening & might have put some manure. But when I looked we walking my dog down the block the smell was still there. Even around the Sandalwood & Creditview area the smell was still there.

Anyone else notice the stinky smell?

Hey everyone,
I’m posting here because I’m at my absolute breaking point and need some perspective, advice, or just reassurance that I haven’t completely ruined my career.
For the past 5 years, I worked at a marketing agency specializing strictly in programmatic campaign execution for a major automotive client. I loved my old job—the pace was steady, and I had amazing support from colleagues and management. I handled platform setup, pacing, and raw data. My manager handled all the heavy strategy, client presentations, and storytelling. Unfortunately, the agency lost a massive client, which led to a total freeze on promotions and raises. Having not seen a salary increase in two years, I decided it was time to look elsewhere.

I was contacted on LinkedIn by a recruiter for a Junior Programmatic Manager role at another agency. The interview process felt suspiciously easy—just a basic Excel test on pivot tables and standard marketing calculations. No technical programmatic vetting. I took the job, and it has been a total nightmare.

I quickly realized I was a victim of a massive bait-and-switch:
1. The Role Mismatch: Despite my title, this team barely does programmatic. They heavily prefer direct digital media buying because they think it's cheaper and offers "added value" impressions. I went from being a technical programmatic specialist to managing direct vendor buys.
2. The Overwhelming Scope: I am a "junior," but I’ve been thrown into a grueling mid-level account management role. I am assigned 3 separate accounts reporting to 3 different Directors.
3. No Training or Support: I was promised a senior manager to shadow. Instead, I got a terrible handover from the person who quit, and I’m entirely on my own.
4. Massive Skill Gaps: I am suddenly responsible for full PowerPoint marketing proposals, constant back-and-forth client emails, and presenting post-campaign performance reports. I know how to read data, but I have no experience doing strategic "storytelling" or answering the client's "So What?". I constantly get Teams messages and emails about things I have zero context on.

The Culture is Exceptionally Toxic
The environment here is hyper-fast-paced. My colleagues easily work 12-hour days just to stay afloat. Management sends Slack/Teams messages and emails late after 5 PM and all over the weekend.

Even our perks are a trap. We are supposed to get "Half-day Fridays" from June to August. Instead, the Directors intentionally schedule client meetings for 3:30 PM or set hard deadlines for 5:00 PM on Fridays to force everyone to work through it. Upper management only cares about keeping clients happy; they do not care about employee well-being.

The Personal Toll
My mental health is in the gutter. I have severe anxiety, trouble sleeping, and I wake up with a deep sense of dread every day. I can't even enjoy my weekends anymore.

It has gotten so bad that it's impacting my family. My wife is currently pregnant and has had health complications twice in the last few weeks. I was so terrified of falling behind on my tasks that I told her to hang on until 5:00 PM so I could finish work before taking her to the hospital. I hate myself for prioritizing this toxic job over my wife and unborn child, but the workplace anxiety is paralyzing.

My Current Dilemma
I have one month left on my probation period.

1. I can’t ask for my old job back (it’s already been filled).
2. I can’t quit or ask for mutual separation, because I won’t qualify for unemployment benefits/insurance, and the job market right now is brutal.
3. I am genuinely hoping they terminate me so I can collect unemployment while I figure out my next steps or go back to school.
4. If I survive probation, I am seriously considering trying to get a doctor's note for a 3-month medical stress leave.

Has anyone ever dealt with a bait-and-switch like this? How do you survive an agency that demands 12-hour days when you are completely underwater and undertrained? Any advice on how to navigate the next month of probation without completely losing my sanity would be appreciated.

The Background
For the last 5 years, I worked at a marketing agency specializing in programmatic campaign execution for a major automotive client. I loved my old job—it was steady, supportive, and I was great at the technical/operational side (setup, tracking, pacing, raw data). My manager handled all the heavy lifting for strategy and reporting.

Unfortunately, the agency lost a massive client. While I survived the layoffs, a total freeze was placed on promotions and raises. Having not received a raise in 2 years, I decided to look elsewhere.

The Bait and Switch
A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn for a Junior Programmatic Manager role at a different agency. The interview process was surprisingly easy (just a basic Excel pivot table test). I accepted, expecting a clear pathway to growth where I'd shadow a senior manager and focus on programmatic platforms, PMPs, and PG deals. Instead, I walked into a complete trap:
1. No Programmatic: My team heavily prefers hiring external advertising vendors for direct digital media buying because it’s cheaper. My core skill set isn't even being used.
2. Mid-Level Responsibilities with Zero Training: I was handed 3 separate accounts reporting to 3 different Directors. I am suddenly expected to build PowerPoint pitch decks, handle direct client communications, build complex marketing proposals, and deliver high-level data "storytelling" reports, which I have no experience in.
3. Zero Support: The person I replaced left a terrible handover. I am constantly asked questions by management that I have absolutely no context or training to answer.

The Toxic Culture & My Breaking Point
The environment here is brutally fast-paced. Most of my colleagues work 12-hour days just to stay afloat. Management sends Slack/Teams messages late at night and over weekends. We are supposed to get "Summer Half-Day Fridays," but the Directors intentionally schedule 3:30 PM meetings or 5:00 PM deadlines to force everyone to work through them.

It has gotten so bad that it is actively destroying my life:
1. The Wake-up Call: The stress has severely warped my priorities. Twice recently, my pregnant wife experienced health complications. Instead of dropping everything, I was so terrified of falling behind on my tasks that I told her to "hang on until 5:00 PM" so I could finish work before taking her to the hospital. I feel sick even typing that.
2. Mental Health: I have severe anxiety, insomnia, and I'm experiencing symptoms of deep depression. I dread the weekends because of Monday morning.

My Current Dilemma
I am currently in my second month of a 3-month probation period. Returning to my old job isn't an option as the role has been filled. With the current tough job market, finding a new role immediately is going to be a challenge.

Because I cannot afford to just quit (I need to ensure I qualify for unemployment insurance benefits), I feel completely trapped. I am currently considering two options:

1. Try to survive probation, and then immediately request a 3-month medical stress leave.
2. Do what I can, refuse to work 12-hour days, and let them terminate me so I can at least claim unemployment benefits while I job hunt or pivot careers.

Has anyone else dealt with a toxic agency bait-and-switch like this? How did you survive it, and what is the smartest way to handle exit logistics when your mental health is completely depleted?

Anyone know what’s going on in the area of Brisdale & Fandoor Way. Heavy police presence there including ETF (SWAT).

Hey everyone, I’m using a throwaway account because I’m currently in a really dark place mentally and just need some perspective from people in the industry.

For the past 5 years, I worked at a marketing agency specializing heavily in programmatic campaign execution (automotive client). I was the hands-on-keyboard guy: campaign setup, pacing, platform troubleshooting, campaign optimization, providing raw data & presenting general key takeaways on campaign performance after completion. My manager handled all the heavy strategy, client-facing communication, and storytelling reports. It was a steady pace, I had great support, and I never felt burnt out. Unfortunately, the agency lost a massive client, which triggered a promotion and salary freeze. Having not had a raise in 2 years, I decided to look elsewhere.

A recruiter reached out on LinkedIn for a "Junior Programmatic Manager" role at another marketing agency. The interview process was surprisingly easy—no technical assessments, just a basic Excel test on pivot tables and marketing math. I took the job, thinking it would be a step up where I could shadow a Senior Programmatic Manager and learn the strategic side.

Boy, was I wrong. I think I got completely bait-and-switched.
I’m in my second month now, and reality has hit hard:
1. Zero Programmatic: My team actually prefers buying direct digital media from external vendors because it’s "cheaper" and comes with added value. My core skill set is completely useless here.
2. Insane Workload: I am managing 3 separate accounts, reporting to 3 different Directors, with campaign launches every single month.
3. The Job is Actually Account Management & Client Facing: I’m expected to build complex strategy/proposal PowerPoint decks from scratch, handle all client comms, and present heavy monthly and post-campaign "storytelling" reports to clients. I have zero prior training or onboarding for this.
4. Toxic Culture: My colleagues work 12+ hour days just to survive. Managers routinely send frantic Teams messages after 5 PM and emails over the weekends. We are supposed to get half-day Fridays in the summer, but the Directors intentionally schedule 4PM meetings or 5:00 PM deadlines on Fridays to trap everyone online.

The handovers from the person I replaced were non-existent. When people ping me for context on things I’ve never been trained on, I feel completely lost.

The stress has completely bled into my personal life. I have trouble sleeping, wake up with severe anxiety, and dread Mondays starting on Saturday. I’ve also been taking high dosage of sleeping pills on weekends just to force my body to sleep. I also haven’t been able to eat properly & maintain a proper diet. It got so bad that when my pregnant wife had health complications twice recently, I found myself telling her to "hang on until 5 PM" so I wouldn't fall behind at work. I hate myself for that. No job should ever come before my family.

I have one month left on probation. I can’t quit because I won’t qualify for unemployment insurance, and my old job has already been filled. Honestly? I’m actively hoping they terminate me so I can have some mental peace giving my body time to recover & I can be covered by unemployment benefits while I look for an in-house role at another company, or go back to school. I was considering asking my director(who hired me) to terminate my employment (requesting her to fired me) explaining that:

1. There’s a disconnect between my qualifications & the position that was needed to be filled in the department.
2. The accounts I work are extremely fast paced way beyond what I can handle during my day to day.
   But I don’t know if in they are legally allowed to terminate me based on my request while I’m on probation & if I’ll be covered under unemployment insurance.

I’m also considering a short term disability leave due to my mental health. But not sure what the process is & I would even qualify as this is a workplace & a mental health issue.

Has anyone else been trapped in a marketing agency meat-grinder like this after a possible bait-and-switch? How did you survive without losing your sanity or your family? & what are my options?

Hey everyone, I really need some advice or just to hear from anyone who has survived a similar situation. I’m currently in my second month at a new marketing agency and I am completely drowning, burned out, and full of anxiety. I feel like I’ve been victims of a massive "bait and switch."

My Background vs. The "Bait"
For the past 5 years, I worked at a steady-paced agency doing programmatic campaign execution for an automotive client.

1. What I actually know how to do: Platform setup, pacing, optimization, budget allocation, and pulling raw data.
2. What my old manager did: All strategy, planning, presentations, and client communication.
3. Why I left: The agency lost a huge client. While I survived layoffs, they froze all raises and promotions. I hadn't had a raise in 2 years, so I looked elsewhere.

A recruiter reached out on LinkedIn for a Junior Programmatic Manager role. The interview process felt suspiciously easy—no technical assessments, just a basic Excel pivot table test. I took the job expecting a senior manager to shadow, and a roadmap to grow into a senior programmatic role. Boy, was I wrong.

The Reality: A Massive "Bait & Switch"
I was hired as a Programmatic Manager, but my team heavily prefers direct digital media buying because they think it's cheaper. I am barely touching programmatic. Instead, I’ve been thrown into a mid-to-senior level account management role with zero training and a terrible handover from the person who left.
I am currently running 3 separate accounts with 3 different Directors to report to. My responsibilities now include:

1. End-to-end Strategy & Planning: Creating PowerPoint proposals and choosing tactics (which I’ve never done).
2. Constant Client Communication: Handling all client emails and expectations.
3. Advanced Reporting: Creating and presenting monthly and post-campaign decks. I know data, but I don't know how to do executive "storytelling" or provide the "So What?" factors.

The Toxic Agency Culture
The environment is ridiculously fast-paced and cutthroat.

1. The Hours: Most of my colleagues work 12-hour days. I am constantly bombarded with Teams messages and emails after 5 PM and all over the weekend.
2. Management: Upper management only cares about keeping clients happy. They intentionally drop reminders right before 5 PM to ruin your evening.
3. The "Perks" Scam: We supposedly get "half-day Fridays" in the summer, but the Directors intentionally schedule meetings at 3:30 PM or set 5 PM deadlines on Fridays to force everyone to work.

The Breaking Point (Mental Health & Family)
The workload is piling up so fast that I can’t even take a sick day. It has gotten so bad that it is affecting my family. Twice recently, my pregnant wife had pregnancy complications, and I had to tell her to "hang on until 5 PM" so I wouldn't fall behind at work before taking her to the hospital. I feel sick even typing that.
My mental health is entirely shot. I can’t sleep, I wake up with severe anxiety, I have trouble getting out of bed, and I dread the weekends because Monday is always looming. I feel depressed.

My Current Dilemma

1. I cannot ask for my old job back (it’s been filled).
2. I can’t just quit or ask for mutual separation, because I need to qualify for unemployment benefits (EI) to survive this tough job market.

Honestly, I am at the point where I want them to terminate me so I can just collect unemployment, breathe, and figure out my next steps (or go back to school).

Has anyone else been completely misrepresented into a role that killed their mental health? How did you handle it? How do I survive the next month without losing my mind?

Hey everyone, I really need some advice or just to hear from anyone who has survived a similar situation. I’m currently in my second month at a new marketing agency and I am completely drowning, burned out, and full of anxiety. I feel like I’ve been victims of a massive "bait and switch."

My Background vs. The "Bait"
For the past 5 years, I worked at a steady-paced agency doing programmatic campaign execution for an automotive client.
1. What I actually know how to do: Platform setup, pacing, optimization, budget allocation, and pulling raw data.
2. What my old manager did: All strategy, planning, presentations, and client communication.
3. Why I left: The agency lost a huge client. While I survived layoffs, they froze all raises and promotions. I hadn't had a raise in 2 years, so I looked elsewhere.

A recruiter reached out on LinkedIn for a Junior Programmatic Manager role. The interview process felt suspiciously easy—no technical assessments, just a basic Excel pivot table test. I took the job expecting a senior manager to shadow, and a roadmap to grow into a senior programmatic role. Boy, was I wrong.

The Reality: A Massive "Bait & Switch"
I was hired as a Programmatic Manager, but my team heavily prefers direct digital media buying because they think it's cheaper. I am barely touching programmatic. Instead, I’ve been thrown into a mid-to-senior level account management role with zero training and a terrible handover from the person who left.
I am currently running 3 separate accounts with 3 different Directors to report to. My responsibilities now include:
1. End-to-end Strategy & Planning: Creating PowerPoint proposals and choosing tactics (which I’ve never done).
2. Constant Client Communication: Handling all client emails and expectations.
3. Advanced Reporting: Creating and presenting monthly and post-campaign decks. I know data, but I don't know how to do executive "storytelling" or provide the "So What?" factors.

The Toxic Agency Culture
The environment is ridiculously fast-paced and cutthroat.
1. The Hours: Most of my colleagues work 12-hour days. I am constantly bombarded with Teams messages and emails after 5 PM and all over the weekend.
2. Management: Upper management only cares about keeping clients happy. They intentionally drop reminders right before 5 PM to ruin your evening.
3. The "Perks" Scam: We supposedly get "half-day Fridays" in the summer, but the Directors intentionally schedule meetings at 3:30 PM or set 5 PM deadlines on Fridays to force everyone to work.

The Breaking Point (Mental Health & Family)
The workload is piling up so fast that I can’t even take a sick day. It has gotten so bad that it is affecting my family. Twice recently, my pregnant wife had pregnancy complications, and I had to tell her to "hang on until 5 PM" so I wouldn't fall behind at work before taking her to the hospital. I feel sick even typing that.
My mental health is entirely shot. I can’t sleep, I wake up with severe anxiety, I have trouble getting out of bed, and I dread the weekends because Monday is always looming. I feel depressed.

My Current Dilemma

1. I cannot ask for my old job back (it’s been filled).
2. I can’t just quit or ask for mutual separation, because I need to qualify for unemployment benefits (EI) to survive this tough job market.
3. I have 1 month left of my 3-month probation period.
4. If I pass probation, I am seriously considering trying to get a doctor's note for a 3-month stress leave.

Honestly, I am at the point where I want them to terminate me so I can just collect unemployment, breathe, and figure out my next steps (or go back to school).

Has anyone else been completely misrepresented into a role that killed their mental health? How did you handle it? How do I survive the next month without losing my mind?

The Background
I am a 37-year-old marketer. For 3 years, I worked at an agency specializing strictly in programmatic campaign execution (setup, pacing, launching, budget allocation, and raw data extraction) for a major automotive client. My manager handled all strategy, planning, and client-facing reporting. While I had some minor exposure to the strategic, planning & post campaign reporting side, my core expertise was highly technical and operational.

The "Bait and Switch" (I Think)
A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn for a "Junior Programmatic Manager" role at another Marketing Agency. The interview process felt suspiciously easy—no rigorous technical assessments, just a basic Excel test on pivot tables and standard marketing math. I was offered the job and accepted.

When I arrived, my title was officially Programmatic Marketing Manager, but the reality of the role is completely different:

The Shock: My team heavily prefers hiring external advertising vendors for Direct Digital Media Buying because they find it cheaper and like the "added value" (bonus impressions). My core skill set is programmatic, yet I am barely doing any programmatic work.

The Scope: I was under the impression I’d be shadowing a Senior Programmatic Manager. Instead, I was thrown directly into the fire. I am managing 3 food clients and reporting to 3 separate Directors.

The Overwhelming Reality
I am now in my second month (still on probation), and I am completely underwater. My daily responsibilities now include tasks I have zero prior experience doing independently:
1. End-to-End Strategy & Planning: Creating PowerPoint proposals from scratch to pitch marketing tactics to clients.
2. Heavy Client Communication: Managing daily back-and-forth emails.
3. Advanced Reporting: Creating monthly pacing and post-campaign performance decks. I know how to read data, but I don't have the experience to "tell a story" or provide the deep, strategic "So What?" that clients expect.
4. Constant Confusion: My team and directors constantly message me on Teams asking for context or information I simply don't have. The handover from the person I replaced was practically non-existent.

Toxic Agency Culture
The workload is unmanageable. There is a campaign launch every single month across all 3 accounts.
Management only cares about client satisfaction; employee well-being is zero priority.

To stay afloat, everyone works past 5 PM. One of my colleagues is working 16 hours a day.

I am flooded with emails and Teams messages late at night and all through the weekend.

The Toll on My Mental Health
I can no longer enjoy my weekends because of a paralyzing dread about Monday. I have trouble sleeping, I wake up with severe anxiety, and I feel like I'm slipping into depression. At work, I feel completely lost and honestly expect to get terminated soon because of the disconnect between my qualifications and their expectations. There is also zero room for me to grow into the Senior Programmatic role I actually want.

My Dilemma

1. I can’t go back to my old job (the role has been filled).
2. I can’t quit or ask for mutual separation because I won't qualify for unemployment benefits.
3. With the current tough job market, I know finding a new role will take time.

Has anyone else faced a similar bait-and-switch or been thrown into a mid-level client-facing role with only execution experience? How did you survive day-to-day without losing your mind, and how did you navigate your exit?