u/Coffee-Addict-1

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?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some career advice or honestly just some validation from people who know the industry.

I spent the last 5 years at a marketing agency doing pure programmatic campaign execution for a massive automotive client. My day-to-day was heavy technical setup, managing YouTube ads on DV360, and setting up programmatic guaranteed & PMP deals. Strategy, planning, and client-facing reporting were all handled by completely separate person who was more client facing. I loved the operational side and felt like I really knew my stuff.

A month ago, a recruiter headhunted me on LinkedIn for a "Marketing Manager" role at another agency. The interview process was insanely easy—just an Excel test on pivot tables and basic marketing calculations, no deep technical vetting. The salary jump was great (from $55k to $70k CAD), so I took it.

Now I'm 4 weeks in and realized I’ve been completely baited and switched.

Turns out, this agency doesn't even do programmatic. Management prefers buying through external advertising partners because they think it's cheaper and they like the "added value/bonus impressions." So my actual core skillset (DV360) is completely useless here.
Instead, I am being forced to handle 3 massive food clients under 4 different directors, and my entire day consists of:

1. Building high-level strategic PowerPoint proposals (which I have zero experience in)
2. Endless client emails and account management
3. Building complex monthly pacing and post-campaign performance decks and presenting them directly to the client.

Because I have no background in strategy or deep data storytelling, I am drowning. I’m experiencing massive anxiety, feeling like an idiot every day, and a close colleague just warned me that she frequently works until 2:00 AM just to keep up because upper management only cares about client satisfaction, not employee burnout.

My old job filled my position, so I can't go back. I feel totally unqualified for this specific role, but I know I'm a damn good programmatic trader.

Has anyone else transitioned from technical/execution to general account management and hated it? I’m seriously considering quiet quitting to survive probation while aggressively applying for pure programmatic/AdOps specialist roles again, even if it means taking a slight pay cut back to the $60k range for my own sanity.

Would love to hear your thoughts or stories if you've been through something similar.

Hey everyone,
I’m a 37yo in Canada and I’m currently in a massive career crisis. I feel like an absolute idiot every single day, my anxiety is through the roof, and I’m terrified I’m about to be fired. I think I fell into a classic "easy hiring process" trap, and I need some brutal honesty and advice on what to do next.

My Background vs. The New Job
For the past 5 years, I worked at an agency as an Assistant Marketing Manager ($55k CAD) specializing strictly in campaign execution for a major automotive client. My job was technical and operational—setting up campaigns and ensuring they launched on time. I specialize heavily in programmatic advertising (DV360, YouTube ads, programmatic guaranteed deals). Crucially: I have ZERO experience in marketing strategy, planning, or deep data reporting. At my old job, we had an entirely separate department that handled all client proposals and strategic planning.
Four weeks ago, I started a new job as a Marketing Manager ($70k CAD) after a recruiter reached out on LinkedIn. The interview process felt suspiciously easy—no real behavioral or strategic assessments, just a basic Excel test on pivot tables and standard marketing math.

The Reality of the New Role
I am drowning. I’ve been handed 3 major food clients and have to report to 3 separate Directors plus a main Client Managing Director. Here is what I am now solely responsible for:
1. Full Strategy & Planning: Creating PowerPoint marketing proposals from scratch to pitch tactics to clients (something I have never done).
2. Constant Client Communication: Endless back-and-forth emails.
3. Campaign Execution: The only part I actually know how to do.
4. Heavy Reporting: Creating and presenting monthly pacing and post-campaign performance PPT reports to clients. I can explain data in general terms, but I don't have the in-depth knowledge to handle tough client questions. I am constantly asked about context I simply don't have.

The Irony & The Red Flags
Here is the kicker: My biggest strength is programmatic advertising. But after talking to my new managers, I found out they refuse to do programmatic. They prefer hiring external advertising vendors because they think it's cheaper and offers "added value" like bonus impressions. So, the core skill they hired me for isn't even being used. Why am I even here?
On top of that, the onboarding was a disaster. I got a terrible handover from the person who left, there is zero support from management/colleagues, and the workload is unmanageable. I’m already working past 5 PM just to stay afloat.

The Toxic Workplace Confirmation
Last week, a colleague who was hired 6 months ago completely opened up to me. She confirmed my worst fears:

1. Upper management only cares about keeping clients happy; employee well-being is non-existent.
2. The workload is intentionally designed so you have to work overtime to meet deadlines.
   3. She has been working until 2 AM several nights a week since she started, just to survive. I've overheard other coworkers complaining about the same thing.
3. She is actively trying to escape.

Where I’m At Right Now
There is a massive disconnect between my qualifications and this job description. I feel like a fraud, but I also feel set up to fail. I actually emailed my old manager to see if I could get my $55k job back, but it has already been filled.
I’m in my 4th week of probation and considering my options. I live in Canada, so Employment Insurance (EI) is a factor:

Option 1: Resign immediately.
Pros: Mental health saved.
Cons: I won't qualify for EI and will have no income.

Option 2: Have an honest talk with my hiring manager. Tell them my background doesn't match the strategic needs of the role. Because it's a fast-paced agency, they likely won't train me and will terminate me.
Pros: If they terminate me, I will likely qualify for EI.
Cons: High stress, and a risk they might try a "mutual separation" which could screw up my EI.

Option 3: Quietly look for a lower-level role. Start aggressively applying for jobs similar to my old one (even at a lower salary) where my execution skills actually fit. Once I'm settled, I can slowly learn strategy the right way.

Option 4: Keep my head down and try to pass probation. Just try to survive, don't make waves, and job hunt once I'm past the 3-month mark.

Has anyone else been in a situation where they accidentally stepped into a role they weren't qualified for in a toxic environment? How do I handle this without destroying my finances or my mental health?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have been working in digital marketing specializing in programmatic advertising for the past 5 years for an automotive client at a marketing agency. I worked as a marketing coordinator for 2 years, then was promoted to Assistant Marketing Manager 3 years ago. I loved my job, & the best part about my job was it was permanently work from home! But I felt that I need to find something better as I wasn’t given a raise or a promotion after 2 years at my role as an assistant manager, the third year I kept fighting for a promotion even going above & beyond showing that I’m ready. But still no luck. I ended up giving up & decided to look for another job.

I recently got a new job at another marketing agency as a full on Marketing Manger. I have to go in the office 3 days a week & take a 1 hour train ride to go & come back from the office. At my new job, I’m responsible for all the planning, execution & the post campaign reporting. I am dealing with 3 food clients, with having one of the client composing of independently owned franchises. While the other 2 are big fast food brands. Each client consists of their own planners who will decide on a budget, tactics, & the audiences. I thought that will make my job easier as it saves me trouble from doing all the campaign planning.

Meeting with the planners they all had one thing to say. “The clients goal is to increase foot traffic in their stores. With my programmatic advertising background I was like that’s easy we can just implement location targeting so it’s only people close to store locations who get targeted. Majority of the campaigns are awareness based using primarily standard display & location based ads. which is fine.

What is strange, when I asked them if they have done anything in programmatic advertising, the planners specifically told me “they like to buy direct from publishers, it’s much easier”. Also, none of the team members have any access to programmatic platforms. At this stage, I felt that why did I get hired in the first place if the planners do not want to use Digital Programmatic Advertising.

During one of the campaign proposal meetings I made the proposal of using YouTube Shorts for vertical ads & to use Bumper 6s & 15s skippable on YouTube from couple of the mock ads which were created. To which the director & the planner are looking at me giving me that WTF! Impression. There was an awkward silence for about 10 seconds. The next question was, will this increase the foot traffic in stores. I told them with digital we can only calculate the behaviour of a persons online activity when they are seeing the ad. Unless they click on the ad & use the features from the clients website to commit to a in-person interaction, it will be difficult to calculate the in store foot traffic. One of my other coworkers, oh “We can contact this publisher & see if we can setup a programmatic advertising deal with them.” To which the Director & Planner replied yeah let’s do that. I got shot down.

I met up with other programmatic managers in our company & they all seem to tell me just do a programmatic deal or contact the publishers & see if they can run programmatic advertising on your behalf, it will save you soo much work.

Not sure if anyone has dealt with the same I’m feeling. I’m starting to feel like I may have made a mistake leaving my old job & getting an outside firm to do what I was trained to do for the past 5 years will devalue my skills & experience in the long run.

Am I overreacting into thinking that my team is clueless about running programmatic advertising in house? Truthfully, speaking a part of me wants to go back to my old job as I’m not seeing the potential of long term growth towards becoming a Senior Marketing Manager with in next 3 years.

So far here are my considerations:
- Ask my manager at my previous job to take me back & settle for a 15k lower salary. But I highly doubt she’ll take me back. But atleast I’ll get permanent work from home if she takes me back.
- Start looking for a new job in hopes I’ll find something where my skills are actually applied & there’s potential for growth towards becoming a senior marketing manager.
- Suck it up for 1 year, if things don’t get better then start looking

What are your thoughts, any one faced issues like this?

I have been working in digital programmatic advertising for the past 5 years on the campaign execution side for an automotive client. I worked as a marketing coordinator for 2 years, then was promoted to Assistant Marketing Manager 3 years ago. I was mainly involved in awareness campaigns & occasionally lower funnel campaigns using CRM lists. I also have somewhat experience on the planning side of things as to use what tactics to use, targeting audiences & so on. I loved my job, & the best part about my job was it was permanently work from home! But I felt that I need to find something better as I wasn’t given a raise or a promotion after 2 years at my role as an assistant manager, the third year I kept fighting for a promotion even going above & beyond showing that I’m ready. But still no luck. I ended up giving up & decided to look for another job.

I recently got a new job as a full on Marketing Manger role. I have to go in the office 3 days a week & take a 1 hour train ride to go & come back from the office. At my new job, I’m responsible for all the planning, execution & the post campaign reporting. I am dealing with 3 food clients, with having one of the client composing of independently owned franchises. While the other 2 are big fast food brands. Each client consists of their own planners who will decide on a budget, tactics, & the audiences. I thought that will make my job easier as it saves me trouble from doing all the planning.

Meeting with the planners they all had one thing to say. “The clients goal is to increase foot traffic in their stores. I was like that’s easy we can just implement location targeting so it’s only people close to store locations who get targeted. Majority of the campaigns are awareness based using primarily standard display & location based ads. which is fine.

What is strange, when I asked them if they have done anything in programmatic advertising, the planners specifically told me “they like to buy direct from publishers, it’s much easier”. Also, none of the team members have any access to programmatic platforms. At this stage, I felt that why did I get hired in the first place if the planners do not want to use Digital Programmatic Advertising.

During one of the campaign proposal meetings I made the proposal of using YouTube Shorts for vertical ads & to use Bumper 6s & 15s skippable on YouTube from couple of the mock ads which were created. To which the director & the planner are looking at me giving me that WTF! Impression. There was an awkward silence for about 10 seconds. The next question was, will this increase the foot traffic in stores. I told them with digital we an only calculate the digital metrics such as CTR, VCR, & VTR etc. Unless they have floodlights setup it’s will be difficult to calculate the in store foot traffic. One of my other coworkers, oh “We can contact this publisher & see if we can setup a programmatic deal with them.” To which the Director & Planner replied yeah let’s do that. I got shot down.

I met up with other programmatic managers in our company & they all seem to tell me just do a programmatic deal or contact the publishers & see if they can run programmatic advertising on your behalf, it will save you soo much work.

Not sure if anyone has dealt with the same I’m feeling. I’m starting to feel like I may have made a mistake leaving my old job & getting an outside firm to do what I was trained to do for the past 5 years will devalue my skills & experience in the long run.

Am I overreacting into thinking that my team is clueless about running programmatic advertising in house? Truthfully, speaking a part of me wants to go back to my old job as I’m not seeing the potential of long term growth towards becoming a Senior Marketing Manager with in next 3 years.

So far here are my considerations:
- Ask my manager at my previous job to take me back & settle for a 15k lower salary. But I highly doubt she’ll take me back. But atleast I’ll get permanent work from home if she takes me back.
- Start looking for a new job in hopes I’ll find something where my skills are actually applied & there’s potential for growth towards becoming a senior marketing manager.
- Suck it up for 1 year, if things don’t get better then start looking

What are your thoughts, any one faced issues like this?