Agency vs. In-House Delivery Roles: What’s the Real Deal?

Here’s the million dollar question on almost every delivery and production candidate’s lips: is the grass really greener on the agency or in-house side?

Well, hold onto your hats because our recent webinar, In-house Production and Delivery: What’s it really like, served up some eye-opening insights straight from industry experts Mark Cox, Traffic Manager at Asahi, Natasha Bauer, Marketing Delivery Manager at Cotton On and Tim Wilkes, Senior Delivery Lead at Bunnings.

Spoiler alert: it turns out there’s more to it than meets the eye. Let’s peel back the layers and uncover what really drives career satisfaction in the delivery and production world.

Exploring the dynamics of in-house

Our panel, all highly experienced in their fields, spilled the tea on the nitty-gritty of agency versus in-house delivery gigs.

These folks have seen what it’s like on both sides of the fence and all emphasised their love for the collaborative ethos and brand immersion that comes with in-house roles. There’s also structured career progression paths and opportunities to get involved in a broader scope of projects.

But hold onto your hat, because it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It turns out that in-house isn’t for the faint-hearted either — you may think things will be slower working on just one brand, but there’s fast-paced campaigns, huge stakeholder management, and a long string of approvals to keep you on your toes and offer different challenges.

The road ahead

Our panellists weren’t shy about sharing the secrets of their success and how they have got to where they are today. The answer for all of them – agency experience! They all agreed that when hiring, agency experience is the first thing they look for – the hustle, the variety, the agility cannot be beaten.

They advised to not forget the importance of investing in yourself, whether it’s through learning new skills or soaking up wisdom from mentors. Embrace the bumps in the road, because each one is a chance to level up and achieve your long term career goals.

As the industry evolves, so must we. Let’s take a step back and stop chasing the ‘perfect in-house gig’ — it is about embracing the journey, learning as you go, and most importantly staying true to your values. Whether your next role is in-house or agency-bound your success should be about finding what will fill your cup, make you excited to go to work and doing what makes you thrive.

In a nutshell, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. It’s about finding your jam, your vibe, your happy place. And remember, not every in-house gig is a dream come true—sometimes the grass is greener where you water it.

Want to watch our webinar in full? Check out the replay here.

Keen to find your next in-house or agency delivery or production role? Reach out to us today! Email Holly at holly@creativenatives.com.au for Sydney based roles and Cam at cam@creativenatives.com.au for Melbourne based roles.