What it is really like being an ad agency’s personality hire

The “personality hire” meme is a recent favorite of mine across the socials. She’s depicted as a tornado of charisma, flitting from colleague to colleague like they’re her baby birds, no matter anyone’s company rank. If this sounds familiar, consult your doctor to see if advertising is the right business for you. Because, in my humble opinion, this unofficial role has both career and agency benefits. Personality hires build culture, and culture drives business. I’ve learned a lot in my time as the over-exerted, people-pleasing, probably annoying but still kinda fun social butterfly. These are my secrets.

Knowing names is a superpower (and it’s not that hard.)

Sorry to call you out, but being bad with names is not real. The truth is, being good with names takes work. Repeat it, write it down, and say it as much as possible.

“Hi, Fabian. Ohhh, Fah-bee-ahn. Nice to meet you, Fabian.” ”I just met Fabian over in strategy.” ”You know, Fabian was telling me all about covalent bonds.”

Eventually, Fabian’s name and face will be ingrained in your memory. You won’t second guess it, and the next time someone asks who that person is…you’ll know.

It’s Fabian.

It never hurts to ask

Sure, there’s a time and place for everything. Yes, there’s such a thing as asking for too much. But sometimes, there’s magic in just asking. Most people are too scared, but you could be the one to get what everyone wants because you were the only one bold enough.

Not everyone is going to like you

Contrary to popular belief, the personality hire isn’t beloved by all. And whether you’re in that culture-building role or not, some colleagues just won’t like you. This goes for all areas of life, but it can be especially jarring in an industry where everyone seems so close and familial. People might even pretend to like you, and you’ll never know the truth. Let them.

Being “fun” isn’t enough

VPs and CDs and all the other leadership acronyms aren’t going to invite you into a room just because you’re a great hang. Being well-liked and being good at your job is the secret combination. Or at least being consistently good at something. Know your strengths and lean into them so you become known as the capable, hardworking, talented person – who also just so happens to be a fun person.

Clients are just people. So is the C-suite

If you’re lucky enough to work with the funniest people you’ve ever met – like I am– you probably already know this one. It’s easy to step into the working world and feel like you don’t belong in the room. Certain people are “higher up” than you and maybe that equates to “off limits” in your mind. That is a lie. Everyone is fair game for you to speak to, ask questions, have lunch with, even befriend. It’s OK to be human in front of people who make more money than you.

We often say the best part of our industry is the people. But in this remote/hybrid world, connection can be hard to come by. As a self-diagnosed personality hire, I’d argue the world needs more of us. The workday needs more personality, more fun, and more reasons to think, we’re so lucky we get to do this together. So let’s extend the deadlines, shut down the bar and convince finance to let us throw a summer camp-themed karaoke night in the office lobby. What’s the worst that can happen?

“No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative. It gets the people going.” - Socrates, probably

Tori’s LinkedIn is here. She got her start on an up-and-coming street called Broadway, building campaigns for plays about death and musicals about … well, usually death. She’s since worked in branded content studios at New York Magazine and Vox Media for the likes of Spotify, Ben & Jerry's, and various beauty brands before jumping into the agency world.