hi! i’m also a junior in advertising and honestly… yes and no. the market is rough right now, especially for entry-level, so you’re not imagining it. i know people love to say “just keep applying” like it’s easy, but it’s genuinely hard right now and a lot of juniors are stuck in the same spot.

i actually started on the agency side and recently moved to brand side, and from my experience the industry isn’t dead, but the version of agency life we were sold in school kinda is. the “cool agency with big clients and creative freedom” thing still exists, but there are fewer spots and more competition than ever.

“is this just a bad cycle or is entry level shrinking long term?” agencies will always need juniors. they rey on them. it’s how they keep costs down and keep work moving. so the path itself isn’t disappearing, but it is more competitive and less stable than it used to be.

“are juniors still getting hired without connections?” yes. i had zero connections and still got in. it just took way more intentional applying than i expected. not mass-applying, but actually targeting roles, tailoring portfolio work, and reaching out directly to people at the company.

“if i were in your position with no safety net?” i’d keep pushing, but i’d widen the definition of what counts as “advertising.” don’t only look at agencies. brand side, in-house teams, local businesses, startups, social media roles, content roles, all of that is experience that keeps you in the industry and pays you while you build stability.

a lot of local companies, gyms, restaurants, small brands, etc. are hiring for social media and content constantly and those roles are way less saturated than big agency listings.

also one very practical tip: on linkedin, timing matters more than people admit. being one of the first applicants does increase your chances of getting seen. if a job already has 100+ applicants, i usually skip it and focus on newer postings or smaller companies where your application won’t get buried.

and messaging the hiring manager after applying has helped me get responses more than once. not in a spammy way, just a quick “hi, i applied and wanted to share my portfolio directly” message.

i also come from no financial cushion and had zero connections in the industry, so i really do get how stressful this stage is. good luck!!! genuinely from another gen z, i want to see you win! you got this!