BroxtenDigital
You know it's time to leave a job when you look around at the people you work with and everyone is miserable, not just you on a bad week. Justin Norman's career path shaped that read. He taught himself design as a teenager, worked his way to SVP at Doner, and then took on Director of Creative Strategy at Spotify.
Justin Norman built his career through creative leadership roles, from his time as SVP at Doner to Director of Global Creative Strategy at Spotify. I had him on because he landed in advertising without a marketing degree or traditional internship path, building flyers and magazine spreads years ahead of his first agency role.
How Do You Know When To Leave a Job?
In Justin's view, you don't have to have one massive reason to start looking around. The environment is the signal, sometimes.
"At the point where you look around and everybody is miserable, go do something else," he told me. He noticed it himself early in his New York career, at a job full of talented people who complained over lunch every single day.
That said, one rough week isn't a reason to walk away. You have to pay attention to whether the misery is temporary or if the place is just built that way.
Working on your next move? Leaders from Publicis Media, Spotify, Paramount and more share how they got there. Subscribe on YouTube.
How Do You Leave a Job Gracefully?
Justin has figured out how to keep the actual conversation simple, unlike most people. Your manager doesn't require a long explanation or emotional goodbye on your way out.
"I enjoyed my time working with you. I really appreciate what you've done for me at this company. I'm looking for a higher position elsewhere," he said, as an example of the whole conversation. Short, honest, and done.
Most states have at-will employment laws, which means companies won't be as loyal to you as they want you to be to them. You keep the door open with a simple, kind exit rather than a whole explanation of your departure.
What Does a Creative Strategist Do?
Justin's version of the role focuses on strategy over hands-on creation. You need to see how a piece of creative connects to a client's actual business goals, and then be able to defend that in the room.
At that senior level, presenting to CMOs and boards involved budgets ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions across multiple countries, each with its own KPIs, not just one approval.
He got there by leaning into what he calls being a student of the business side. Early design work gave him production knowledge, but not the agency economics understanding he needed.
How Do You Advocate for Yourself With Your Manager?
If you want to ask your manager for something, Justin says understand them first. "I needed to know what was important to my boss and then I needed to know what was important to their boss," he said.
A lot of managers won't move people up no matter how well they execute, because stability in your role makes them look good. If that's what you're seeing after putting in real work, he says start looking elsewhere instead of banging your head against a ceiling that won't budge.
You love it, you're paid right, so don't get hung up on the job title. Do the work well, and your body of work will do the talking when you move to the next role, with or without a promotion from where you are now.
Watch the full conversation
Watch the full episode with Justin Norman on YouTube for the full story behind his first big break, a rush job of magazine spreads that changed his career.
Watch next: 20 Years Across MTV, FXX and NewsNation: What Still Works
Working on your next move? Subscribe on YouTube for more conversations like this one.