Six Things I’ve Learned Five Years Into My First Agency Job

Back in 2020, Emily Murphy began as a designer at Origo. After a month here, we interviewed her to see what insights she had gleaned in her first agency experience. Five years have now passed, and Emily is an art director with a new last name. So this month, we sat down with Emily to celebrate her Origo anniversary and inspire others with her experience.

I started here as a new graduate from Columbus College of Art & Design. At first, it seemed like agency designers had their own set of rules that school hadn’t fully taught me. But I quickly learned ways to improve my craft and support my team the way they were supporting me. With five years under my belt now, all of those learning lessons have evolved into mentoring moments. My experience at Origo has made me a better designer, and one of the most fun parts of that experience is being able to share the love with others. Here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way.

1. Start big, end small. If you’re fresh out of school, agency work is going to feel very different from college work. Professors give you assignments, but clients are interested in how you’re going to solve a problem. I had to adjust my creative process for that approach. I try a lot of different things at first, then use my time to refine and edit toward the best solution, instead of getting hung up on small details at the beginning of a project.
2. Turn weaknesses into strengths. Nobody’s perfect, no matter what Selena Gomez says. I quickly got familiar with my weaknesses as a professional designer, and chiseled away until they became my strengths. For instance, I used to struggle with logos and web design. But I worked hard and those things have become the parts of my job I enjoy the most.
3. All opinions matter, especially yours. It takes a lot of time, experience, and self-love to embrace your voice and see the value in your opinions, especially as a woman in the workplace. Luckily, Origo provided a supportive space for me to grow my confidence and level of comfort. Looking back, I wish I gave myself more credit early on. Your opinions matter!
4. Ask questions and collaborate. Consistently. Questions are where creativity starts. Once I finally let go of the narrative that made asking questions feel so burdensome, I saw how beneficial asking questions can be for everyone. Even after five years, I am always curious about the people I work with, our clients, and the whole process.
5. Stay organized. Agency life is calm one moment and then full-speed the next. Sticking to the same routine whether it’s busy or slow keeps me organized, so I can be a consistent contributor to all of the creative things we’re making. It only takes one misplaced file to teach organization the hard way. 
6. Plan, plan, plan. How do I stay organized? I plan. I start each morning by mapping out my day and checking in over the week. Planning keeps me prepared for surprises. And more importantly, it helps me make time and brain space for creativity. 

I can’t believe it’s already been five years. The time has flown by. I’m so proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish as a part of the Origo team, and I’m excited to see where I’ll be in another five years!