If you’re already working in an advertising/marketing communications company or are wishing to get the big break, here are some suggestions to help you on your way.
1. Pick your agency carefully
Getting on is hard enough; so go to agencies where you know you’ll fit without having to fight. Do a bit of background investigation and look for the companies whose work and culture you admire.
2. Be Direct
You may sometimes feel uncomfortable making direct statements and questions. Talk, and be bold about it. Don’t be afraid to show your passion.
3. Self Promote
You may not feel comfortable talking about your achievements – it’s like bragging. You believe that sheer talent and hard work will always get you to the top. Unfortunately it won’t. You have to consistently tell top management, and the industry, how well you’re doing.
4. Grab every opportunity
You can’t deny the role that competitiveness plays in raising creative standards, both within an agency and beyond. So you have to play the game if you want to succeed. Strive to do the best work, win awards, volunteer for new business pitches, and suggest better ways for the agency to perform. Remember, the quality of your work is your greatest asset.
5. Set Goals
It’s easy when you first start out to just float around a particular department and not really achieve anything – next thing you know, you’ve been there for 5 years and you’re still a junior. A stated goal with a specific deadline will be your measure of whether you’re moving ahead or just treading water.
6. Never Stop Learning
Most of your clients are well educated and have regular training. Make sure you don’t get left behind. For a start you can check out the great courses offered by the AFA eg. Adschool –
7. Pick your battles
God is in the detail but that doesn’t mean you should obsess about doing everything at the expense of the big picture. Don’t sweat the little stuff (delegate where you can) and do fight for the things that are going to make a difference.
8. Network
Get to know everyone and every inch of the industry. Go to industry events. Join the AFA. Volunteer for AFA committees. You may think you don’t have time but it will pay dividends in the future.
9. Learn to present really well
It is essential that you learn this skill. Gone are the days where you could hand work over to the account team, or your boss, to present. Practice, and remember to breathe deeply before and during your presentation. Seek out a good trainer.
10. Find a mentor/coach and be one
There will be times when you just don’t know what to do or you’re on the verge of ripping someone to pieces. Or you may feel stuck and need guidance to move onward and upwards. This is when you need to talk with someone you trust and respect, who has your interests at heart. Maybe more than one. Or consider hiring a coach. Then pass on what you’ve learned.
11. Listen
This is one of the most important skills to learn. Listen for what is said and, importantly, what is not being said. If your clients, or people working under you don’t feel heard, they will move on. Or you will be!
Communicate really really well
Most of us could communicate more effectively than we do, particularly when doing business with the opposite sex. Learn how to minimise misunderstandings by reading Candy Tymson’s “Gender Games” or John Gray’s “Mars and Venus in the Workplace”.
12. Do Speak out
Don’t be afraid to speak out if there is something that really bothers you. Especially if it’s bad workplace ethics, poor management, harassment etc. Martin Luther King Jr. put it brilliantly: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Nothing will ever change if you don’t say something. Talk with your mentor or coach if you want to get a second opinion before you blurt it to the boss.
13. Don't be one dimensional!
Have a life outside work. Make time for hobbies and interests, especially exercise, that connects you to a different world. This will not only re-energise you but will make you more productive at work.
14. Intuition
Logic is not enough to get you through the mountains of information when tackling a complex brief. Learn how to use both sides of your brain to intuitively find solutions to the most difficult challenges. There are lots of books on intuitive thinking or seek out training.
15. Get top management support
Nothing you do will make any difference whatsoever if you don’t have the back up of senior management. And when you do achieve something worth talking about, get the agency to promote it internally and throughout the industry.
16. Find your own style and voice
When you start making your way up the ladder, don’t copy someone else’s leadership style – it may not suit you. Take time to work out your key strengths then find your own style through your personal experiences and personality.
17. Handle criticism
Learn to handle criticism. Remember it’s not you being criticized, it’s your work. So don’t take it personally. Learn from your mistakes and work on your weaknesses.
18. Vive la difference!
Surround yourself with different people. Smart people. Funny people. People that can do the stuff you can’t do. People that are different from you. This sort of thinking will help you build a successful and dynamic team. So don’t be judgemental – everyone has something to offer you, whether it be a little bit of inspiration, a special skill or million $ business deal.
19. Persevere
Don’t give up. That’s the easy way out. Advertising is a tough business – leaving because you can’t cope with the pressure is not the answer.
The above rules are adapted with the author’s permission from “Rohrback’s Rules for Women in Advertising” by Jeneal Rohrback, Creative Director, Singleton O&M New Zealand.