The president of the agency I work for, Steve McKee, is a big proponent of reading. Recently interviewed for AdvertisingCrossing's featured Advertising Star, his first piece of advice for people interested in advertising is to "…read. Everything you can. Read fiction, read nonfiction, read newspapers, and read magazines. Reading makes you smart" (www.advertisingcrossing.com/article/index.php?id=170119). I would take that a step further and say: consume. Everything you can. Subscribe to eNewsletters, watch movies, read blogs, listen to the radio, read magazines, watch television, buy music — just consume all the information you can. Not only can these things make you smart, but they make you more relatable.
One of the first things I realized in my career was that when you can relate to someone on a basic human level everything else comes naturally. I came to realize this while selling jeans for Gap. I was the star employee — the top seller — and I had no idea what I was doing differently than anyone else. Why were people buying jeans from me and not my co-workers? Then I began to notice that I was relating to customers beyond the jean-seller/jean-buyer roles that my co-workers maintained. I befriended customers in a genuine way first, and then helped them find jeans second. I have found this to be a universal truth throughout my career.
It is this truth that has helped me overcome one of the biggest struggles I've faced in my professional career thus far: my age (or lack thereof). I've found that when you can find commonalities with people (i.e., clients, media reps, and other co-workers), differences become less obvious. Once I met with a magazine rep who was trying to sell me advertising space in his publication. He was an older, seasoned gentleman, and my age was all he could concentrate on. He asked me questions (in the high-pitched, squeaky voice adults use when talking to children), such as when I graduated from college, how long I'd been in advertising, and what my prior experience (questions I'm sure other, older media buyers might never receive except in a job interview). Needless to say, the meeting started off with an air of annoyance on my part. However, a few minutes into the meeting, we discovered that we both really enjoyed the practice of feng shui (an ancient Chinese school of thought that discusses how our external surrounding affects our internal state of being). We both became really involved in the conversation and were soon exchanging ideas, giving tips, and discussing previous feng shui experiences. When the conversation turned from feng shui back to business, our age gap became obsolete, and we were able to focus on the work at hand.
Another problem that comes with being a young professional is that sometimes people equate age with experience (less age, less experience). As an example, I've recently been looking to buy a house. This was actually not my first home-buying experience, so I felt fairly versed with the whole process. There was one house in particular that I loved. I looked at it several times and just knew it was right for me. Before making an offer, I asked my real estate agent if I could meet the owner. I thought if the owner could put a face and a story to my offer, I'd have a better chance of them accepting it. So, we met at the potential house, and the seller was a young mother. Literally, the first thing out of her mouth was "Oh my God, you're so young. Are you a student?" I explained that I'm actually a professional that works in the advertising field. She then continued to rationalize that answer by remarking that I must have been in some type of accelerated program at school. Regardless of my actual situation (which did not include any accelerated programs), this woman was not willing to accept the idea that I could be both young and experienced. It's hard for some people to understand that one can be both a young professional and credible all at the same time.
I recently had the privilege to see Alex Bogusky speak. Beyond the fact that he is a genius, what was most striking about him was his genuine demeanor. He had a very real, down-to-earth quality about him that made what he had to say so much more relevant. He had no apologies for who he was, regardless of who you expected him to be. I used to be embarrassed about my age and would blush and get nervous when people would ask me how old I was. I thought that if they found out I was probably younger than they thought, they'd discount me. Alex Bogusky inspired me to embrace my age and make it a positive.
My mind thinks differently than other generations (thanks, TV babysitter) — not better or worse — just different. The digital world is something we grew up with, not something we adapted to. Media (digital or otherwise) has always been and continues to be an intimate part of our lives. That relationship has shaped who we are and how we function. These differences can provide a very powerful edge. But I will say to all those millennials like myself, whatever we lack in age we better make up for in knowledge.
About the Author
Amy Rounds works for McKee Wallwork Cleveland.
