Females First: Meet Jessie
This week in the series, we meet Jessie.
Introduction
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Jessie de Boe and I am a Junior Art Director.
What is the best part of your job?
The variety of the work, different projects and brainstorming ideas with others.
How did you get to where you are today?
After college, I did the ICAD Upstarts Programme which is a 6-week intensive course where you get a new brief every week and then present it at the end of the week. We were given mentors working in advertising (mine was not very available) and also met loads of people in the industry. There was also an exhibition at the end of it where we could meet more industry people. Off of that, I met people that I later emailed and was able to arrange an internship. I also sent a bouquet of roses to a Creative Director as a joke, and it worked.
What did you find to be the most challenging part of starting out?
Getting people’s attention and getting them to give you a chance. I was told in an interview that I was “too qualified” for an internship to which I had to say then please give me an internship.
Communication
What have you found to be the best way to work with colleagues and clients?
Be open to ideas, never shoot down anyone’s suggestion - even if it’s terrible just go with it and give them a “yes and”. Also to find some common interests and see if there’s something that can be built on.
How do you let your team know if there is a problem with the project you're working on?
Rather than saying something is a problem I suggest a new idea/direction.
Have you found senior management lack the ability to communicate clearly or effectively?
Yes. We were constantly left out of the loop and had more senior creatives stepping in on our projects. You can’t exactly tell your boss that you don’t like their idea for your project, and that’s the nature of creatives - they always think they have the best idea.
When you're working on briefs, what makes the project run smoothly?
In advertising there are client service, producers and planners to keep everything running smoothly. I just do what I’m told in the time that I’m given, to the best of my ability.
The Bias Question
Have you noticed any major differences in the way people treat you compared to your male colleagues?
Well, I’ve always been a woman so I’m not sure. I think advertising has terrible issues with the way they treat interns and juniors rather than women.
*for example, I was recently interning with a well known Irish agency for 5 months - unpaid. I was later paid as a freelancer but the majority of my time there was unpaid and I was often forgotten about. The higher creatives would forget to include us on shoots or meetings. Myself and another intern were often left with nothing to do. When we did have projects it was often taken away on the wings of an idea of someone higher up. Individually, everyone was lovely but I think there is a bystander effect where everyone else thinks that someone is checking in with interns.
Do you know, roughly, the percentage of men to women in leadership positions in your industry/area?
Oh, it is shocking. I was once told that in Dublin there are four female Creative Directors. Globally, the percentage of women founding and owning advertising agencies is 0.1% (according to Jessica Walsh)
What advice do you have for young women entering this industry?
Meet other women, send emails. Don’t be afraid to reach out to women you admire and say that you’re wondering what they did. I’ve found that the stereotype of women putting other women down is completely false, I’ve had nothing but kind words and help from older women in my industry.
If you want to find out more about Jessie and the work she does, check out her Instagram or send her an email.