How Identity Has Influenced an Account Director's Career at SHIFT Communications
Navigating a career in marketing, the Account Director at SHIFT Communications shared that a key lesson learned was the importance of being assertive and advocating for oneself, stating that "women really have to be loud and advocate for themselves". This included consciously avoiding overly conciliatory communication styles, such as excessive exclamation points in emails, to project a more serious and respected professional image.
Communication, Advocacy, Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Confidence
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kelsie Axelrod
Account Director
SHIFT Communications
Bentley University
none
Environmental & Related Sciences, Marketing
Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Women need to be self-advocates and not apologize for taking up space or voicing concerns.
2. Women may be conditioned to soften their communication style, which can be detrimental to career advancement. It's important to project confidence and seriousness in professional settings.
3. It's important to be assertive and direct in communication to command respect and be taken seriously in the workplace
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman, how has that impacted the way you've navigated your career?
I think you'll see this across all industries. Even though marketing has a lot of women, you really have to be loud and advocate for yourself. This comes more naturally to men, and women shouldn't make excuses for doing that.
Don't make excuses for having a seat at the table or for bringing problems to senior staff's attention. Also, this is hard, but women can naturally add lots of exclamation points in our emails and want to sound kind, as if we're not hurting anyone's feelings.
I've learned to stop doing that because I'm a serious person in this job, and people want to respect what we're doing. So, take that lens with yourself as you navigate the job landscape.