As a young professional in the world of advertising, it can be difficult to find your footing. We spoke with Heather Gaskell, copywriter at RAPP, about the benefit of a collaborative work environment and the importance of having a professional support system.
Can you tell us about your current role and responsibilities?
Sure! I am currently a copywriter at RAPP in their Dallas office, but I work remotely out of Boston which is about an hour from where I grew up. The responsibilities include ideating and executing creative concepts across digital channels like email, social, as well as some traditional media such as direct mail, radio, and video. I work predominately on PNC Bank, ACU, as well as some diversity and inclusion specific work for RAPP like their Emerging Leaders internship program. The role also involved collaborating with art directors, presenting, and writing in multiple brand voices for short and long copy.
What drew you to work at this agency and what opportunities does it provide to foster your professional growth?
At RAPP, I truly believe that my managers and coworkers value my creativity. My creative directors and ACDs believe that great ideas can come from anywhere so everyone from interns to creative directors work together, collaborate and execute ideas. Due to this collaborative nature, I don’t feel siloed at RAPP. I feel like my ideas are valued and I believe my ACDs and CDs value hard work and creativity over how many years you have in the industry. Plus, RAPP has great work life balance. Burnout is at an all-time high right now, so working at a company that recognizes this and encourages you to take time for yourself is important to me. This past summer, my Executive Creative Director, Nic Climer, would encourage and remind us to use our PTO. He never wanted PTO to go to waste and he would always suggest that we take a vacation or a few personal days if we needed it. So many companies try to discourage taking time off, but for people in this industry, it’s necessary to take time for yourself to unwind, reconnect with friends and family, or travel.
Are there any unused skills you have that you'd love to incorporate into your professional work?
I have always been interested in producing. I love the process of seeing an idea from start to finish. When I was in school, I studied both copywriting and art direction, so I feel like that background would help me see the bigger picture when it comes to executing projects and working with creative teams, clients, and account teams. I am looking forward to the day where I can attend shoots as a copywriter and be able to see projects I have written for come to life. Hopefully this will happen in the near future, pandemic permitting!
Joining such a massive industry can be overwhelming, how do you stay informed and ahead of the curve?
I’m pretty active on LinkedIn. I like to see what other people in the industry are up to — the work they are making, the articles they are reading, or how they are navigating their careers during a times of uncertainty. I also stay in contact with my mentors and peers from previous internships like The Marcus Graham Project. I am quite fortunate to have many mentors who I can text or call who will give me advice, support, or even just a little pep talk to remind me that I’m on the right path.
What areas in the industry do you believe could use an overhaul?
I think this industry needs to make it easier for recent grads to land entry level positions. It’s unfair that so many entry level jobs require 2-3 years of experience or need to be fresh out of portfolio school. Creativity can come from anywhere and as an industry we need to recognize that entry level should mean 0-2 years of experience (including internships). And while we are on the topic of internships, I believe they should all be paid at this point. Interns help companies make money — it’s time they started getting recognized and rewarded for it.
Where do you hope this role will take you down the line?
I hope this role allows me to create more work that provides visibility for underrepresented groups in media, and I hope to use my privilege and industry experience to help mentor and provide job opportunities for underrepresented people in the industry as well.