Don’t Call Me Junior
I did it. I graduated college, early AND top of my class. I spent late nights working on side projects to beef up my experience. I spent way too much time making and remaking a portfolio. I set up connection calls every free second I had. Now, finally! I’m a… junior?
The “junior” label has a way of making you feel just as small as it sounds. The definition is basically “tiny, little thing that has less experience and is way younger than the rest of you, making them inferior, subordinate, and overall, less than!” Seriously, look it up.
But despite how it made me feel, I still used it when introducing myself and made it the first thing people see by including it in my Twitter and LinkedIn bios. It almost felt fraudulent to just call myself a copywriter. I was afraid someone would pop out of the woodwork screaming, “How could you be a copywriter? Have you even lived through the trials and tribulations, grind and gut-wrenching glory of agency life? Nope, didn’t think so. Pack it up, junior!”
The word swirled around my head like when a movie character is replaying all the things a bully said to them in their childhood.
Industry conversation happening that I feel I have a well-thought-out opinion on? Well, that’s probably not for me. I’m not even in the industry yet.
Wait, I am definitely qualified for this position! But look at all the other people who applied. They’re all actual copywriters, so I shouldn’t even bother.
What if I just become friends with all these cool advertising people I admire? No, they wouldn’t want to be my friend. I guess I could see if they’ll mentor me.
I began to realize that everything I was feeling stemmed from seeing myself as “too junior.” It wasn’t making the stress of the job hunt any better, and it certainly wasn’t making me feel confident or welcomed into this industry I was trying so hard to be a part of. The label was the bully all along, and it was kicking my ass.
So, I called it quits. I stopped referring to myself as a “junior” and deleted it from my bios. Goodbye six-letter-scoundrel, for you will not be missed!
And it wasn’t. The second I dropped it is the second I started to get recognized for what I actually am: a copywriter.
In my post-junior life, I’ve had opportunities that I didn’t think were possible for me. I’ve landed higher-level freelance gigs that I was perfectly capable of doing, and doing well. I’ve been paid what I’m worth based on my experience instead of tacking on the junior discount code. I’ve even applied to mid-level copywriter positions, making it through multiple rounds of interviews.
Aside from the career growth, I’ve done a complete 180 in the way I view myself, and it’s showing and paying off. I am now fully comfortable joining in on the conversations I once watched from afar. In return, people at levels I didn’t think I could reach interact with me and value what I have to say. I’ve been tagged in “best advertising people to follow” on Twitter without working in an agency a day in my life. I’ve gained not just followers but people who are backing me every step of the way. My mentors, who I thought would want to be just that, have now turned into true friends.
Removing that one, little word gave me all the confidence back that it had once stolen. It takes a lot to break into this industry, and our reward shouldn’t be a label that belittles us and diminishes all that we’ve accomplished. If you too are entry level talent, I hope this makes you feel bigger and better than your title gives you credit for. If you’re not, just please, don’t call me junior.
