We spoke with Jordan Gravely, junior Copywriter at Havas Chicago about manifesting growth and making the ad industry accessible for everyone to have a seat at the table.
Can you tell us about your current role and responsibilities?
Currently I’m a Junior Copywriter on the Citibank Team at Havas.
What drew you to work at this agency and what opportunities does it provide to foster your professional growth?
I have always admired Havas since my portfolio school days, I would walk right by the building on my way to coffee and just look and manifest a junior role. “Hey, look ma! We made it.” A ton of growth has happened for me here and I am lucky to have great bosses who are more like mentors that have instilled a lot of drive in me and given me the tools to keep learning.
Are there any unused skills you have that you'd love to incorporate into your professional work?
Of course, I get to flex the muscle in meetings and creative presentations, but I am excited to use any of my public speaking and presenting skills a bit more when the stakes are a bit higher.
Joining such a massive industry can be overwhelming, how do you stay informed and ahead of the curve?
I just keep consuming everything I can, reading whatever pops out at me off the NYTs Best Sellers list, to the trades, to podcasts like Creative Pep Talk and Dissect. I’m also constantly stalking my favorite agencies and ad people on social to see what mentors, colleagues, friends, and distant career crushes are making or sharing about. That and an unhealthy addiction to TikTok.
What areas in the industry do you believe could use an overhaul?
Oh boy, I think we’re on our way, but I think we need to keep making sure in this industry we’re getting people’s voices heard and increasing representation from the junior level to c-suite. There’s a weird amount of gatekeeping in this industry, I feel like even just figuring out what a copywriter was, and/or what ad school was, is one of advertising’s best kept secrets. It must start somewhere though, and it will take more effort. And not settling, and maybe some discomfort for some of us, myself included. I am huge believer that when everyone has a seat at the table, we don’t only make better work, we make work that’s for everyone – and isn’t that the goal?
Where do you hope this role will take you down the line?
So far in my life when I’ve been chasing joy it has seemed to work out in my favor. So, I’m just going to keep doing that and striving to make interesting work that moves people. I don’t know yet exactly where that means I’ll land. I always say shoot for the moon, at the very least you’ll land among the stars.