Listen To What You Like
As a member of ICWIC for the past two years, my favorite meetings are always our Skype sessions with women who work in the realm of communications. On Wednesday, March 21, Charlotte Japp, Senior Creative at Vice Media, joined ICWIC to talk about finding the right career for you.
Charlotte grew up in NYC as a daughter of immigrants. An advertising position brought her dad overseas to the US, bringing his family along. When it came time for college, Charlotte went to Georgetown University to study comparative literature, focusing on German and French poetry, with an art history minor. Charlotte said that for her one of the most important aspects of her college career was being involved in student clubs and organizations. From being a DJ on WGTB to going to gallery openings with the Art Aficionados, clubs allowed her to explore her hobbies and passions.
As Charlotte approached graduation she started to really think about what she wanted to pursue as a career. With internships at Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine and Christie’sauction house, Charlotte wanted a job that didn’t limit her but embraced all of her interests and skills. Being a long-time viewer of their video content, Charlotte found a job opportunity at Vice Media, which was just about to experience a large expansion in NYC. The Junior Creative position was seeking someone with a hybrid background, which is exactly what Charlotte was seeking. Now after 5 years at the company and a Senior Creative, Charlotte assists brands in collaboration with Vice to reach niche audiences to promote their materials.
Members of ICWIC had some questions for Charlotte:
Is a portfolio essential when you’re applying for jobs? Not necessarily. A portfolio can combine your work from college and independently produced content. And while your work is important, what an employer in creative communications really wants to see is what your aesthetics are. Having a website, a Tumblr, or a blog is a great way to show off what your interests are and what you see as trending or important pop culture right now.
How do you move up the ranks at a business? It’s on you to understand where your strengths are and interests and then tell your manager about it, so they can help promote you when an opportunity arises. You need to be honest about what you’re good at and not good at, what you like and don’t like. When you identify gaps in your company, you need to speak up and volunteer your own skills to fill those gaps.
How did you decide on what you wanted to pursue? She was always interested in many areas, at the time a big inspiration was H&M’s collaborations. That lead to searching for a hybrid creative position and combining industries, the way that culture collides with culture. It’s important not to narrow down your prospects, but rather find a job that can integrate all of your skills. If you keep pursuing the thing that you feel most comfortable in and that play to your strengths, you will ultimately find a job description that connects with you.
As I continue my search for a summer internship, and ultimately a career, Charlotte’s advice to feel out a lot of interests at college, then latch onto the things that feel good was really helpful. It’s important to listen to the things you do, find what feels right, and then follow it. The things you do and like in your life will guide you to the right career.
