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For me, it was more of a listening issue.
My dad is a cop and my mom is a medical assistant. My world is so foreign from theirs. They didn’t even understand working from home. Ive explain strategy a few times but generally I just tell my family I work in advertising and they don’t totally get what it is but they understand ads 🤷♀️
SMS1 — I’ve explained it as basically my job is to understand consumers/ patients and/or HCPs (I work in pharma). To understand their experiences, their needs/ wants, drivers and barriers and figure out how our brand offering can fit that need while addressing mitigating barriers. My job is to translate that for the creative team as a “what we need to do” and then creatives come up with the “how we do it” via some sort of advertisement. Idk if that’s actually helped them understand but I think at some level they do 😂
I tried once. They briefly enjoyed seeing my spots on tv but otherwise couldn't care less. All they cared about was if I was financially secure. They felt the same about my brother who had a much cooler job.
SC1, he was an illustrator.
My parents are blue collar immigrants
This ⬆️
It’s always been really strange to me as well. Until I saw how other families operate. I have a very close relationship with my mom, so she knows what I do day to day and is genuinely interested in all parts of my life. But my husband’s parents couldn’t explain what he does. One time they thought he was still at a job from like 8+ years ago before we even met. Some families just don’t really talk to each other outside of obligation.
I’m an ACD (art) and my mom tells people I do graphic design. Which isn’t exactly wrong but it’s like 1/20th of the actual job.
My co-workers don’t even know what I do, so I wouldn’t expect my parents to understand my role.
Me: “Yeah, mom I’m an art director.”
Mom: “What the hell is that?
Me: “Well, you know like the commercials you see on TV? I help make those.”
Mom: “Oh. How? Like what do you do? Oh, do you direct the commercials?”
Me: “No, the director does that.”
Mom: “Oh, do you… write them then?”
Me: “Uh… no, a copywriter does that.”
Mom: “Oh! You’re like the business guy? What are they called?”
Me: “Yeah, no… you’re thinking about the producer.”
Mom: “Ok, so, then what part do you do?”
Me: “Well, I come up with ideas, as a team with the copywriter. Then I handle anything visually related to the commercial. Like how it looks and feels.”
Mom: “I thought the director and the writer did that.”
Me: “You know what? Never mind… it’s not important.”
Yes and to them it’s just a job and my title could be the equivalent to a waiter. Like when I was laid off I was told “you aren’t an art director, you’re unemployed”
I think it’s the fact that we have to stop and explain what we do at all. It’s the thing of the thing.
I didn’t try too hard. They weren’t interested in really knowing. It doesn’t matter
Back when I was a Jr designer it was easy to explain, now as a CD it’s just way too multifaceted to explain.