Image provided by Ioana Cristiana via Unsplash, written by Alex Jaumann

A career in advertising is, in my opinion, one of the best careers you can have. No matter your role, you can get a little (or a lot) creative with a group of talented people all working towards a common goal.

Thing is, a lot of people who aren’t in the industry have a less-than-stellar opinion—not to mention knowledge—of what we do. I don’t know about you, but there’ve been a few times where I’ve had a good conversation going with someone I just met, only for them to call me “corporate” or “a detriment to society” when I mention I work in advertising.

And to be honest, I can’t really blame them. As advertisers, we track people. Study their behaviors. Get to know them inside and out so we can convince them to buy something. When you boil it down, it sounds a little… creepy.

But you know as well as I do that our jobs are much more than that. So the next time you’re making small talk, here are some suggestions on how you can explain what you do for a living without sounding creepy. Plus some examples of what you probably shouldn’t say.

Account Manager

What to say: “I work closely with my clients to fully understand their business, help them solve problems, and guide their ad campaigns. Sometimes I help develop strategy, too.”

What not to say: “I get to know every little thing about my clients, occasionally contacting them late at night. I also like to get inside people’s heads from time to time.”

Strategist

What to say: “I do a lot of research and then apply my knowledge of psychology to help my coworkers create something that people can relate to.”

What not to say: “I get to know everything about certain types of people so we can target them. Things like when they get up in the morning and what kind of food they give their cat.”

Project Manager

What to say: “Honestly, I’m the engine that makes my company go. I regularly touch base with my coworkers to make sure projects are moving along smoothly.”

What not to say: “I follow my coworkers around and track them at all times throughout the day. Nothing escapes me.”

Copywriter

What to say: “I write the words you see on billboards, TV commercials, etc. My writing style varies so I can resonate with different types of people by entertaining them and moving them emotionally.”

What not to say: “I use a bunch of different voices to try to convince people to buy things. Sometimes I’ll try to make them cry when I really want them to buy it.”

Art Director

What to say: “I’m an artist who actually gets paid. I use my knowledge of typography, color theory, and visual psychology to create beautiful visuals.”

What not to say: “I figure out what a person likes to look at. I stare at pictures of people for hours. Then I manipulate those photos to my will.”

Media Planner/Buyer

What to say: “I’m pretty much a master of Excel. I combine a lot of research with a little math to find the right space and time to place an ad to help my clients reach their goals.”

What not to say: “I find out exactly where people are and when they’ll be there. Then I put stuff there so they can’t avoid it.”

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Hopefully these descriptions can help you avoid being called a corporate ad monger. Or, at the very least, give you some pointers on the parts of your job you might want to avoid bringing up in casual conversation.

Didn’t see your job listed? Let me know what you do and how you like to describe it!