April 24, 2005

Anyone interested in making a career in advertising should keep abreast of new techniques and technology. Looking for a change is the key to success

Lights, glamour and fun! So is this what you thought advertising was all about? Well, according to Sheema Kamal Ahmed, creative director Manhattan International, the glamour bit comes right at the end, “it’s basically a lot of hardwork, meeting deadlines and coordination”.

It all began with when she sent her CV and a sample of her work to Javed Jabbar. “It was basically my father who encouraged me a lot and wanted me to make something of my life. He advised me to send my work to Javed Jabbar, who was the head of MNJ Communications. Javed was very impressed with my work and offered me the job,” recalls Sheema.

Here she worked under Mr Frederick Nazareth as junior copywriter. “I learnt a lot from him,” says Sheema, “when I joined, it was almost time for Nazareth to leave. So I had very little time to learn from him but still the time that I spent has helped me grow in this profession.”

Since Nazareth was about to leave, Sheema decided to leave MNJ and joined Prestige where she worked under Jamal and Kamal Mir. In her own words, “it was here that I got a chance to polish my skills. The experience was extremely inspiring and I learnt a great deal here. It’s a wonderful place for beginners who’d like to grasp the basics of the profession.”

Definitely an awe-inspiring profession. However, Sheema feels working long hours and giving it your best, does get a bit difficult for women, especially the ones who have families of their own. “I had a few problems. My mother-in-law was not keeping well and I was about to have a baby. So I had to freelance to maintain a balance between home and work.” Nevertheless, she feels that her bosses were extremely supportive during that period. “They asked me to keep coming to the office even if it were for a short while. After the baby was born I was on maternity leave — I was paid at home, I didn’t even have to come to collect the cheque, it was sent home to me,” reminiscences Sheema. She later moved on to Orient where she worked in the capacity of creative group head and here she was given her first car. “It was a little car, but it worked wonders for my ego. At this point I felt like I had achieved something,” she says.

Success has a lot to do in the place where you have to work, the environment and the atmosphere. And in this regard, Sheema has been very lucky to have worked in places where she could find the right support. “Good environment relates into good work. Respect for our colleagues is an important factor in maintaining cordial work relations,” says Sheema resolutely.

After Orient, Sheema moved on to Manhattan, where she is currently the creative director and here too she was extremely lucky to find an environment that helped her grow as a professional. Her bosses are extremely supportive and she feels that this has gone a long way in getting her where she is at the moment. She recalls, “Dara Bashir, chief executive Manhattan International, has been very kind and understanding. I am lucky to work under him. Being a mother and wife at times I was completely overwhelmed with family responsibility and work. There were certain trying situations but thanks to my bosses I was able to strike a balance. One such situation was that my daughter was not well and since I could not leave her alone at home as there was an important campaign on I could not take leave. So I brought her to the office where I looked after her and took care of my work. My bosses never objected to this as they respected my family responsibilities as well as my commitment to my work.”

At the same time, women face many issues at work places and one of them is that they aren’t promoted through the ranks. But here too Sheema has been extremely lucky as she feels that she has never faced any such discrimination.

There are many challenges that a person faces in any profession. However, Sheema feels that being in advertising one has to put up with the attitude of new MBA graduates who think they know all about advertising and marketing. Then briefs are changed constantly. “Clients should begin their thought process way in advance. This will help brand positioning and will put an end to an extremely prolonged process,” asserts Sheema.

Clients play an important role in the life of an advertising professional. According to Sheema good clients are a blessing and they help a creative person put their best foot forward. “I have had some wonderful clients,” says Sheema, “clients that you’d want to go to.” She feels that during the numerous campaigns that she’d worked in, she has really built a repo with all her clients, but the ones that she felt had an impact on her and her work have been PSO and GreenStar. Another noteworthy campaign that has been a major source of pride for her was the ‘Supreme campaign’. “Here we came up with the idea of family association, yehi tu hai woh apnapan was the slogan that I came up with and the best thing about it was that even when this account went to another company, they kept the slogan. This I feel is a real achievement as this slogan has been running since 1998.”

According to Sheema to go into advertising you need no particular degree, all you need is potential. You can, however, enhance your skills by taking some courses. Certain other qualities that you need to thrive in this field are a keen observation about human behaviour and your surroundings and lots of patience — as sooner or later people are bound to realize your talent. You should keep abreast new techniques and technology. Looking for a change is key to success in this field. The capability to think and bring about change in a particular concept is also essential.

The pay scale at the start of career in this profession is roughly between Rs8000-10000; perks vary from company to company.

Everyone has certain dreams and aspirations for the future. Sheema feels that she would like to write a play in which she could portray life’s experiences. Besides this, she would like to join a TV channel as a consultant and give them ideas to improve their programmes. Sheema has also written poems for kids she feels that in the near future she wishes to contact a publishing house and contribute to children’s literature.

Talking with Sheema made one thing very clear that advertising is a profession with a lot of promise for talented individuals. But then again like most professions it’s a give and take relationship. The more dedicated you are the more success you get. Rewards are reaped only through hardwork and dedication.

So all those who wish to venture this path — it’s not a bed of roses, but a trail that demands hardwork, perseverance and determination.

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