CAREER: Jenna Lyons About What It Takes to Be Creative Director

Started from the bottom

Jenna Lyons, the incarnation of the J. Crew entity that just happens to be the brand’s creative director, sat with Glamour magazine to chat about her career path and offered up some career advice to those who aspire to walk in her footsteps. I think she gave profound advice that can be applied to damn near any industry, so long as you actually love what you’re doing:  

•   First off, she’s been at J. Crew 25 years. She was 22 when she was offered her foot-in-the-door position as the assistant to the assistant’s assistant. ‘…you have to let the slow burn happen. I wasn't the superstar. I had to work for it. Really long hours.’ (via Marie Claire UK) Jenna has reiterated this same point in countless times to take the stairs rather than gunning for the elevator.  Jenna started in the men’s design department with the seemingly mundane task of coloring in rugby shirts. How’s that for grunt work?
  
• As with all lessons in life, there is value in the growing pains. This is how she learned to be the type of leader she wanted to be. J crew went through a turbulent a cycle of 4 CEOs in 5 years, including the current standing, Millard “Mickey” Drexler. Jenna took notes while working as a subordinate (which, mind you, insinuates she had her eye on the prize the whole time - perhaps another detail to make note of).
  
• Here are the magic words to get ahead in Jenna’s team: "I'm ready to take it to the next step. What is it that I can do better?" That, to Jenna, is an engaged, collaborative way to get somebody to the next level. Try it in your own team.
  
• While this tidbit comes from Jenna herself, I concur and believe this is a great way to get noticed no matter where you are (as this is how I got my current job in the industry) – sending a well-written letter (even better if it’s on nice paper) to the point of contact. Jenna gets upwards of a couple hundred emails a day and half as many text messages (via Harpers Bazaar). Getting a snail mail letter shows initiative and presentation you just can’t get from a cut-n-paste email.

Hope this advice helps!

Til next time!