Joyce Li

Lloyd is committed to analyzing and documenting the many individual paths that lead to specific career destinations. If you are a young professional, Lloyd’s blog is the place for you. We analyze the career journeys of individuals who have gone on to become anything ranging from Creative Director to VP of Finance to Head of Product. Our goal is to take the mystery out of what it means to navigate your career. Whether your journey involves a linear path or several career switches along the way, Lloyd is here to help you develop a clear direction and specific goals.

In this piece, the team at Lloyd collected data from the paths of a number of individuals who worked their way to becoming Creative Director. This data, as well as a number of figures and patterns (which will be released periodically on our Instagram and LinkedIn!), have been given to Joyce Li. Joyce is a college grad interested in learning about becoming a Creative Director. Read on to see our summarized data points, hear Joyce’s perspective, and see quotes from dedicated leaders who are already Creative Directors.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to our newsletter!

1. The journey to becoming a creative director is a non-linear path without a “set of rules”. Many of the individuals had varying degrees of experience before eventually becoming a creative director. It’s less about merit, and more about talent/passion/time.

2. Several, (18%)  had worked as copywriters, which was a common theme among the data. It was the position that was the most commonly held. 

3. Only 1 held an MBA, and 1 with an MFA.

4. For undergrad, there was a large variety in areas of study. 14% studied art. 18% graphic design, 18% history or psychology. Only 1 person had studied finance, however he was successful in redirecting his career path. 

5. 40% worked as creative directors in freelance positions. 

6. 17% were employed in teaching positions. They taught art-related subject matter, and one individual taught dance. 

A career in the creative field has always seemed elusive to me – I was never sure what first steps to take in pursuing a creative career, and I doubted whether my skills were enough to “make it” in the creative industry. The reason for my interest in a career in a creative field was mostly borne from a dissatisfaction with what I was studying at university. I wondered where I felt I got the most fulfillment, and I realized that it wasn’t in solving cases, balancing spreadsheets, or calculating profits. I respected those who had clear ideas of what they wanted to pursue, whether it be in consulting or finance. However, I couldn’t relate in the slightest. I often wondered whether studying Business Administration had been a mistake.

In classic just-graduated-from-university-into-Covid fashion, I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. However, I’ve recently been able to narrow down some of my goals: I want to be able to create and see my ideas come to life, and I want to be able to share my visions with others while also learning from others and hearing about their visions. Becoming a creative director is a potential future plan, and collecting and analyzing data for what it takes to become a creative director has been helpful for me. It’s given me a more concrete idea of what steps I could take to achieve the fulfillment I’d like to have from my career.

An interesting finding I came across was that 18% of all individuals I’d researched had their starts in copywriting positions. It was the most commonly helped position amongst all creative directors. I found this significant because I’ve always been interested in writing. Another one of the (many) potential career paths I’ve considered is writing, whether it be creative writing, editing, or copywriting. This data showed me that I don’t have to immediately start off directing photoshoots or creating hefty mood-boards for music videos and films. I could start where my strengths already lie.

Another part of the data I looked into was what each creative director had studied for their undergrad degrees. There was a pretty big dichotomy, with 18% having studied history or psychology and 32% having studied something in the field of art. One individual had graduated with a degree in finance, but redirected his career path into creative direction. This was an encouraging finding for me, because it showed me that even if I begin my professional career in one field, it doesn’t mean I’m locked into it for life.

 For someone looking over this data for the first time, I’d say the most important thing to keep in mind is that the path to becoming a creative director is multi-faceted, and many individuals worked for companies and projects while freelancing and not as represented directors. My advice to myself would probably be to just start – by practicing my writing skills, working on creative projects of my own, and researching further into what it takes to develop a career in the creative field.

Advice to his younger self:

“Stop trying to do what you think everyone wants you to do, follow your gut, listen to your heart, break some rules, and do work you are really proud of.”

Advice to his younger self:

“It’s very interesting. Creative Direction is an idea, and honestly, not an idea that had been presented to my younger self. I used to joke with a photographer I worked with often, ” … well it’s not like I went to Creative Director School”. Because, that simply doesn’t exist. A Creative Director, is co-evolved position that is grown into based on the vectors of your employers, your own passions and your ability — and — desire to lead. Your young career centers on executional and craft growth. Do more, do it better than last time, do it again, and again. This is a critical step. It will build your credential with your teams that you may ultimately lead. You are proving yourself in practice. That said, now is the time to find fuel. Secure passions into point-of-view. Move convictions into credibility. These are the hyphens, your curiosities leading to expertise and expanding your spectrum of experience into a polygot-cultured-addled-strategic leader.

Be mindful of how you communicate and support your ideas; “it’s fun” is not a reason why it may work, it now must work in the business return-on-investment sense. Be mindful of your desire to lead versus do. This is the most critical paradigm shift. For many of us, we chose to make, to create and manifest visions into campaigns, designs and new products underscored by our own hard work, our own efforts and via our own signature.

Enter the “Creative Director” — your success is now contingent on your ability to coach success and to draw ideas into concrete business value — with a team. Simply, your success is now based on their success, and your creative and business leadership. Stay curious, and find the joy of collaboration and efficacy of your voice in guiding the work.”

Advice to her younger self:

“Almost anyone can be trained to be a designer but very few have a natural talent for it. Tap into the intuition you have for visual art, voice your opinions and reasoning for your design choices, and actively listen to the audience that will be engaging with your work. This is how you will become a creative director that designers want to learn from.”

Advice to his younger self:

“An effective Creative Director must have a highly multidisciplinary understanding of how brands, campaigns, and products are created.

Comprehension of areas traditionally viewed as “outside” of the creative realm—such as economics, client services, and people operations—ensure that the final works are relevant, and can be successfully communicated to the target audiences. Context and timing are everything!

A Creative Director is as good as their team.

While honing technical skills in junior design or art direction positions, observe how the individuals on a creative team complement each other, and how each skill-set is reflected in the final works. Eventually, as one amasses collaborator contacts within each discipline—design, typography, photography, copywriting, etc.—this network can be called upon while creating production teams in a senior, directorial role.”

Advice to his younger self:

“First, learn your craft. Strive to be the best storyteller, designer, filmmaker or other creator you can possibly be. Pay attention when you feel a sense of joy and timelessness or flow. Apply that same commitment and self-awareness to mastering the art, science and ethics of business – especially sales and human-centered leadership. Be a disciplined observer and practice what you learn. The interplay of those skill sets and sensibilities will help you find your true north and reach your potential as a creative leader.”

Lloyd is committed to analyzing and documenting the many individual paths that lead to specific career destinations. If you are a young professional, Lloyd’s blog is the place for you. We analyze the career journeys of individuals who have gone on to become anything ranging from Creative Director to VP of Finance to Head of Product. Our goal is to take the mystery out of what it means to navigate your career. Whether your journey involves a linear path or several career switches along the way, Lloyd is here to help you develop a clear direction and specific goals.

In this piece, the team at Lloyd collected data from the paths of a number of individuals who worked their way to becoming Head of Operations. This data, as well as a number of figures and patterns (which will be released periodically on our Instagram and LinkedIn!), have been given to Perry Asibey-Bonsu. Perry is a young professional interested in becoming Head of Operations. Read on to see our summarized data points, hear Perry’s perspective, and see quotes from a dedicated leader who is already Head of Operations.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to our newsletter!

1. Not many of the people in the dataset actually studied Business Administration. The most common degrees were in Finance, Art History, and Engineering. 

2. 32% held MBA degrees.

3. As you said, Big Tech companies were a definite feeder into Head of Operation roles as those people tended to switch companies fewer times before becoming Head of Operations.

4. Most people worked at an average of 5-6 companies before becoming Head of Operations at their current role.

5. 5 people had quite big career shifts. They had either worked in art, journalism, or founded their own companies before moving to a Head of Operations role.

6. The people who had gone through career shifts started as interns in the new field before advancing through company ranks.

7. Only 4 people had been at a single company for more than 5 years. The rest moved companies several times.

I’m currently working at a company that specializes in offering office space and developmental resources to start-ups and entrepreneurs. Thus far, I’ve learned a great deal about the necessary precision for back-office operations – especially when our customers are at the nexus of critical procedures such as leasing, event planning, and relationship management. My fascination with the career path of Head of Operations comes from a desire to become more proficient in assessing task workflows, isolating inefficiencies, and implementing improvements which amplify the efficiency and creativity of my teammates.

When assessing Lloyd’s compiled data, I’m left wondering what skills each tracked professional acquired over the course of their journey to becoming Head of Operations. The professionals Lloyd tracked in their data set are all in different industries, so without knowing the specifics of their specific responsibilities, I can’t get an accurate sense of what abilities one would need to be a successful Head of Operations. What the data shows me clearly is that there is no single, optimal starting-point to becoming Head of Operations. I was the most fascinated by the professional who began as a writer studying journalism and ended up as Head of Operations of a 200+ employee video technology company. To me, this signals an individual who managed to leverage their education in a more traditional medium for a modern, fast-paced one.

I think that readers who see this data need to understand that it is not designed to tell the entire story of an individual’s professional development. A person’s title does not necessarily indicate their skills or knowledge. Additionally, the fact that forty- percent of the tracked professionals held positions listed as “Other” indicates that professional roadmaps often break convention. For me, this data suggests that my approach in career advancement should not focus on collecting titles but rather skills I can leverage to maximize my contributions to whatever firm I join.

Advice: First 15 years are investment years, use money as a barometer but don’t let it be your only metric.

My Story: At my first job out of grad school, I was told that I can start “looking” 2-3 years into a job and then leave when someone offers me a 20% pay bump. I took it to heart, but proceeded to change companies twice since then with a pay cut both times (-35-40% the first time, and -33% the second time). Results? Each time, I made it back and then some such that I exceeded what I would have made had I stayed. None of this was known to me per se, and results not guaranteed, etc. But the point is, it’s important to broaden and deepen your experiences early on even if you have to do it as “an investment” when it comes to pay. Each time, stay humble in the new role, figure out how to rock it, and you’ll see the returns come back to you not only in money but also personal growth and career options, and for me in operations – helping others along the way.

Operations has been very fulfilling for me as I’ve been able to work in areas of startups which were greenfield; building process, teams, products, and departments. If you enjoy puzzles and deconstruction problems to make things work, are comfortable with the idea that your first two or three tries will fail before you succeed, and you love seeing your work help others succeed; I’d recommend operations. 

The key to success is really understanding the business model of the company / industry you’re in. Once you know how an org actually makes money, you’ll be on your way to creating great process and driving a ton of value.

I believe that people who are most successful in operations are detail-oriented systems thinkers, meaning they can navigate everything from the small details of specific processes to the big picture business strategy. My advice to those looking to build a career in operations is to 1) get curious about how the system works, 2) think critically and creatively about new ways to make the system more efficient, effective and inclusive, and 3) be willing to experiment and get messy; we learn the most from testing out ideas and seeing how they play out in the real word.

The role of Head of Operations will look wildly different depending on the industry, because the skills and knowledge it takes to run a business will be unique. I was thrilled to join Raise The Bar because I’m inspired by our mission, passionate about our industry, and aligned with our culture – if you’re looking to build your career, that’s the place to start.

Advice to his younger self:

I’d tell myself to take on as many different disciplines as possible — product, sales, marketing, support, etc. Head of Ops (usually a role in early stage companies) basically means being a utility player for the company. I’d also tell myself two other things: 1) be eager to translate customer needs to internal teams (i.e., engineers); and 2) learn to manage a team effectively + efficiently. The latter takes growing into but will teach you to prioritize and manage time appropriately, which a Head of Ops with multiple responsibilities often has to do.

Lloyd is committed to analyzing and documenting the many individual paths that lead to specific career destinations. If you are a young professional, Lloyd’s blog is the place for you. We analyze the career journeys of individuals who have gone on to become anything ranging from Creative Director to VP of Finance to Head of Product. Our goal is to take the mystery out of what it means to navigate your career. Whether your journey involves a linear path or several career switches along the way, Lloyd is here to help you develop a clear direction and specific goals.

In this piece, the team at Lloyd collected data from the paths of a number of individuals who worked their way to becoming Head of Product. This data, as well as a number of figures and patterns (which will be released periodically on our Instagram and LinkedIn!), have been given to Andrew Loh. Andrew is a young professional interested in becoming Head of Product. Read on to see our summarized data points, hear Andrew’s perspective, and see quotes from a dedicated leader who is already Head of Product.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to our newsletter!

1. 26% individuals held an MBA degrees, and generally those were from traditionally “prestigious” universities.

2. There was a large dichotomy in what the individuals studied for their bachelors degrees. Some of them studied psychology, or economics. Several studied fine art or literature. It appears work experience matters more than a specific degree when striving for a head of product role. 

3. Generally, those who stayed at the same company for longer than five years were the ones who worked their way up the ranks and achieved a head of product role after an average of 5-6 years. Those companies were mainly big tech. 

4. Overall, the majority (around 70%) had their start in consulting. It seems like a jumping point into the larger tech companies where people could work their way up into a product manager role. 

5. Generally, the older product managers stayed in companies for longer than the younger managers did. Younger managers completed more internships and switched companies more often. 

“Growing up, I was obsessed with the latest gadgets on infomercials, TV advertisements, and YouTube videos. I would frequently pester my parents to take me to Best Buy or Wal-Mart so that we could experience the joy and convenience of those products. The answer was often no – coming from a background of having immigrant parents with a family business, my parents were reluctant. But when my parents did grant my wishes, I spent my time obsessing over the features and capabilities; bells and whistles. Through high school and college, I continued to follow product innovations, and took some programming and entrepreneurship classes to explore how I might be able to make those gadgets myself — and to develop a product that would fulfil a specific purpose.

When I reflect on the past few years working in various capacities — sales, accounting, data analytics, education, and operations — I have noticed that the work I have enjoyed the most involved two things. The first is connecting with individuals and learning about their experiences, and the second is designing products and creating solutions for users. While this may take different forms in different roles, especially in an industry like education, I realized that I had a fixation on figuring out the most user-friendly way to build out the idea or concept. I have a good number of friends employed at tech companies in product or product-adjacent roles. Through hearing about their roles, I have learned from their experiences in overseeing the development and implementation of creating innovative products is the space where I hope to lead in.

The data that Lloyd sought out, filtered, and presented to me outlines the career paths of 23 individuals holding the position of Head of Product in roles that range from Fortune 500 companies to small start-ups. Unsurprisingly, a good amount of people began their careers in Software Development or Product Manager roles, but the role isn’t limited to those tenured within Product at the start of their careers. In fact, 78% of the sample began their careers elsewhere. For me, this presents an optimistic viewpoint that, while I did not begin pursuing product roles right out of college, I still have a chance to attain a Senior Product Manager role or Head of Product role. Within this data, I also discovered that 26% of the individuals included in the sample went back to school for their MBA, a decision that I continue to contemplate — perhaps these findings are another reason to sway me to apply. 

Shaping the strategy for impactful products and ideas has grown as an aspiration for me, and I find it imperative to keep myself informed about what has worked for the others who came before me and to explore how I might do it differently.

When it comes to data, it is easy to default to the conclusion that correlation means causation. In this case, I can see the positions that these individuals have held and whether they attended business school. While I want to give credence to their work and educational experiences, what the data does not include is their determination and grit. Both their resumes and their internal dialogues contribute to their career trajectories, so it’s important to converse with yourself to understand how to use data wisely to drive yourself towards your own goals.”

~ Andrew Loh

“There’s no degree, certification, or other credential for product managers which can be tricky for someone who wants to pursue a career in product management! While it’s true that FAANG companies (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) have been favoring candidates with computer science or other technical backgrounds, that’s far from universal. Product managers are equally likely to come from other backgrounds like consulting, engineering, customer service, marketing, design, or even sales. Many companies and hiring managers (myself included) love internal candidates from other departments and many industries strongly prefer candidates with deep domain expertise.”

“Take every opportunity to learn new and different parts of the products you work on.  Don’t just focus on what comes easy to you, challenge yourself to learn about the backend, platform teams (if they exist), marketing product teams, and more.  Building a diverse product skillset early in your career will help you unlock Head of Product opportunities faster (and make you more effective at it when you do!)”

“For me personally, the role of Head of Product at Origin as the culmination of all of my experiences to date: academically, experientially, and extracurricularly. I feel so privileged to be in this role within a company whose mission I connect with so personally. While I have long strived for a role such as Head of Product, my previous company did not have a clear path to that role so I had to pave it myself. I realized early on that I must advocate for the experiences I wanted to gain / skills I wanted to build even when they weren’t inherently part of my job description. These stretches often led to expanded responsibility and leadership opportunities.”

Advice for young professionals:

1) “For one, I think there is something to be learned in every experience. It may not be initially obvious, but varied experiences along the product development lifecycle will tee you up for great success. I have found that asking “why” is a great first step.”

2) “Build process: Research and experiment with different (existing) frameworks that work for you and your environment. There is often no need to re-invent the wheel, but experiment with and tweak them. This will give you confidence and structure when working with various stakeholders.”

3) “Building people skills early on will set you up for success. Even if you’re not quite at the managerial level, I would try to get involved with internship programs at your company to seek out mentorship or co-management opportunities.”

4) “For first product hires, or Heads of Product at small or high-growth companies, the ability to comfortably wear many hats will especially be an asset!”

5) “Finally, find mentors and managers that will support you in your goals, even if they don’t immediately align with theirs.”