Fluid Commerce is unique in that our performance marketing team is almost 100% female. In celebration of this fact, and to highlight this year’s International Women’s Day, we asked a few members of the team to walk us through their experience of being a woman in this male-dominated industry.
With wise words from:
- Rachel Blackburn – Amazon Marketing Strategist
- June Gil – Head of Paid Search
- Chloe Ashcroft – Paid Social Executive
- Georgia Sunderland – PPC Executive
- Hannah Reyes – Amazon Account Manager
What’s the best bit about your job?
Hannah – “Seeing immediate results for my efforts and seeing how big of an impact my work can actually have in a business. It also feels great when a client acknowledges the work that I do. It’s small things like that which makes the job worthwhile. 🙂 Amazon is also still growing so it is exciting to see and follow the changes and its evolution through the years. I mean, do you remember when it used to only sell books?”
Rachel – “I love the diversity of my workload. It sounds cliche, but every day is completely different, which means I’m constantly learning and evolving. It also helps that our client roster is very varied. In the morning I could be researching the skincare industry on Amazon and in the afternoon I’ll be making bid changes for a food & beverage client.”
Georgia – “Previously, I have worked mainly with men, it is lovely to be able to work on an all women’s team! In terms of the job, I would say the best bit is talking to customers and maintaining positive relationships.”
Would you recommend your job to other people?
June – “I would, it combines a lot of different elements, from creativity and strategic thinking, to client facing and thought leadership. Anyone who wants a varied role and problem solving would enjoy this type of work.”
Hannah – “For sure. There is a lot of growth potential here and it’s not going to go away! People are probably tired of hearing about the pandemic but since it happened, a lot of businesses realised the value of digital connectivity with their consumers. How were they going to stay in business if their customers cannot go to the physical stores? Because of that, there is a sudden shift to digital operations. Amazon, for example, makes it easy to shift products because they can store and ship the products for you. However, not everyone is aware of how to put their products on Amazon or has the time to invest in researching how. So the demand for skilled professionals who can ease that transition and guide them to success increased. If you like ecommerce, Amazon is definitely one of, if not the hottest sales channel right now.”
How do you think women in your field are perceived?
Chloe – “I think we are changing perceptions year by year as there are a lot more women in senior roles. However, I do think we have to prove ourselves more when we do have the opportunity than others may have to.”
June – “There are a lot of women working in the industry and I think that’s helped normalise our presence and prove that we have a lot to offer in these roles, even if they have been very male heavy historically. Some of the best teams I’ve worked with were made up of women. Being in leadership positions is also having an impact.”
Rachel – “The intrinsic nature of marketing means that the industry as a whole is very progressive, in my opinion. Thankfully I have never experienced sexism or prejudice in my professional life, and I’m very proud of the Fluid performance marketing team being female-heavy. However, as a white, cis-gender woman I appreciate that my experiences don’t vouch for everyone.”
Do you think there are any barriers to women pursuing a career in your field?
Hannah – “Not anymore I think. I mean here in Fluid for example, the women outnumber the men in the performance team! I believe, in this digital age, the emphasis has moved towards skills and attitude. However, I do get that in certain countries there is still a struggle for women to pursue a career in business in general – before we even get a job, employers would think about factors like us having kids, the level of commitment to work, even the husband’s opinion! I always say… behind every woman’s success is a long list of shattered stereotypes.”
June – “I think barriers are not so prominent anymore, although there are still some companies where they are more noticeable. Sometimes it also feels like this is a female-only issue, with men not wanting to get involved as they feel like they might be made to be wrong – but having their support would help massively.”
Chloe – “Potentially, I do think it depends on the company and employer and their ethics though. If you find the right team who encourages you to achieve and helps you grow and it doesn’t hurt if they’re all women like mine.”
What advice would you give someone who is looking to work in your field?
Hannah – “Upskill. Tech is such a massive area with a lot of moving parts that are connected to each other. So there is a lot to learn and a lot of valuable skills to pick up. Another big one is when applying for a job, make sure you do research on the company’s culture as well. It’s a deciding factor that has moved up my list in the past year. We want to make money and be happy with what we are doing and where we are”
June – “Take advantage of every learning opportunity you can – being good at what you do and taking pride on that is the best argument for our presence in the industry. Get support, there are a lot of Women in Tech groups where you can find allies. Also, if you end up working in a place where you don’t feel supported, acknowledged or valued, leave. There are plenty of companies out there that will appreciate your skills.”
Georgia – “Sometimes you may have to work harder than the men in the company to get where you want to be, but there is many opportunities to grow and be the boss!”
Chloe – “The tech industry changes daily so make sure to keep up to date with industry news and updates and don’t be afraid to retrain and learn something new.”
Rachel – “Confidence is key and I’m a firm believer of the mantra ‘fake it until you make it’. Doubting yourself can be a real setback, especially in such a liberal industry where clients buy into people and stories. You have just as much right to be here as anybody else.”
Your career at Fluid Commerce
We’re always on the lookout for talented, ambitious people to join our team. Take a look at our Careers page for the latest opportunities.