68 tips for junior strategists to add value on the job
Being a junior strategist isn’t easy. And sometimes it isn’t clear how to keep adding value on the job.
We get asked this question all the time. So we asked our team, and a few other strategists, for their hottest tips.
And, in no particular order, here they are!
It’s not your role to *crack* the brief. Help frame things for the team.
Don't just research stuff. Build a story around the stuff you research.
Make the titles of your presentations tell the story. Helps with clarity.
Read sources others don't. It will help you have a different point of view.
Share early and often. Getting buy-in along the way is part of the gig.
Take notes in every meeting. Help summarise possible opportunities.
Focus on what the work should achieve, not what the answer should be.
Read, watch, listen, consume widely. And weirdly. It all adds up.
Don't obsess with the boxes of a framework. Nail the content of the boxes.
Remember there are no absolute answers. Context is more important than theory.
Consider a creative side project. It helps you show your thinking.
Have a point of view on the world. Not just a point of view on strategy.
Study how creativity works. It will help you, and others, think better.
Assume your boss will have 30 minutes. Make decisions easy for them.
Remember: a critique on the work is not a critique on your worth.
Speak to people who don't work on a project. Helps with perspective.
Keep a folder of key reference documents. This will save you time.
Make friends within the team. Creative projects thrive on chemistry.
Avoid presenting everything you found. Stay focused on the problem.
Write your outline in a word document. Decks create the illusion of clarity.
Write exec summaries to your research. It will help you and others focus.
Practise saying it in fewer words.
Don't worry about not knowing something. Worry about knowing how to find out.
Find someone to talk things through. Especially if you feel stuck.
Try to add value in less sexy projects. Your boss will thank you.
Don't just repackage client briefs. Write in terms of consumer problems.
Don't just explain what's happening. Explain why you think it's happening.
Don't just summarise findings. Give clear next steps as you see them.
Embrace your weirdness. It's your superpower.
Take the work seriously. Don't take yourself too seriously.
There's no single answer. Context and team buy-in are everything.
Have friends who don't work in the industry. Also helps with perspective.
Read great books on the field. This list is a good start.
Read great books outside of the field. Especially if it’s stuff no one else is reading.
Write your arguments in numbered lists. It helps keep a sense of flow.
Remember: your work is not your only source of worth.
Don’t use words you'd struggle to explain. Simplicity is your friend.
Read the client brief several times. Highlight and annotate.
Don’t try to be right, try to be useful. The 'right' part will come.
Summarise, summarise, summarise. Make the complicated simple.
Don’t worry if your boss doesn’t use your work. Strategy is about choices.
Proactive and wrong is often better than passive and right. Get out there.
Try to write the strategy behind work you love. Practise is your friend.
Attend as many events as possible. Take notes back to the team.
If you’re not already, become a Group Think member. 👀
Pick a blind spot in your agency, and make that your speciality.
Don’t speak for the sake of it in meetings. When you do, bring clarity and empathy.
Don't just research stuff. Experience it. Live with the brand. Live in that consumer’s world, at least for a little while.
Study the difference between business, marketing and communications objectives.
Talk the same language as your client. Sounds obvious, but clients talk in growth, penetration, sales.
Read competitor and client financial reports to understand growth areas, challenges and opportunities.
Understand how the client wants to receive information. Sometimes it’s slides. Sometimes email. Sometimes a quick chat.
Know that people senior to you also experience impostor syndrome. It’s normal, and doesn’t really go away.
Start a personal black book, filling it with amazing minds to know, interview or connect with.
Don’t narrate your slides. The deck isn’t the presentation, it’s a prop. You’re the presentation!
Finish your research with a "so what?". What are the implications for the brand? If you're not sure, structure it as a debate.
Keep a table for each of your clients. Have 3 columns in the table: 'observation', 'insight', 'action'. Keep filling this in. It might not have it all filled out right now, but over time it helps you sharpen your thinking.
Offer to work on pitches. They can be a hotbed of creativity and opportunity.
Keep chatting with creatives. Make friends with them. Ask what they want, and need, from you.
The best strategists are creative, so practise being creative. In whatever shape or form.
Know when to stop working and shut your brain off. A refreshed brain thinks more clearly.
Offer to make trends and inspiration sessions for the team. This will help you beef up your presentation skills.
Follow people on social media that don’t look or think like you. Document the things they talk about.
Spend time speaking to ‘observers’. For example, if researching parents and kids, speak to the grandparents.
Find a way to keep a steady stream of random ideas coming your way. Do weekly summaries of what you get.
Look at online forums and reviews. See what people perceive of a brand or category. Take lots of notes.
Find a mentor. Keep that relationship going. Long-term relationships in the industry are golden.
Remember to not take yourself too seriously. It’s just strategy.
Thank you to everyone’s who’s contributed to this list, including Natasha, Colin, Colleen, Carl, Pollyanna, Jesper, Amy, Mark, Amie, Dave, Molly, Francois, Rosie, David, Andrew, Uri, Nina, Craig, Pallavi, Casey, Joana and Catherine. You’re the best.
Want to come to our strategy events and discuss more stuff like this? Become a Group Think member below. It’s all free.
