The Professional Career of Women in Advertising Agencies: Limitations, Challenges, and Best Practices

Abstract

Introduction. The incorporation of women into the advertising sector has been a tangible reality for several decades. However, the existence of a “glass ceiling” remains, seemingly hindering women from attaining executive positions and influencing specialization, with a low presence of women in creative roles. This is further compounded by the presence of the “impostor syndrome,” where women tend to undervalue their creative abilities and self-limit their involvement in certain areas of the advertising process. Objective. The objective focuses on identifying the limitations and challenges of women’s career paths in the field of advertising. Methodology. The research is based on interviews with professionals in the province of Pontevedra. An initial desk research phase is conducted to extract existing data on the presence of women in advertising companies. This is followed by fieldwork collecting testimonies from women currently developing their professional careers. These exploratory interviews lead to a qualitative analysis of limitations, challenges, and best practices. Results. The findings reveal that while women have relatively easy access to a sector already considered feminized, there is still significant complexity in entering certain roles. This difficulty tends to decrease when women launch their own initiatives and entrepreneurial projects. The existence of informal women’s networks within the sector is also highlighted, as they contribute to mutual support among professionals. Nevertheless, limitations related to work-life balance and self-imposed restrictions still persist. Conclusions and Discussion. This work succeeds in organizing issues that, although present, have received little academic attention. Furthermore, it establishes the need to expand the study to other regions and to promote strategies that encourage greater equity in the advertising industry.