Rachel speaks!
Rachel, how do I switch my specialty?
By Rachel
Mar 28, 2008 - 1:05:16 AM

Dear Rachel,
How do you transition to another specialty within an agency after 10-plus years in a specialized field?-- Itchy Feet

Dear Itchy,
This question has an easy and short answer. It is almost impossible to make the switch.

That was the unguarded response of my media friends when I first posed this question. There is a longer and more nuanced answer, but keep in mind that their first reply, though off the record, probably was the more honest one.

The problem is that media, like so many other areas of business, is divided into fields of expertise. The inclination through one's career is to become more adept in one's field, more specialized. And the more specialized one becomes in one area, the less specialized in all others.

Switching specialties becomes less and less of an option.

"Moving across department lines is always difficult, and after 11 years it's even more so," one New York media person tells me. "The advertising industry is made up of silos--creative, account, strat planning, media planning, media buying, etc. You can build a media agency, full-service shop or creative only by mixing and matching the different silos.

“The downside is that each of these departments has their own (mostly) self-contained set of skills and function. So the longer you stay in one silo (department), the more specialized your skills and abilities are and the fewer options exist to switch over."

A simple way of looking at it is this: How easy would it be for someone from a different department to step into your shoes?

Also, keep in mind the dynamics of your agency. No one stands to gain from you moving from one specialty area to another.  Your old department is suddenly short one very experienced hand, and your new department is stuck with a senior person at a high salary who needs to be trained from the ground up.

But interestingly there is one sure way to transition to other areas of media, though it's probably not something you've thought of. That's to move up the ladder.

Keep in mind that everything comes together at the top. As one moves up the ladder, one gains purview over an increasingly wider range of specialties. More and more of these silos, as our New York friend calls them, begin reporting to you.

But even then you will not become an expert in these other areas. You will be gaining understanding of how they work in the whole scheme of things, and your job will be understanding them all well enough to make them work smoothly together.

The question you must answer is whether this is what you want to do.

Many people are happiest burrowing deeper and deeper into their areas of expertise and get downright uncomfortable working across areas where they feel in the dark and dependent on others to show the way.

If you are a committed specialist, this is not the way for you. Realize that if you do choose to change your specialty, you stand to pay a steep price. You'll be starting your career over, in a sense.

But if you feel comfortable managing, you should be making that clear to your supervisors. Spend time understanding the work they do. Look to take on assignments that take you out of your area and allow you to show off your ability to pick up new skills quickly.

Especially keep an eye out for emerging areas where others are reluctant to wade in.