Dear
Rachel:
I’m in a media department but I’m not happy where I am. I’m
looking to make a move — job-wise, location wise, or maybe both. And
while I like media and want to stay in it, I don't want to climb up the
traditional agency ladder. I want something different. What are the most
promising media-related jobs right now, and where are the best
markets?
Want Outta Here
Dear
Outta:
I’m seeing a lot of these type questions these days, when because of
the topsy-turvy economy job prospects emerge or evaporate faster than
Fox reality shows.
The improving economy means there’s finally a bit of wiggle
room. If you're in media planning and buying, you no longer have the
sense that your top priority must be to hold on to the job you've got
and be happy you have it. People are again thinking longer-term about
their careers, and that's good.
But if you're thinking of getting out of the media department
into something related, where you can take advantage of your experience,
you've got to look beyond the usual grapevine of work friends that so
many rely on to find a new job.
Today I'll talk a bit about how to do that. Next week we'll look
at how you can do that in a different city if moving is also in your
plans.
To start your job search, I recommend
getting in touch with a media headhunter.
I talked a bit about headhunters last week, but it bears repeating: They
can serve as invaluable sources of information regarding the media job
market and how your skills and interests might best fit into it.
The key is to find a good one. The best way
to find someone reputable is through word-of-mouth.
Ask around at your office or among your colleagues in the media
industry. Chances are someone has used, or is at least acquainted
with, a headhunter who they can recommend.
But don't limit your search only to work mates and your contacts in the
marketplace. Look beyond. Go to the internet. Just type “media
headhunter” or “media recruiter” into any search engine. Scads of
recruiting agency web sites will pop up.
Obviously, time is a concern, so you don't want to attempt to
talk to every one of them, but you should talk to as many as you can.
Talk doesn't cost anything, and you can learn a lot from people you
won't end up using. Some can be a great help, others not so much, but
anyone you talk to is going to offer you some insight.
Whatever you do, don't sign on with the first one who has a warm
voice and seems interested in helping you. It could take months before
you realize that the warm, interested recruiter really can't help you.
Now to address your question a little more concretely.
You didn’t specify how many years of experience you have, and that can
make a big difference in terms of what might work for you in the current
job market.
Entry-level and junior media people may want to consider career tracks
that both encourage strategic thought and train them to better
understand and target the consumer. It's a level up from our traditional
notion of media planning.
“Integrated communications plans are the way clients are going, and
media professionals who understand the entire communications landscape
from the beginning are poised to be in the best seats down the road,”
says Karen Katz, principal of Forum Associates in New York.
Many agencies have now established positions such as “communications
strategist” or “communications specialist” – kind of the next
generation of media planner but bigger in scope.
Another area of media that's heating up is global. If you’re in the
early stages of your career, positions that steep you in international
media offer a promising future with the increasing globalization of
business. In 10 years, this trend, which has been going on for decades,
will have transformed the media industry.
Also, think big.
If you’re entry- or junior-level and looking into the fields of
planning, buying or research, train an eye toward the larger media
service organizations. They have filled the void left by the original
top-tier ad agencies and often possess the best resources to train fresh
faces.
Training doesn't exist as it used to, with all the
budget-cutting, so it's all the more valuable where it is available.
“These giants – agencies like Mediacom, Mediavest and Mindshare –
expose newcomers to the largest and most sophisticated of systems,
accounts, clients and personnel,” says Simmy Sussman of Sussman &
Morris Associates in New York.
Positions dealing with accountability issues are gaining momentum as
well and are a good bet for media people of all levels.
Companies recovering from the recession are going to be looking for
information and advice to avoid costly missteps and emerge relatively
unscathed from the financial wreckage. Research-oriented areas generally
encompass this concept of accountability.
If you have a few more years of experience under your belt and are
looking for more independence in your career, consider consulting. And
be innovative.
“Some media veterans have looked to create the next phase of their
destiny by trying to incorporate their passions into their new
careers,” says Sussman.
“Have a knowledge of fine wine? Become a fine wine marketing
consultant. Or turn your carpentry and homebuilding skills into a
contracting career.”
Is it media? Well, no. But it's still media-related, if
distantly. You're using skills you picked up in the media department in
your negotiating and marketing, which is the heart of any business.
Next
week we’ll talk about where to find that perfect new job. Hint: It’s
not just in New York City.
