On paper, you’re an early twenty-something somewhere near the bottom of the ladder in the weird and wonderful world we call media. You might have a degree of some sort. You may even have a couple of years experience under your belt on a range of client categories. Looking pretty good...right?
Guess what? They all do.
On paper in the early days, we whipper-snappers can look all too similar when trying to get to that next level. So the question begs – how do we stand out from the crowd? How do we show both current and potential employers, colleagues and workmates that we’re the ones to watch?
We’ve all known the people that get a job in media, fulfil their job description, sail along relatively smoothly and don’t really cause any waves – good or bad. But what happens to those people? I couldn’t tell you. Generally I can’t remember their names.
Then on the other hand, we know the ones who are always in our faces - the ones we’re always hearing about for so many reasons. Whether it is those who are famous for ruthless negotiations, the ones that enter every media brief competition, or the one that is always the first to get up and do karaoke at a media event, those names travel quickly.
Because as we in media all know, people love to talk. And perhaps more importantly, our reputations so often precede us.
So what has become necessary to ensure we don’t get lost in a sea of grey and become just another seat-warmer? Well, I look around to the people I hear about all the time to answer this question. They’re entering competitions. They’re asking questions in meetings. They’re volunteering for leadership positions over and above their job description and they’re always overflowing with ‘get-up-and-go’. These people are the ones who are making sure that when their name is mentioned, people know about them and why.
However it’s not all about doing the extra hours or trying to out-perform those around you. Often it’s something completely different (but just as important), like being the life of every party and a social-butterfly. We all know the importance of networking and a relationship, so being able to connect with our colleagues, media reps and those at other agencies is absolutely critical if we want to survive in this industry long-term.
So here’s a parting thought. Take on that extra-curricular assignment. Speak your mind, stand up and be counted. Because these are the things which you often can’t put on paper, but will be worth much more than just being another lemming.
But remember – being known as “that person” that threw up their noodle-box and champagne at 3pm at the Melbourne Cup doesn’t count.
Jeremy McNamara
MediaCom