This story was brought to you by the AdNews jobs board...
Media’s a tough gig, right? That’s what Jacqui Morris was afraid of. But nine months ago, the graphic designer and IT systems administrator said yes to a job as a digital media assistant at Maxus anyway.
On April 20, she was asked to take a picture about her job in media. (Apparently, her leap of faith paid off.) She was also given up to 150 words to describe it. "Media is all about change, it is about changing people, changing perceptions and making sure that we're keeping pace with this change,"
she wrote in her Humans of Media entry.
Want what Jacqui’s having? Here are some good things to know.
Charlie Murdoch, marketing director, The Newspaper Works
1. Why is it good to be in media right now?
Technology and heritage, in equal measure. Tech, because it’s enabling awesome experiences for the audience. It’s also opening up exciting ways for the industry to feed the public’s insatiable appetite for content. Heritage. It underpins so many successful brands. Media brands are no different.
2. What would you do to attract the hottest talent?
Pitch a role for what it is and could be. Overselling it is selfish.
3. What makes someone 'hot talent' for you?
Initiative and ambition. The rest can be learned.
JJ Eastwood, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Rocket Fuel
1. Why is it good to be in media right now?
It's only good to be in media right now if you enjoy constant change and you are prepared to hustle. We are right in the midst of a revolution, with every medium and platform being challenged by a constant stream of new entrants to the market. There will be winners and plenty of losers, but in my opinion this is the most exciting time to be in media ever.
2. What would you do to attract the hottest talent?
The best talent are those who want to make a difference, so you need to provide them with an opportunity to do that - whether that's a platform that can transform how media is bought or a platform that transforms the way people consume media i.e. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, Pandora etc. Talented people want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
3. What makes someone 'hot talent' for you?
Honesty, integrity, humility, thick skin and hustle. In that order. Being smart is table stakes these days, so I believe you win the talent jackpot when you find someone who has thick enough skin to hustle their ass off every day but at the same time always acts with humility, honestly and integrity.
Venessa Hunt, mobile strategy and advertising manager, Yahoo7
1. Why is it good to be in media right now?
Change. It really doesn't seem all that long ago that we sourced information from just four TV channels and a printed newspaper. Fast internet access wasn’t affordable unless you were a major corporate or government department and mobile phones were futuristic devices that "would never take off”. Fast forward to today and we have more choice than ever before about how, when and where we access the media we want. Media has become about two way conversations and engagement. How could you not love being part of that?
2. What would you do to attract the hottest talent?
We are focused on being visible in market through participation, innovation and thought leadership.
We also focus on attracting the right people to our organisation. Everyone has talent, and there isn’t a universal standard for ‘hot talent’ but we try to be very clear on the traits and competencies that the most successful people in our organisation have in common. We focus on out-of-the-box thinkers that will push the boundaries of change and keep driving our business forward.
3. What makes someone 'hot talent' for you?
For me, it’s all about hunger and thirst. The hunger for knowledge and the thirst to be proactive and find information. The drive to self-start, up-skill and challenge yourself. Knowledge can be taught, attitude can’t.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.