The MFA’s NGEN Award gives media agency executives with less than five years’ experience the opportunity to create positive impact by using their core skills: strategic thinking, creativity, storytelling and media execution expertise. NGENers were this year invited to respond to a brief for youth mental health organisation Batyr.
AdNews presents, Meet the NGEN Award Finalists: Alice-Maree Raitt, Media Strategist, Carat
How long have you been in the industry?
I’ve in the industry for four years and at Carat for a year and a half.
What attracted you to working in a media agency? Was this always the plan?
Despite studying media at university, I didn’t really have a concept of what a media agency was until I was three months into my first role. Safe to say, working in a media agency wasn’t always the plan. I thought I was going to finish my PhD and become an academic. I think what attracted me to working in agencyland was being able to make a tangible impact in a short amount of time and the creativity that came with solving those problems.
What were your greatest lessons from the experience of entering the NGEN Award?
My greatest lesson was not letting your perfectionism stand in your way. It’s way better to submit something that you’re 80% happy with than to not submit something at all. The reality is you’ll never be 100% happy with your own work. I think it was also a lesson in not shying away from feedback, understanding other people’s perspective on a topic or idea is what will make the output shine.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
The people! So many of my closest friends are people I’ve met through working in media. The industry attracts a certain kind of person, I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly that is, but I know for sure that it’s my kind of person.
What does the MFA industry purpose of ‘We Are The Changers’ mean to you?
I always think that in the media industry we’re holding up a mirror to society, yet we also have a lot of influence in what that reflection looks like. I think We Are The Changers means not forgetting the power we have and making sure it’s being put towards good.
Where do you plan to be in five years’ time?
I hope that in five years’ time I’ll be passing the baton on and be mentoring young talent in the industry the same way that I’ve had brilliant and generous mentors over the past four years.
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.