Talent Pitch is an AdNews initiative to help industry professionals, during COVID-19, to display their skills and experience. Contact AdNews at adnews@yaffa.com.au if you would like to be included.
Prue Reynolds is a media investment manager/buyer:
What’s your best skill to show off?
My organisation skills are very strong, but that sounds a bit generic and would apply to many people. So for something a little different, I have a really strong memory, not only in the work environment but for random things as well (and yes, I love trivia!). I could still tell you some of the product and colour codes from my time at Pacific Brands, even though I haven’t worked there for five years! And people are always amazed when I rattle of facts about a musician or tell them what shows/movie an actor has been in.
Having a good memory comes in handy at work as it allows me to learn new systems quickly (and then teach others), remember and pay attention to details, and (in combination with organisations skills) means I can easily juggle a variety of tasks.
What do you like most about your work?
I love the people side of everything I do – clients, suppliers, colleagues, everyone in the “supply chain” – and working together to achieve the best results. Those relationships are not only important to high performing teams but also can be pivotal in job satisfaction.
I also quite enjoy reporting. Seeing the results of your efforts in a campaign, being able to analyse what worked, and then putting it all into a pretty presentation (I am a little pedantic about neat formatting, and also find it oddly satisfying!).
Examples of campaigns/work
Most of my media career has been in property and entertainment. In property, a couple of fascinating development campaigns I contributed to are Yarrabend and Perth Hub. In entertainment, I was involved in campaigns such as Harry Potter & The Cursed Child and Billy Elliot – both of which I was so lucky to be given the opportunity to see just before COVID hit.
Outside of campaigns, I have always tried to look at how to do things better, whether that be exploring processes and systems to be more efficient or setting up tracking/WIP documents for better maintenance of activity, for example. I have often found myself a natural “go-to” person for help, whether from existing colleagues or to train new colleagues.
Something about yourself that few know
I’m a very open book, so there isn’t much that only a few people would know, unless you don’t actually know me. So instead, just some fun facts:
- I’ve lived in four Australian states (WA, TAS, QLD & VIC) and two other countries (NZ & UK);
- I went to boarding school for years 8-12;
- I have a passion for craft beer, thanks to my dad starting a brewery when I was eleven;
- I’ve had a side hustle for the past seven years working in the Corporate Suites at the MCG (which I’m definitely missing this year!). I love sport so. It has been pretty awesome to be paid to be there for seven grand finals, four Boxing Day Tests, Mens ODI World Cup, Womens T20 World Cup and a couple of State of Origins!
What did the pandemic do for you?
I was working as a media investment manager at Amplifi (DAN). The client I looked after is in the entertainment industry, which of course came to a grinding halt. We were able to find things to work on for a couple of months after advertising stopped. But with no idea of when live performances will be able to resume, it was not sustainable and my role was made redundant.
I love working in media and would hope to continue on this path. While I would like to be back working sooner rather than later, I also don’t want to apply for, or accept, a role that doesn’t feel right, simply out of fear of being unemployed for too long. So other than keeping my eye on the job situation, I have been doing some online learning, going for daily walks plus a couple of bike rides, relearning French and piano, a fair bit of cooking, reading a few books and possibly watching a little too much Netflix and Stan.
In five years, I want to be …
Happy, healthy and hopefully in a bigger apartment or house! Work-wise, I hope to be in a job I enjoy, continually improving my knowledge and skills, and making a positive difference for both clients and colleagues.
I try not to be too specific with my life goals as you never know what opportunities may come your way or what challenges life may throw at you so I think it’s good to remain open and flexible. That being said, if you don’t have dreams, they’ll never come true!
Prue Reynolds' LinkedIn profile.
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