If you are the kind of person who is looking for out-of-the-box jobs in the media and advertising industry, mobile video advertising not only helps in opening lucrative career options but is also more creative as it breaks free from the traditional way of working, says Preetesh Chouhan
If there is one industry that is associated with creativity, breaking free of silos and typecast Key Performance Areas (KRA), it’s the advertising and media industry. Today, more than ever, there is a departure from traditional way of hiring and stereotypical job profiling. With a rapidly changing technological and marketing ecosystem, there is greater need for team players who can evolve from their pre-determined roles and move on to innovate and push forward method of working.
Therefore, there is a disruption in the industry in the way hiring is being done and in the way job roles are being moulded. In a culture of innovation and creativity, there isn’t any place for closed walls and fixed grids for talent to display. In mobile video advertising, KRAs are merely guidelines. The job profiles may be fairly conventional like sales and marketing, operations, business development etc but every employee is encouraged to innovate and provide strategies across departments.
The advantage most media and advertising-based firms have is that there is greater approachability across ranks. The working structures are less firm and more malleable allowing for greater interaction. In this scenario, best creative solutions surface. The media lab and international operations hub overlap in functionality across technology, R&D and innovation to deliver global solutions. There is no rigidity in terms of contribution and trespassing on other’s work profiles. Such a working environment leaves a lot of scope for defining one’s role in the organisaton. Since everyone is motivated to make suggestions across hierarchies and job roles, the sense of belonging to the company also gets enhanced.
Even when we look at hiring across levels, the emphasis in media and advertising firms is on the how the candidates can deliver to their best of the ability with creativity. Hence, this sector is one which is fast disposing off the established criteria for hiring.
Today, an Ivy league education and work experience in big firms is not one’s only ticket to a rewarding job. A special spark, a creative, out-of-the-box idea shared at the interview, a passion to perform are some of the qualities that are regarded very highly today and this is a change for the better. The ability to revive projects, iterate and keep focus between several threats and opportunities are critical in today’s well-connected and dynamic business space. The desire to learn surpasses any traditional parametres of success and the industry lends itself to those who want to walk the extra mile.
To constantly create a work environment where employees’ latent talents become visible is a top priority for most high-powered organisations today. Through videos, in-house events and games like the Hackathon where computer programmers and others involved in software development, including graphic designers, interface designers and project managers, collaborate intensively on software projects.
The participants come together to suggest ideas and form teams based on individual interests and skills. Such activities allow for a dual advantage. First, the employees from different teams get to collaborate and co-operate on a project with fresh perspectives and solutions. Second, the propensities and capabilities of employees that may not become apparent in their day-to-day tasks manifest during such events. This enables seniors and other colleagues to gauge their potential correctly and allow them to diversify their profiles in the future.
In the age of transformation and constant evolution, most human resource departments look for leaders who are also armed with the coveted quality of generosity. This is equally applicable to the creative industry. Besides appropriate education and work experience, the ability to give employees credit, knowledge, power, information, praise, responsibility and authority is very essential. This creates job profiles that are adaptive and where the performer takes ownership of the tasks assigned and of the company as a whole.
The capacity to bring up the truth and praise communities for the progress they make is a pre-requisite to make people reach beyond their job descriptions to support each other and for team members to celebrate each others’ success. Empowering communities and employees to progress is essential to keeping spirits high and productivity at its peak. Over the last few decades, creative jobs like content developers, animators, website designers, social media managers have been emerging very fast. Today, these profiles are not new any more. The trend of the future is going to be an overlapping of profiles and a creative approach to one’s KRA.
In a world where marketing and advertising work hand in hand, digital spaces are at par with traditional platforms of outreach, it is no longer possible for different divisions to work independently and in their own ivory towers. Constant co-operation and consistent stretching of department boundaries is of key importance. For employees of high calibre, high spirits and a thirst for growth, this industry is today in its most vibrant and promising phase.
Any job profile can be made rewarding and challenging with the correct attitude, an entrepreneurial approach to work and an optimal overstepping of traditional limitations. By creating mobile and online video rich advertising one can make a career path that is rewarding while allowing one to be innovative as well.
(The writer is vice-president, Asia-Pacific region, Vdopia Inc)