The problem for media agencies looking to recruit graduates? They don’t know you exist

Hi Jacob…. been a while since our first class lounge visit in London :). Great work mate.

This is a fascinating but shocking reality – for 2014!

“We need someone who will work 80 hours a week, be proficient in everything, have 2.5 years of experience, and willing to earn as much as a waiter”

Well said. When I graduated from my media degree, I didn’t even realise that there was a whole industry of media agencies, marketing, or even creative agencies out there. I figured I had to either go into a media company (channel seven, nova, sca, etc.) or I was locked out of the industry! Insane, and I’m glad I managed to get my head around the actual way the media industry works, instead of getting discouraged and leaving the field like so many of my friends have.
I think part of the problem stems from the focus in media degrees on production. You spend multiple semesters learning how to use a camera (that is probably now absolete) or writing a blog, or holding a boom mike for student films, when the reality is that less than half will make films for a living, and the majority will be working in a sideline industry (production company, ad agency, creative agency, media agency, in house teams).
If I had been told in high school what marketing even was, or understood how advertising made it to air, I would have pursued it in university instead of misguidedly jumping into a comms/media degree and wasted three years holding booms for older students. For an industry that relies on promotion, they sure don’t do a good job of promoting themselves to their future staff!

the industry was and still is high jacked but a small select group of egos. They walk the halls with 6 figure salaries as if they are worth it and they’re responsible for the pitch wins.

It’s actually the 20 something year old who hasn’t seen their own family for the last 2 months, missed out on a mate’s birthday dinner, drinks 6 cups of coffee a day and is still buying 85 cents bread from woolies who won the winning pitch yet still gets very little recognition at the end of the day.

What should be spelled out to every graduate before they enter the industry is – it’s not what you know it’s who you know….

@industry amen, nailed it on the head

very interesting piece – shows how our HR and marketing efforts towards graduate staff are woeful as a general industry (putting groupM’s efforts aside)

We need agencies to get creative, do some marketing, to a defined target audience.
We even have the advantage of knowing where the target audience is.

Shouldn’t be hard, one would think given our skillset ..

Leo Burnett’s collaboration with Diageo for The Nest providing internships October through December must also be worthy of mention.

A main issue is timing and lack of commitment from the industry. Top grad programs, mainly from our clients, recruit early in the year, attend graduate career fairs and once they offer a job to a top grad it’s a full time position. An internship is not a job.

Familiar with this issue, two young graduates launched a site called The Footnotes (www.thefootnotes.com.au) in April this year aiming to bring clarity for grads.

The site is always looking for more content – and any media professionals are encouraged to contribute and teach grads ‘real’ things about the industry.

I graduated with distinction from university and landed a job as a Media Assistant at OMD yet had NO IDEA what they did or how they fit into the wider media-marketing landscape. I felt ashamed and frustrated. University teaches you how to learn but doesn’t teach you nearly enough to prepare you for work.

Great article Jacob, looking forward to working with you!

I agree- Universities do nowhere near enough to educate their students on people and companies within the media & where they can find work- it is all too focused on the Academic side of things. Before I got into my media role- I barely had any idea on the real functions of the industry and important industry voices- after 5 years of studying. Great story- Thanks Jacob

Well done Jacob for sharing your experience.
Also, well done Group M for continuing their work with the MGrad program.

I looked at the Footnotes site mentioned by Samantha at 1.49 pm- Its gold !
We need more ‘ real ‘ initiatives like this that aren’t out just to monetise their content but to guide our Grads through the ‘So now …what next phase ‘.

Gail Kelly, CEO of Westpac did an Arts degree majoring in Latin and Modern History and became a teacher. In other words she learnt how to become a rigorous thinker. A bank recognised her skills and nurtured her. Another businessmen I met who owned a very big private company mentored a classics student and groomed him to become his successor and CEO. Perhaps it is time for unis to get rid of not very challenging media degrees and reinvigorate learning with well resourced Arts degrees. Armed with a good degree then the industry can train them and they’ll learn fast. Back to the future. I can just see all those university academics trying to justify mickey mouse vocational degrees if an inquiry was launched.

Client side young Jacob only a fool would work for an agency

The problem is Jacob you went to the wrong university. If you and many of those commenting on your story had come to Charles Sturt University not only would you have learnt about the media agency its role in the communications mix and how it works you would also have studied channel planning and faced the task of creating a full blown media campaign (we do this in second year). If you were good enough you may have been selected as a team member to participate in the International Advertising Associations intervarsity ‘Big Idea’ competition for Legacy Australia.CSU and 7 other universities including UTS, UWS, UCS, RMIT, AAD, VU,UC. participated and their response to the issued brief were judged by the IAA members, the client and the agency of account (Clemenger BBDO). CSU won, which made it 9 /12 times the contest has been run . So Jacob don’ tar all graduates with your brush. Do your research. Ask any CSU grad did they know about the world of media.You’ll get a resounding yes To the graduate at OMD you can ask the persons sitting next to you, They most probably went to CSU.

Whilst I get that a lot of universities neglect selling media, the universities that run quality advertising courses (such as CSU and UNSW) actually do a great job of educating students on the industry. Likewise, any agency worth its salt has relationships with universities to get the best fresh talent (with my agency having mutually beneficial arrangements with both those unis).

The problem is, there are too many lazy universities who are not proactive enough in updating their curriculum to have genuine real-world relevance (most still rock Kotler textbooks and talk about the AIDA model, haha), and most agencies are happy recruiting through, as @industry highlighted, people they know…Unfortunately I don’t think this is a problem that will be solved in the short-term.

“graduates know sweet fa about anything”

well, stop the presses!

the only thing that’s changed is that they can now bleat about it on blogs and social

we used to view it as a learning opportunity and soak up as much knowledge as we could

It beggars belief that some of you are complaining about the industry not spending enough time and money marketing itself to you

Gen Y must be the least resourceful and pro-active of the generations

1. you have the interwebs at your fingertips. USE IT

2. get off your bums, cold call execs and buy them a coffee. There’s very few people who will knockback genuine ‘fact-finding’ from grads. They’re usually happy to help and feel flattered that their industry position is acknowledged

3. accept that the information vacuum you decry is why “industry experience” is highly valued. No industry has a website explaining “everything a grad needs to know”

Hah! Too true.

I honestly didn’t really know these places existed until 7+ years into my career. It shocks me now, but it’s true. A degree in Communications with majors in PR (hons) and Marketing and THAT is the reality. Can you imagine the eye opener that was! I only wish I was joking.

A bit too much angst and arrogance from you up there David Maxwell but I agree – CSU – doing it right. Thumbs up to the course, thumbs down to the attitude you’re running; did CSU teach you that, too?

Thumbs up also to ‘The Footnotes’ – great.

Must agree with Mr Maxwell above. I went to QUT and media companies were quite active in our curriculum. Only took me 8 years after leaving to find an actual media job though..

David @ 3.17pm
The problem isn’t just in universities though – sure CSU have a great program, but I’m in Melbourne. No one was talking about any CSU courses down here when I was choosing my degree, it was all about RMIT’s comms degrees and studying Art at Melbourne Uni. I didn’t even know what marketing was until I got to university, and how a media agency worked until I finished my ‘vocational’ media degree.
People won’t apply for the right degrees if they don’t know they’re there. There are plenty of burnt out grads in traditional ‘arts’ subjects who were led to believe they could be journalists, screenwriters and more who have all the skills to be great media planners…they just don’t know it’s out there or how to get into the industry.

As a media recruiter who has placed many graduates into both the publisher and agency landscape, I can confirm there are definitely two sides to every story.

On one hand there is an education system that is trying to sell courses to as many students as possible and appear sexy, which also satisfies the demand and supply of roles; on the other hand there is the naive graduate who is leaving school and unaware of all the career possiblities. Theses problems will never changed.

Many people have found their way to the media agencies and publishers of this world through perseverance, relationships and luck. And I know the MFA do a great job trying to get in front of graduates who have elected communication courses (and now Mathematics, Economics, Engineering, Statistics, Physics, etc.) . The problem is the course offers so little insight into the billion dollar industry of trading media. It has historically tended to focus on PR, Journalism, Production, Advertising and Media (more about who owns what).

I have sat with many a graduate and explained the process of buying and selling and watched as their eyes light up as I ask do you think you would be interested in such a role. But there have also been graduates who are not interested and prefer PR and journalism. Its horse for courses and its every graduates responsibility to investigate your career path from both a financial and job satisfaction point of view.

I don’t think there is a lack of knowledge about the industry , but more a lack of passion and definitely financial reward for graduates. Perhaps they go hand in hand.

The most important thing is to make the most of your opportunity, be resilient through the tough times and celebrate the wins. This may only be a path to something else you didn’t know about.

@David. You would hope attending the “School of Communication and creative industries” you would learn about Media agencies. I think the point of this article is that there are many graduates who do degrees in business, science and maths (I was one of these) who don’t know anything about the industry and the industry does little to recruit these grads. As agencies place more emphasis on data and digital these grads have the skills many are looking for.

Well said David. Many media agencies and the MFA have reached out to Universities to create a connection and expand the knowledge of their graduates over the last decade. Much of the connection comes down to the effort of the few for the good of the wider industry. Macquarie has been for many years very hard to get in to in order to create a relationship and connection with agencies and the industry. Same goes for UNSW & Sydney University. The lecturers of these Universities with more academic focus have different priorities. CSU, UTS, UWS, TAFE, Macleay in the past have had strong connections and their students have benefitted with additional knowledge of media and creative agencies leading to them securing positions in the industry through internship and graduate programs.

Does anyone grow up saying: “Mummy I want to be in advertising!” ????

I know many people say they want to be an: Accountant, Architect, Interior Designer, Engineer, Lawyer, Surgeon, Teacher.

However:
– Account (Exec / Manager / Director)
– Graphic Designer / Creative Director (why weren’t you an artist or a director of feature films?)

Are we not all just a bunch of blaggers in this sector?

Lets face it, a mediocre lawyer can probably make more coin in the ‘advertising industry’ than if they pursued a career at a law firm, (as long as they possess a bit of ‘blag’).

Similar with the recruitment industry, although there are transformations going on with the people side of businesses today (about time too)!

I have a feeling that market is closed for foreign … I have worked for 7 years as a media planner and media buyer in Brazil and I’ve been looking for a job as media buyer for 3 months by recruitment agencies… I havent get any luck so far… I am happy to work 24hs a day, get paid as a waitress.. and do the job that no one wants to do.. even that I havent found a job even as a assistant… If you can help me to find that amazing industry that you are talking about please send me a email: lucenas@hotmail.com, thank you….

There are a lot of industries that aren’t promoted. What’s wrong with discovering? Attracting people to advertising isn’t the problem whether it’s creative, media, PR, social etc….it’s keeping the good ones.

I’d like to recognise all the hard work Linda Wong of the MFA has put in to developing the courses and content for media degrees.

While the number of tertiary institutions utilising that material is increasing it is not universal.

To all those who (correctly) bemoan the lack of knowledge of media agencies here’s a suggestion. Contact your alma mater and alert them to the fact that all the material they need is already available to plug into their degree streams. And imagine how much poorer the situation would be without the fabulous Linda Wong!

Here’s a list of institutions involved.

http://mediafederation.org.au/.....ourses-0#5

Perhaps graduates are seeing through the gloss veneer and realising there really is no career path in media agencies. Just look at any staff photo and its clear to see that careers fall off a cliff over the age of 30 ‘ish.

Those that do enter a media agency slave away for little money, working excessive hours to gain experience that is then kicked to the kerb far too early. A few have their time in the sun but it is very short lived. The majority are there for a good time but certainly not for a long time.

Then the cycle starts again. There are a bunch of new lemmings ready and willing to run towards the edge of the cliff. The same applies across all agencies of every kind with the poor excuse being that we are an industry that thrives on young fresh ideas and young thinking. We hire bright new things and stamp a use-by date on them when they commence.

Graduates…look around and ask around and you’ll see its true. Don’t bother. Do something more useful with your life. Agencies will only burn you out and trash you!

Nice work Jacob!

Isa offering to work 24 hours a day for $17 an hour does not help, and is part of the reason so many interns and so called work experience people are exploited. Apply for jobs and showcase your skills, but do not work for free, as the next kid walking in the door has to follow you and he has to pay bills and feed himself. Look at yourself to see why you cannot get a job. Pathetic.

If you were a marketing graduate from a top university, you may face this decision: work in a client side (or public sector) role on as much as twice pay as an agency (and have a balanced lifestyle and career opportunities), or work for less money and longer hours in an industry with a high “churn” rate? What advice would you give your child in this career choice?
To correct an earlier post from Carolyn: Sydney University Business School marketing communications students are theoretically and practically equipped to work in agencies and client side: they learn and use real-world industry software and data (& etc) and benefit from several guest lecturers from industry. Members of industry are consulted with the content and planning of the subject each year. Assessment is focused on commercial problems and the knowledge needed to solve those problems (rather than charity work). We are deeply indebted to industry for all of their support for marketing communications (and other subjects), and we actively seek opportunities to engage with industry (even students who work client-side will likely engage with and perhaps eventually appoint agencies). As one example of our engagement with industry, we are presently working with an agency to develop a relevant topic and support mechanism for a 2015 honours student who interned at that agency, and had the best ever experience. We think we can add value to that agency’s knowledge in certain areas, plus launch a really bright student’s career by applying theory and research to a real world issue. We are always looking for ways to improve our subject materials: that is why we undertake and present research at academic conferences, attend industry conferences and periodically catch-up with alumni and friends working in the industry.

We thank Jacob who is studying a Business Admin and Psychology program
for his comments about Mumbrella’s 360, one-day seminar.

At Macquarie University, we have many extensive media programs such as the Bachelor of Arts-Media, the Bachelor of Marketing Media, as well as Bachelor degrees that allow students to major in Interactivity & Games, Performance and Media, Communications & Cultural Studies – all of which entail both theoretical and applied learning.

These programs stretch over 13 weeks with both intensive lectures and tutorials. But more importantly, these programs are purposefully designed to blend both academic rigour with industry experience through internships, case studies, and industry-based projects. For instance, in the Bachelor of Arts-Media, there is a capstone unit that actively involves industry speakers in both its teaching and assessment – every single week. These speakers are drawn from the gamut of media industries, including commercial television, radio and print, community-based media, and NGOs. Speakers are high profile and successful; one such speaker was Tim Burrows, founder of Mumbrella. Student testimonials affirm the valuable contribution these guests make to their holistic appreciation of how tertiary study intersects with industry requirements and expectations.

Similarly, in the Bachelor of Marketing Media, we had 11 guest speakers including Linda Wong from MFA; and in the last two weeks students have to present to a real client (the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia) with an IMC campaign (with a real budget) in a competitive pitch competition.

Furthermore, as part of Macquarie’s drive to provide relevant education, students are required to undertake media internships where they have to fulfill ‘real-life’ professional training. We view it as an important part of their ‘real world’ education.

Finally, we are very proud to say that our media teaching facilities are indeed state-of-the art in NSW, if not the country. For instance, we have a newly built Futures Lab that constitutes the largest investment in online media production by any Australian university to date, one of the largest and best equipped screen studios in the country, and radio studios used in partnership with 2-SER FM.

So, yes, at Macquarie University, we work hard to give our Media students the right experience, that is academic rigour with industry exposure facilitated by state-of-the art facilities (which is beyond simple blogging). We are proud of this. Of course, to gain such benefits, one needs to enroll in the right degree. Commentary that implies otherwise is therefore not just misplaced, it is wrong.

LOL @ Media Pathways – Nice one Sue, keep on chuggin along 🙂

The problem with all y’all grads is that you are not being interesting enough.

How can y’all expect someone to be interested if you’re not interesting?