See where you fit
You are unique. You have your own personal style, a way of working that is most productive for you. You also have your own set of talents and skills, and finding just the right balance between your work environment and job structure will help them flourish. This balance can make the difference between your ultimate success or failure in advertising.
For example, some people are nine-to-fivers who definitely need structure and direction in their work day. Others prefer to be left alone and set their own pace. There are those who find working in an open office distracting, unlike others who love the camaraderie of close working quarters. The person who thrives in a small agency, wearing many different hats, would probably be miserable in a large agency where people are often hired to perform only one aspect of a job. Before you can begin your job search, it is important to understand exactly what circumstances will enable you to perform at your best. The workshops in this chapter are designed to help you explore and evaluate your personal preferences for a work environment and the job structure that is most comfortable for you. Following that, you will examine your needs for financial security and how that can impact your decision to take a job that is not in your long-term best interest.
If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, you will find this section can help you envision how you might feel in a variety of work situations that you may have never encountered before. If you are a seasoned worker with years of employment experience under your belt, this chapter will give you an opportunity to compare the preferences you know you have to some you have never experienced or thought about.
Getting to know what you really want and need in a job is your first step toward finding the position that is exactly right for you. Your future success will be largely dependent on your compatibility with the environment you will have to work in each day and the job functions you will be expected to perform.
Sit back and relax. Make sure you will not be disturbed for at least the next half hour. You will need a pencil with an eraser. Do not use a pen. I want you to feel free to go back and change your answers at any point during these exercises. You may find yourself re-evaluating the choices you initially thought were extremely important to you as you begin to compare them to the other options presented here.
WORKSHOP 1 - Exploring your work environment preferences
The following "you" statements relate to your personal preferences for a work environment. As you read through these statements, think back to some specific jobs that you have had in the past. They could serve as a basis for comparison. Ask yourself how you would feel about each job description that is being presented in these statements if you were actually in that situation. Is it something that you would be comfortable with? And would you be able to perform at your best under this specific circumstance? For those of you who have had limited job experience, try to envision yourself in each situation. You may not know for sure how you would react, but trust your intuition to guide your responses.
Evaluate each statement by using the letters A through D:
[A] I would love it.
[B] It would be comfortable.
[C] It would be uncomfortable.
[D] I would hate it, and would not accept it.
Select only one letter. Choose the letter that best describes your reaction to each statement.
Then write it in the space provided.
- You have your own private office.
- You share an office with another person.
- You have your own work space in an open office with many other people.
- You work in an open office with shoulder-level dividers that block off your space.
- You share your desk with a part-time employee who works in the evenings.
- The atmosphere in your office is lively and often noisy.
- Everyone in your office is friendly, but they keep to themselves personally.
- You work with people who are open and form friendships with each other quickly.
- Your co-workers are professionally cordial, but they share limited conversation at work.
- The people in your department expect you to socialize with them after work.
- Your boss maintains a warm but professional distance from all employees.
- Your boss tries to "buddy-up" with employees.
- Your boss is hard to approach but always fair in making judgments.
- You are expected to spend personal time socializing with your boss.
- You are expected to spend personal time socializing with your company's clients.
- Your boss frequently calls you at home to discuss work matters.
- Professional dress (suits, etc.) is required in your office.
- You can dress casually in your office, but professional dress is required for meetings.
- Most people in your company wear jeans and sneakers.
- You are expected to tidy up your work space daily.
- Your agency's office is located in a large metropolitan city.
- You have to commute at least a half hour one way into this city each day.
- Your agency's office is in a beautiful and quiet rural setting. To get there you do have to drive more than 45 minutes one way.
- While there are many deadlines in your agency, the average work pace is relaxed and casual.
- Your agency handles many high powered accounts. As a result, the atmosphere is always fast paced, high energy, and frenzied. This kind of daily pressure to perform rarely lets up.
- Your boss treats clients with disrespect. To your amazement, this person not only gets away with it, but the clients keep coming back for more.
- Your agency is heavy in accounts that include nuclear energy waste plants, military armament industries, and several companies who have been brought up on environmental charges. These are major accounts bringing in tremendous revenues that result in numerous bonuses for you and other employees.
- You are about to accept a well-paying position with an ad agency. You have just discovered that the agency principals make a regular habit of over-charging their clients and padding the bills. How do you feel about accepting the job now?
- You have been offered a position that includes not only a fantastic salary but an outstanding benefits package. The only stipulation is that you will have to travel at least 60 percent of the time, and you will be expected to put in 60 to 70 hours a week. How do you feel about accepting this job based on that criteria?
- The salary may not be great and the agency is small, but you will have a tremendous opportunity for creative expression and possibly even a partnership if the agency continues to do well. How do you feel about accepting a job with this company?
The letter you used to evaluate your reactions gives you a clear indication of what your personal needs are when it comes to being happy and comfortable in your work environment. Each statement you labeled with an A describes one specific part of a work environment that would be ideal for you. Those statements you classified as Bs represent aspects of a work environment that you are com-fordable with. The statements that received Cs are the situations that create a sense of discomfort. And those marked with Ds define the work environment that does not suit you.
While you may never find a job that is ideal in every way, if you can find a position that offers you more As and Bs than Cs and Ds you will find that your ability to stay in that position and perform at your very best will be greatly enhanced. All too many people look at the big picture when they direct themselves toward a career in advertising. They want a job in a good-if not great-agency, and they want to be doing exciting work and getting paid well for it. What they forget to think about is the small picture:
- Do I like the office I will be working in?
- Do I fit in comfortably with the people there?
- Do I respect the philosophy of the agency principals and their attitudes toward clients?
- Will my skills and talents be nurtured and encouraged to develop more in a small agency or a large one?
- Am I comfortable with the social atmosphere in this agency?
