Working hard and the perils of doing one thing

I was reading Campaign Magazine's ten commandments for graduates last week and two things stood out.

Firstly, don't try and switch to planning after two weeks- account handling will become much more than contact reports and competitor reviews. They're right, it is more than that, but there are two things to add to this. First; don't even think about planning if you think it's less work. It's not - it's as least as hard.

Harder to get into meeting rooms (they can manage perfectly well without planners if they want), harder to squeeze everything in - too few planners, too many clients means you'll always be running uphill, harder to multi-task - one minute you're writing a brief, next you're swimming data, next you're running a workshop.

Also, life as junior planner means you're doing lots of so-called mundane tasks too. Endless TGI runs, preparing stimulus for workshops, swimming in Nielson.... and if you've got into this business thinking it's all long lunches, glamorous shoots, blogging and coffee you're in for shock. It's more colourful, but a doddle it is not.

Second was about keeping doing what you love. The first point makes this hard - where is the time? But as a planner, and person, you really have to find a way to do it.

By default, a planner needs to be interesting. If all you can talk about is advertising, you'll become quite the opposite. And there's lots of pressure in this business - you need an outlet.

And most ideas, most good thinking comes out of the office, when you least expect it. You need to give yourself that chance. Planners are never not working really.

Put another way, planning is about understanding humans, so you need to be one, not an advertising robot. One way or another, you need to find the time. I couldn't function without sport - I need to swim, cycle and stuff like I need to breath. I need to cook, it's relaxing, it's creative, it's making something.

That's my love. What's yours? If you haven't got one, get one (or two!) quick.

Comments

[Nick Rothstein]

very true indeed. I love a good game of poker.

[innocentignorance]

I broke the 1st rule, but in my defense I think i've always wanted to be a planner. It did however pay a part in loosing me the chance to further my career in the agency at all! I'f only i'd read the rules sooner