What Inspires Gen-Z to Stay in the Advertising Business? (VIDEO)

Gone are the days of college students following linear career paths and climbing the vertical ladder Indeed the fast fadeaway of that concept was backed by several industry leaders on Advancing Diversity Week panelsKozakevich kicked off the panel by sharing that GenZ is the most gender racially and ethnically diverse generation in history and that a common thread among the generation is the value of experiences vs experience quotThey39re more likely to change jobs and maybe even careers multiple timesquot she noted quotAcross all industries the average duration of first jobs is now only nine months and more than 60 of our panel today are likely to leave the advertising business in the next few yearsquotAccordingly the first question she posed to the panel was quotWhat can leaders do better to inspire you to stayquotquotTo retain employees from younger generations leaders have to examine how they are taking care of their employees and assess whether or not they are meeting their needsquot shared Sammy Yates Director Branded Entertainment ampamp Marketing at The CWquotWhen companies demonstrate they don39t prioritize employee wellbeing it raises red flagsquot added MediaVillage Client Relationship Coordinator Alondra Carmona quotI will always pick the company that values me and aligns with my passions Say I39m under a lot of pressure or going through something personally and it39s affecting my work If I go to my manager or supervisor and tell them 39Hey I need a quick break just to get myself together39 and they say 39That39s not acceptable39 then that39s a huge issuequotquotI think something that is imperative for established leaders is to look to the next generation and provide opportunitiesquot said Abigail Bazile Account Manager Strategic Partnerships Urban One quotHow are you breaking barriers for this next generation to come and what role model aspects can I look towards you on that can be reflected in my career trajectoryquotKozakevich then asked quotWhat39s the difference between an employer saying they39re committed to inclusion vs what they39re doing to provide an environment in which you feel you belongquotquotWe definitely want our leaders to be more actionoriented with their rhetoricquot replied Xavier ConawayWashington Negotiator National Video Investment at Zenith Media quotWe want to see them back up all the work that they claim they did that they want to strive towards and really show that they value us and see us as the future because some people may just forget about all the struggles that we went through Our generation does not forget and we feel kind of left out if you aren39t really following throughquotquotXavier really hit the nail on the headquot Connor Laurent Analyst Global Consumer Banking at Citi exclaimed quotLeaders need to be focused on not just talking the talk but also walking the walk by creating employee resource groups initiatives and programs At the end of day our generation holds leaders and companies accountable for things that they39re going to say If they39re not doing that then they need to be held accountable for not fulfillingquotquotIf you work for a company that does not reflect the value you place on social responsibility how important is that to your decision to work at that companyquot Kozakevich askedquotI started off in the nonprofit world and I did a lot of communications for them so social responsibility was a big part of the whole organizationquot Carmona shared quotI made sure that it was something that I wanted to work towards and strive toward These days it can be hard to come by jobs and time If I were in a situation where I couldn39t turn down a job out of necessity I39m going to pick the company that I align more withquotquotI couldn39t agree morequot Laurent chimed in quotI think it would be very difficult for me to work for a company that I did not have much of an interest in or that didn39t have much social responsibility diversity and whatnot It39s now much more important than it ever has been to support your employees and do the things that you said you were going to do I don39t see myself working for a company in the long term if they don39t have much social responsibilityquotOn the subject of flexibility among employers in regards to working conditions compensation benefits and other terms of employment Carmen Machalek Sales Service Representative AE Networks had this to say quotWe39re in such an interesting time right now where some jobs are still remote and others are hybrid between home and the office one or two days a week It39s a huge perk because it offers flexibility with scheduling and in some cases better compensation than you would39ve gotten at the office two years agoquotI think that39s something people really look at when they39re going into the workforce especially from collegequot she continued quotProviding that flexibility investing in the future generation and creating spaces for employees to grow is imperative in making sure they stick aroundquotKozakevich closed by asking what parting words of encouragement the panelists had to share with their fellow GenZ39ers as they enter media and advertisingquotEmployers and consumers alike really value authenticity so don39t be afraid to be yourselfquot The CW39s Yates advisedquotWork hard Have fun Don39t listen to the doubters Use them as fuel and capitalize on your strengthsquot added Citi39s LaurentquotLearn something new every day and be open to networking not just up but acrossquot Urban One39s Bazile suggested quotBuild those relationships and don39t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone Taking risks on yourself allows others to take a chance on youquotquotKnow your value going into the workplacequot said AE39s Machalek quotYou know what you can do You know what your skills are Be confident in your worth Know what you can bring to the tablequotquotWhen you39re in a room where people don39t look like you it can be very terrifying to speak up but be loudquot Carmona asserted quotMake yourself heardquotquotManage your expectationsquot concluded Zenith Media39s ConawayWashington quotBe patient Not everything will work out the day week or month that you wanted Know your own worth and lean into those things that make you unique That will make you flyquotIn a separate Advancing Diversity Week panel Career Opportunities in Media and Advertising Publicis Media39s Executive Vice President Diversity Equity and Belonging Brian Vaught advised GenZ39ers entering the workforce to quotbe open to the possibilities of what your career can look like It39s a lattice not a ladderquotSimilarly during the GenZ Town Hall 4A39s President and CEO Marla Kaplowitz remarked quotCareers aren39t built vertically anymore People are zigging and zagging all over the place You have to try ask and be ready to grow for that next experiencequotClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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What Inspires Gen-Z to Stay in the Advertising Business? (VIDEO)

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Juan Ayala

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