Advertising and Marketing Industry Conversations
Industry Conversations include the voices of advertising and marketing practitioners among all of the other educational materials that AEF already provides to teachers and students. Here you will find a series of videos from pros of yesterday, today and tomorrow – leaders from agencies, client marketing teams and media companies.
The advertising/marketing industry is undergoing revolutionary changes at a technological pace unprecedented in human history. Industry Conversations will seek to find and share the voices that can speak to advertising’s future as well as its immediate past.
Click here to view the conversations!
Adapting in Crisis: Case Studies of Resilience in the Arts
Priya Sircar, Director/Arts, Knight Foundation
In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, “pivot” has been the word of the day—every day. The word has become so (over)used that it has begun to lose its meaning. What does it really mean to “pivot” successfully? To what, and how?
For many arts and culture organizations, choosing a new direction felt a bit scattershot, as if they were trying anything and everything just to keep functioning, earning income and keeping artists employed. Certainly, organizations of all types found themselves suddenly changing plans . . . some nimbly, some not. But amid evolving public health protocols and uncertainty about how long such conditions would last, decision making was understandably difficult.
As a supporter of arts organizations, we have been engaging with grantees in our communities throughout the pandemic. We’ve often asked: How are organizations figuring out which direction to go in? And have certain skills or traits helped them to weather the storm?
Organizations in Detroit and Philadelphia entered the pandemic fresh off of a training program in adaptive capacity, provided by EmcArts and supported by Knight Foundation in partnership with the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan (in Detroit). To understand the short- and medium-term impacts of the four-month training program, Knight enlisted WolfBrown to conduct a study with participants in each cohort. While we do not yet know the long-term effects of the training, this initial follow-up gave us some insight into how the training was impacting the organizations. For some, the pandemic accelerated the application of what they had learned. Some were still internalizing the concepts and tools they had gained, while others found ways to use newfound skills to identify a way forward. In some cases, additional guidance beyond the introductory training would have been helpful, especially given the severity of the conditions in which organizations have been trying to apply the new information. Clearly, the ability to adapt is a critical skill for organizations, now more than ever.
For many of us, this last year has been a crucible in which we have been tested, have clarified our purpose and, in some ways, come through stronger. These organizations also tested, honed and applied the lessons of their training, in ways both conscious and unconscious. Here we share a few of their stories that have inspired us and helped us understand how we might not just pivot, but also adapt intentionally and effectively to an ever-changing and unpredictable world. We hope they might do the same for you.
Click here to read the four stories.
Mellon Announces $125 Million “Creatives Rebuild New York” Initiative to Reactivate the State’s Creative Economy and Provide Artists with the Critical Support They Need
(NEW YORK, NY — June 3, 2021) The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation today announced details for Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY), a three-year, $125 million initiative to reactivate New York State’s creative economy and secure the future of its artists. Part of the state-led recovery plan for New York, CRNY is a two-part workforce initiative that will provide artists with either full-time employment opportunities or guaranteed income to remedy the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read the press release!
American Management Association Free Student E-Membership!
Start building the knowledge, skills, behaviors and business savvy you need to get hired by today’s organizations. Make sure you are the highly-skilled candidate companies will consider first. With AMA Student e-Membership, you will get relevant and timely “real world” insights and skills directly from top business and management experts. And now you’ll also receive exciting new bonus benefits to help you accelerate your progress even more.
Sign-up now for Student e-Membership benefits, including:
- Preferred member pricing on all seminars
- Invitations to special events and participation in member surveys
- Subscriptions to Members-Only publications:AMA Quarterly (Digital Copy)—Get insights from top business experts about important trends, timely business matters, what’s new in professional development and more
- Talent Playbook—A monthly eNewsletter with the latest insights, advice and resources to help you develop your skills
- NEW BONUS BENEFITS—In addition to the above benefits, Student e-Members now get access to:Monthly management articles
- Package of free lessons from the AMA OnDemand Library
- Job readiness webcasts
- AMA Skill Assessment
Summer Data Workshops: Creating high quality graphics in R with ggplot2
ggplot2
is a plotting package for R that makes it simple to create complex plots from data stored in a data frame. It provides a programmatic interface for specifying what variables to plot, how they are displayed, and general visual properties. Therefore, researchers only need minimal changes if the underlying data change or if they decide to change from a bar plot to a scatterplot. This helps in creating publication quality plots with minimal amounts of adjustments and tweaking.
In this workshop, participants will learn:
- What the components of a ggplot are
- How to create scatterplots, boxplots, and barplots
- How to change the aesthetics (ex. colour, transparency) of a plot
- How to create multiple plots at once
*Participants should have basic familiarity with R. If you are completely new to R, please be sure to attend the Introduction to R workshop on June 22, 2021.
Click here to register for Creating high quality graphics in R with ggplot2 workshop on July 6!
Two EMI Strategic Marketing Job Opportunities!
EMI Strategic Marketing is a Boston-based marketing firm with a deep industry focus in financial services and technology. For 30 years, EMI has developed strategically sound and creatively inspiring marketing solutions for some of the most successful brands in those industries. As a strategy and creative boutique, they bring the disciplined analysis, strategic thinking and pragmatism of a consulting firm together with the creativity and executional capabilities of a traditional brand-driven marketing agency. Below you will find two jobs currently posted in handshake.
Midd Gigs are short-term, professional projects offered by Middlebury alumni and parents.
These projects enable Middlebury students and recent graduates to develop and demonstrate their skillsets, explore career paths, and build their networks. They also give alumni and parents access to the talented network of Middlebury undergrads and newly minted graduates.
Past Midd Gigs have encompassed a diverse range of industries and projects, ranging from podcasting and script editing in the creative industries to rigorous research and statistical analysis in STEM and business fields. They’ve entailed content creation and editing, marketing, social media, political lobbying, research and analysis, design work, coding, data analytics, business plan development, and more.
Midd Gigs are perfect for projects or short-term initiatives that don’t fit within the parameters of a traditional internship or work assignment. Our platform enables any Middlebury alum or parent to easily create a position announcement, manage the hiring process, and structure the project workflow. We encourage prospective project sponsors to think creatively about their needs and “hire Midd!”
Visit Midd Gigs on Midd2Midd to apply for projects!
Click here for frequently asked questions regarding Midd Gigs.
Daniel Buchman ’19, Foreign Service Officer, answers career related questions LGBTQ+ identifying students might have when seeking job opportunities
Peer Career Advisor (PCA) and Posse Scholar Zoey Ellis ’22 interviewed Daniel Buchman ’19 to answer common career related questions LGBTQ+ identifying students might have when seeking job opportunities.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily those of the U.S. Government.
Zoey: What activities or student organizations were you involved in during college and how did they help you get to where you are today?
Daniel: I did a few different things. Three that stand out are debate, ResLife, and language tables. Debate was a stand-in for all the philosophy courses I still regret not taking. It helped me take apart arguments and speak persuasively. Those skills have served me in everything from job interviews to visa adjudications. ResLife taught me how to mediate conflicts and create spaces where people feel supported and willing to speak honesty — both skills I have used in my work already. As a language nerd, I loved serving at language tables, but when I became a manager, it was all logistics and not particularly fulfilling even though it felt like a promotion. I’d argue the same principle holds true for a lot of jobs. Sometimes the most gratifying work happens at lower levels, and a management role isn’t always a better deal.
Zoey: As a graduate who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Genderfluid, or Queer, what are some of the questions you suggest students should keep in mind when researching employers and applying to job opportunities?
Daniel: I’d say the most important thing is to ask the questions. Small red flags you notice early can easily become exhausting parts of your workday, so to the extent circumstances allow, try to avoid rushing into a job without doing your due diligence.
Beyond considering the mission of the organization you’re joining and its impact on other queer communities, I recommend asking folks inside the organization — apart from those interviewing you — about internal policies affecting queer employees. I’ve sent hundreds of LinkedIn messages to random strangers, and I’ve gotten the most responses when I mention from the get-go that I want to discuss being queer in their office. I ask all sorts of questions. Is there an employee affinity or resource group for queer employees? Does it have a track record of successfully advocating for its members, or is it just window dressing? Does the healthcare, if offered, cover gender-affirmation procedures? Are there many openly queer employees? Is parental leave offered for adoption or surrogacy? Even if you don’t see these questions applying to you directly, they can serve as a litmus test for the degree to which folks are comfortable with queerness within the organization.
Zoey: Would you suggest students consider to what extent they would like their career to incorporate their LGBTQ+ identity? Do you want your identity to have a major role, such as working for an LGBTQ+ advocacy group? Or expressed differently, like joining the LGBTQ+ affinity group for employees at an organization?
Daniel: Having my identity highlighted in my work wasn’t necessarily something I wanted, but it has become a big part of my job, and I’ve found that to be extremely rewarding.
Before this job, I was never really active in any queer orgs or queer advocacy. Now, I’m a diplomat, and I represent the United States. Being out and proud, wherever I am in the world, is integral to doing my job well. I show folks overseas from all walks of life that, in the United States, the gay son of Russian Jewish immigrants from South Brooklyn can go out and represent his country without hiding any part of who he is. At the same time, being queer means having a greater perspective on the more challenging aspects of U.S. society. Discussing those and our country’s other struggles honestly, empathetically, and with humility makes me a more credible interlocutor.
During her time as a national security advisor, Susan Rice said “think of the LGBT person in Bangladesh who knows that someone at the American embassy understands who she is… That is how we build bridges and deepen partnerships in an increasingly globalized world.” Reading that for the first time inspired me to become the Embassy’s representative of our LGBTQI+ employee affinity group. Today, my identity is absolutely central to my day-to-day professional life. It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my time as a Foreign Service Officer and also the least expected.
Zoey: Could you recommend any career-related LGBTQ+ resources that helped you in the job search process?
Daniel: I think Facebook groups are an undervalued resource. There are groups for just about everything. Search or ask around for a Facebook group of queer professionals in whatever sector you want to join. It almost certainly exists and will give you access to an incredible network. Being queer has enabled me to build immediate connections with queer folks at even the highest levels of the State Department. It’s given me a network of mentors, friends, and supporters, which I would not have been able to access otherwise.
Zoey: Have you come out to your employer, and if so, when in the employment process and how?
Daniel: I started coming out on the first day of orientation. In the Foreign Service, your colleagues double as your second family away from home, so I wanted to build open and honest relationships with my colleagues right out of the gate.
I was in a relationship at the time, and I would drop it into casual conversation, e.g., “my boyfriend and I are planning a trip this weekend.” Outside of specific contexts, it’s always awkward to say “I’m queer!” I’ve always tried to have segues ready like “around the time I came out…”, “my ex-boyfriend introduced me to…”, “all my non-queer friends think…”, etc. Depending on the context, these can work at dinner parties, happy hours, job interviews, and water coolers.
I was really nervous during the hiring process and thought coming out would’ve added a layer of stress I wanted to avoid. In hindsight, I think having come out would’ve actually helped me. The State Department really values intercultural competence, and like a lot of queer folks, being queer taught me how to code-switch. Because my identity is perceived so differently depending on the places I go and the people I meet, I’ve become pretty good at knowing how to adjust my approach to interaction, depending on the cultural context. I didn’t say any of that in my interview and wish I did.
Zoey: What advice would you give your younger college self?
Daniel: Prepare to make mistakes — a lot of mistakes. At Midd, I was super high strung; perfection was the standard, and failure wasn’t an option. That was maybe sustainable, though definitely not healthy or helpful, when the bad grades that sent me on anxious spirals, thinking that I had ruined my future and would never amount to anything, came once every couple of months. Now, I mess up much more frequently. Not because I’ve become less competent, but because I have more responsibilities and thus more opportunities to drop the ball. I care about doing a good job. I’m a public servant, and how well I serve matters to me, but if I took every mistake as an indicator of my worth the way I did in college, I would be worse at my job—not better. So I’m working on being better at making mistakes, and I wish I had started learning that skill much earlier.
Zoey: Is there any other advice that you’d like to share with Middlebury students?
Daniel: Empathy and compassion are as much life skills as they are professional skills. Being kind to people, leveling with them, listening, working to understand others’ experiences, etc., aren’t just nice things to do, they will also make you better at your job. No one is perfect at them, and it takes a lifetime to get good. But college — during a pandemic that affects everyone differently — is as good a time as any to practice, so I’d recommend starting now.
If you would like to contact Daniel Buchman ’19, please reach out via Midd2Midd!
Chinese Language Interpretation/Translation Opportunities
Internship involving marketing and writing about early childhood movement and play space
Movement in a Box is a quarterly subscription box that combines fundamental movement skills with learning activities for children aged 3-6 years. The company hopes to inspire lifelong movers and educate parents and caregivers about the value of moving-based learning.
This is Midd-friendly because a current student knows the founder and sent this along to share!
This summer, they are looking for a part-time intern to help them build this start-up from the ground up through content creation, social media marketing, and marketing analytics. This is a great opportunity to work closely with founders in a high-energy start-up environment, help to build up a brand and its mission, and take a deep dive into early childhood movement, learning, and play.
Specifically, they want someone who is excited to:
- Dive deep into the early childhood movement, learning, and play space
- Devise and create content that aligns with the Movement in a Box mission and vision
- Keep up to date about current brands, trends, blogs and potential like-minded partners to find opportunities where Movement in a Box can contribute it’s voice to the larger conversation around Physical Literacy and early childhood development.
What you’d be doing:
- Research and writing content, including social media, blog posts, website content, email content and press releases
- Social media marketing and content creation. Experience with Canva or Adobe (Photoshop, Rush, Illustrator) is a plus.
- Incorporating good SEO practices with all content creation.
- Reporting and analytics (experience with Facebook Ads Manager, Google Analytics, and Google Ads are a plus). We’re a start up looking to spread the word across multiple platforms.
- You’ll be working with the founding team building scaling a startup from the ground up!
Details: Looking for an average of 10 hours/week for June-August. This position is remote.
TO APPLY: E-mail sarah@movementinabox.com with your resume and tell us why you are interested!
Deadline: May 30th, 5pm EST.