When it comes to careers, some may seem more attractive than others. But many jobs that are viewed as highly desirable have downsides, and are not as glamorous as they look on paper. Perception is not the same as the reality, particularly for occupations like advertising executive, broadcaster, and event coordinators. These jobs can be stressful, involve long hours and have a high turnover.
RELATED: 2016 MOST UNDERRATED JOBS
Marilyn Paige, the Vice-President of Marketing for Denver-based Fig Marketing and Advertising, emphasized some of the right reasons for getting into the advertising industry: helping clients meet their goals, leading small businesses to economic solvency, and giving those business owners the success to send their kids to college, own homes and thrive.
Advertising is not, however, a line of work for job seekers who are not prepared to stay ahead of the learning curve about trends in the industry, or put in long hours at a moment’s notice per client needs.
The idea of schmoozing clients over bourbons and steaks seems exciting, but Paige – who worked in the advertising industry’s mecca of New York – said this romanticized idea of the industry has past.
Today’s advertising landscape means staying abreast of digital trends, which Paige has done since the 1990s. She leveraged the inexpensive, global reach of email campaigns before it was commonplace to advertise her own music when she worked as a jazz singer. She was so good advertising her work, Barnes & Noble didn’t just carry it – the national book and multimedia retailer hired her to help with their marketing.
Now, she works with clients on using the ever-growing number of social mediums to reach potential customers.
“The internet has made things easier, but it has not made them simpler,” she said. “It’s easier to reach 3,000 people with an email list, with a social media campaign.”
What that means is that are more methods by which to reach consumers, often with great accessibility. But potential customers are now inundated with information, which makes striking the right chord with an audience the critical job of an advertiser.
In that sense, advertising is very much a job predicated on analysis.
“The research, strategy and technical know-how has changed quite a bit. You have to keep up on the tactical know-how, and it never stops changing,” Paige said. Changes to the advertising industry have directly impacted other industries, like broadcasting. Broadcaster ranked in the bottom 10 for careers tracked by the Jobs Rated Report in 2016, a result of the field’s declining growth outlook.
The attraction of appearing on television might bring some into the field initially, but the increasingly competitive marketplace and demands weed out many.
As Ann Baldwin, a former broadcaster in Connecticut told CareerCast.com, an aspiring broadcaster must oftentimes be willing to start in tiny markets, and be willing to handle the technical aspects of the job as well as on-camera or behind-the-mic work. Finding ways of generating revenue is the chief concern of a Corporate Executive, a job that regularly ranks among the most stressful tracked by the Jobs Rated report.
The oversight of all phases of an organization takes long hours, and an ability to deal with many different types of personalities. And, within most organizations, the proverbial buck stops with the top-level executive, meaning failures ultimately rest at her or his feet.
Another career built on creating revenue for a client, Stockbroker, can be very lucrative. That’s a common thread among our Most Overrated Jobs, and a contributing factor to their status as “overrated.” The money and perhaps prestige might seem exciting, but Stockbrokers must take on risks inherent with the job that can be devastating to their clients’ finances. Market volatility makes losses a possibility that stockbrokers can’t control.
The following are CareerCast’s Most Overrated Jobs of 2016. All are great careers for those with the knowledge and determination necessary to thrive. Enter these occupations for the right reasons and be aware of the stress, competition, industry volatility and high job turnover associated with these jobs.
