Career value, fingerprints and McCain chip moments
Sue Parker, owner of Dare Group Australia, discusses how the industry can navigate the current raft of redundancies and slowing job market, and how people can strengthen their own unique value pitches when job searching.
It’s been a bloody shocking year for redundancies and media restructures. Major broadcasters, social media sites, digital and news platforms have been hit hard in creative, strategy, journalism, editorial, finance and commercial roles.
As a result, a slew of candidates will be entering the job market. And for many, it will have been quite a long time between drinks, aka job hunting.
The job market has always been volatile at the best of times swinging between a candidate or job shortage nexus. In 2024 the swing is a dearth of roles at all levels. Ages of candidates in market cover all generations. And as ever in the media and marketing world, those over 45 can face the grizzly bear of ageism hiring challenges.
But even in a job abundant market, there is a pervasive disconnect as people struggle to identify and embrace their unique career value. And embrace and communicate they must.
Fingerprint reality
The science of fingerprints goes a long way in building value awareness. The creator of fingerprint technology, Sir Francis Galton found there is a 1 in 64 billion chance that 2 fingerprint sets are identical. Quite remarkable given the world’s population in 2023 is 8.1 billion.
Every single media and marketing candidate is like a fingerprint. And just like fingerprints, there are no two people the same. Every person offers a unique melting pot of skills and perspectives. It is a reality statement to say: ‘no one does exactly what you do in the exact same way you do it’.
Cementing that mantra onto your mindset by virtue shows what a total waste of time dwelling in imposter syndrome and comparisonitis is.
McCain’s Chip Reflection
Over my decades in the recruitment, career and communications world, I have been regularly saddened with the responses to these two questions. ‘What makes you really unique?’ and ‘What are your proudest achievements?’
The stumped scratching heads of zero in the moment or scant answers are reminiscent of the McCain TV campaign series ‘Nothing Special’.
Irrespective of skills, client, agency or role, both men and women struggle with feeling they have nothing really distinctive to offer. Whilst external communication style and bravado personalities may indicate differently, many people in the pit of their gut feel like crap. They feel in essence, nothing special.
Redundancies, workplace disrespect, harassment, bullying and external difficult issues can erode self esteem and self-awareness. People really end up feeling like the McCain’s chip party.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
In entering the hiring ecosystem people can be well aware of their skills and achievements. But many will have a disconnect between rhetoric and reality. This is seen in the Dunning-Kruger Effect. This occurs on opposite ends of the self value spectrum across all ages and genders.
People who lack a lot of knowledge and skill can totally overestimate their competence. It would be fair say the scales here lean more towards alpha men and men those whose poor work has been tolerated for a myriad of reasons.
Then in reverse, people who have brilliantly excelled can assume their skillsets are easy for everyone. This leads to significantly underestimating competence and value. Alas the scales here lean more towards smart women.
There is logic behind embracing your unique career and how to bridge reality and promotion of your value.
Unique Value Mosaic
So how do you navigate the job market to present the best version of yourself? How do you get a grip on your McCain’s chip moments and fingerprint mindset.
Dive into the Unique Value Mosaic as each twelve elements will be a multifaceted and nuanced exercise that flips the switch.
It’s not just what you do, but how you do it that matters. Technical media and marketing skills may be similar, but a host of other aspects, interpersonal relationships and goals etc will interplay in the end results and success.
Everything we have experienced and who we are at the core informs our unique career and business value. It’s an original combination that can never be replicated. And pay special attention to character and personality. Two distinct attributes that impact broadly.
Moving forward
Gaining awareness and acceptance of your unique value mosaic is critical before jumping into the hiring ecosystem or contemplating a career change.
If you are struggling with gaining awareness of your unique value, take a really long hard reflection of the mosaic without any value judgements.
It’s about communicating that value in an inspiring and honest way. Your vibe will attract your tribe, so it’s about holding court that you are not meant to be loved, hired and promoted by everyone. And that’s totally ok.
But what you can do is show up with stories, examples and deeper reflection on how you deliver and impact broadly.
It’s about holding your special McCain chip moments and history and translating that to the needs and challenges of the role and career you are in, or seeking.
And it’s having the courage to own and talk about your unique career mosaic. And it’s always remembering that ‘no one does exactly what you do in the exact same way you do it’
But most importantly, it’s about integrating the verbal & written into your soul. It’s not just saying & writing about what makes you unique, but feeling it deeply in your gut and being.
Sue Parker is owner of Dare Group Australia.
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