7 Tips for Aspiring Planners to Conquer the Catch-22 of Entry-Level Work Experience
How to Independently & Proactively Develop Your Planning Skills
All of us have, at some point in our careers, faced this classic catch-22: lacking relevant work experience for an entry-level job, yet needing an entry-level job to gain relevant work experience in the first place. It’s an impossible cycle of under-qualification and frustration that forces one to question the illogicality of hiring practices and, well, life in general!
And if that wasn’t difficult enough, consider the fact that Strategic Planning roles in Advertising typically start at mid-level, with entry-level opportunities few and far between. Often times, prospective planners can only find their way into the practice by means of a lateral transition from a similar track (e.g. Account Management or Media Planning), through tactful networking, or by landing the occasional internship(s).
However, these opportunities aren’t available to everyone. And that’s where these seven tips come in—actionable and accessible advice that any aspiring planner with an internet connection can follow to overcome their catch-22.
Tip №1: Hit the books.
In a practice filled with veritable know-it-all’s and subject experts, you either go to school or get schooled. So to save some face and, more importantly, establish a strong and current planning foundation, hit the books!
Need some suggestions? Check out our list of 10 Books Every Comms Planner Needs to Read. For starters, the IPA’s The Long and the Short of It and Byron Sharp’s How Brands Grow — pieces we highly recommend to aspiring and established planners alike — should give you a good balance of historical learning and proven best practices backed by empirical evidence.
Tip №2: Look beyond the creative.
It’s easy to comb AdWeek for the latest creative work and conversation points, but planners have more on their plate than just the end creative result. Planners also need to consider platform strategies, industry trends, and business results if they intend to improve their side of the business.
To this end, you can find the latest platform updates and case-studies of effective campaigns on publications like PSFK, WARC, eMarketer, and our very own Comms Planning blog. Sources like these will help you stay tuned to the industry without losing your grounding in planning.
Tip №3: Write spec work.
Art Directors and Copywriters often create spec work — ads based off of speculative situations— to showcase their talents to recruiters. Why not do the same? Consider the common outputs of a planner: research observations, insights, creative briefs, and messaging frameworks. Now develop a simple criteria for selecting your spec brands — products you purchase or industries in flux, and start the planning process for each.
Need more to work off of? Try these two approaches:
Filter through public award group briefs like those of D&AD’s New Blood Awards 2017. Intended for creatives, these prompts often provide rich background yet no observations or insights — prime for planning input.
Partner with creative pairs and build spec work together. This way their work is more strategically sound and research-backed, and your planning outputs have actual creative results to show for it.
Tip №4: Apply to/Attend planning programs.
Take advantage of planning programs that agencies host, such as Huge New York’s regular Content Strategy discussions or BBH’s annual end-of-summer planning boot camp, Griffin Farley’s Beautiful Minds, both open to the public (applications required for the latter, though).
If you’re having trouble finding agency-hosted events, try looking for like-minded groups on Meetup to help sharpen your mind and broaden your network. Granted the access and availability of these opportunities will vary across situations, but their value is well worth the extra search effort.
Tip №5: Reach out to other planners.
Mid-level and veteran planners are generally more open to paying it forward than you would think, and can be indispensable resources for industry insights. (Less so are we guaranteed sources of employment and opportunities, so reach out with realistic expectations and appreciation despite the results.) When reaching out, have a vested interest in the their work and come prepared with specific questions — despite what some may like to think, planners don’t have all the answers in the world.
For starters, browse LinkedIn for mutual connections, cite Open Strategy’s list of strategists to follow, or muster up the courage to contact any one of our eclectic group of authors on this blog — our world is your oyster.
Tip №6: Have a POV.
The crux of a planner’s worth rests on their ability to give an educated, researched, and well-informed opinion on a subject. What do you think of Bryon Sharp’s various market laws in How Brands Grow? How about the efficacy of long-term vs. short-term advertising? And what is planning to you — is it composing a symphony, acting like a punk rocker, or something else entirely?
Having a POV doesn’t just prove that you can think critically, it also demonstrates the unique value and style you can bring to a team. So whether it’s the books you’re reading, trends you’re assessing, briefs you’re writing, programs you’re attending, or professionals you’re reaching out to, have a POV and you‘ll find your experience and success improving by an order of magnitudes.
Tip №7: Stay the course.
As mentioned earlier, entry-level planning roles are a rarity, and something not all aspiring planners can wait on. Should you find yourself starting off in a separate department or industry, don’t fret. Having a job with some flexibility or potential to permit varied strategic work can be a unique opportunity of its own. As long as you stay the course towards planning and continue to sharpen your mind, you’ll be ready to capitalize on that dream opportunity when it does present itself.
One parting note for aspiring and established planners alike:
Each of these tips is just as applicable six years into your career as they are six months into your job hunt. Planners, no matter their specialization, should never stop learning — that’s the challenge, and the beauty, of what we do.
