JOB OF THE WEEK

Cynopsis: Classified Advantage
08/07/12

Good morning.  It’s Tuesday, August 7, 2012, and this is your weekly issue of Cynopsis: Classified Advantage!

You’ve done everything right. You have different, professional resumes and cover letters for each company you’ve applied to, you’ve practiced your elevator pitch until it’s perfect, you never get an unexpected question in an interview and your answers are great, you are well informed about each company you’ve applied to as well as the industry itself, yet the offers still aren’t coming in.

You’re doing all you can and now you’re getting depressed. What to do now…

Volunteer.

You’re right, you are doing everything you can, and you’re doing it well. It may take longer than you hoped for, but it will come. But what you need to do now is get out of that unemployed funk.

Volunteer.

Take a day or a half a day each week and work at the food bank, talk to someone in a retirement home, read to children, help out with special needs people, help a neighbor, rescue a dog, something, anything, that helps others.

Why? Because it’s a good thing to do. And when you do good things and expect nothing in return, you actually get one of the greatest gifts you will ever receive, someone’s gratitude.

Some religions believe that if you do someone a favor, you are indebted to them because of the good feeling you get from it.

Americans are often portrayed as people who eat ice cream or buy expensive things when they’re feeling bad. Who knows how true it is, but these actions are almost always followed by regret.

What possible regret could you have by talking to someone who is lonely? By helping in a community project, by serving food to the hungry?

Yes, it takes away from you job search time, but if the job search is really starting to apply pressure, you won’t be at the top of your game anyway.

Help yourself by helping others. You’ll feel better about yourself, which will create greater confidence, which will help you throughout the interview process.

Feeling down? Help yourself by giving someone else a hand up.

We are always on the look out for more Experts to advise our readers – if you’re a headhunter, job coach, career advisor, etc., and may be interested in contributing to this edition from time to time, please contact me at [email protected].

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

We all believe we’re really good at what we do. And we’d better be able to convey our special value to clients and hirers. Otherwise how will they find out?

When we discover a new company don’t you, as I do, head for the About page to see what sets them apart?  And typically we are told confidently how they practice their craft the way it should be done  the implication being that no-one else has ever figured that out. “We love what we do,” they say. “We care passionately about quality. We listen to our clients. Our clients are happy.” About pages, and so many resumes, are full of worthy and unquestionable virtues.

But where this falls down is when everything claimed is indistinguishable from what everyone else in the field is claiming. Which is often.

Try this: take your name off the top and put a competitor’s name there. Could they be saying the same things?

Put yourself in the mind of a hirer who sees that everyone claims the same passion for excellence, blah blah. They are stymied. How to make a choice? The “passion for excellence” language has been neutralized. It’s reduced to being the price of entry. And then there are so many resumes where the language has simply been cut and pasted from the job specs. Guess how many other applicants thought of doing that!

Aha you say  they will look at our chronology (or portfolio or whatever) and immediately they’ll see that our department was bigger, our casting was better, how elegant our work is and so on. I am sorry to tell you this, but once you pass a certain level of professionalism, most hirers don’t see the nuances you see. They look at all this and your employer or client list and they go, “That’s nice – they can do what I need. But so can these 10 others, so how should I decide? How hard do I have to work to spot the real differences?”

So how can you help them make the decision to hit Reply or Contact? What do you know about what they are looking for? About who else they are looking at? About what is going on in the company? Try and intuit what your competitors are saying about themselves. How can you distinguish yourself if you don’t know what you are distinguishing yourself from?

In so many cases very talented people are wondering why their career is not doing better. Well the days of just “hang out a shingle and people will beat a path to you door” are over. Getting the attention of the right people depends on more than just waving your hand in the air, it involves understanding yourself and the ecosystem you work in so you can see how to set yourself apart and convey your specialness.

Michael Pollock is President of Pollock Spark (www.pollockspark.com). He is an Executive Coach and Consultant to Creative and Media professionals. He works with people in film, TV, journalism, advertising, design, marketing, music and the Internet, bringing them the experience, techniques and inspiration to take their businesses and careers to new levels of success.

Can a very expensive suit, tie, watch and shoes actually hurt my chances at getting a job?

Yes if they are ostentatiously expensive  and I assume that since you said by “very expensive” then that is the case here. It is even possible that the hiring manager may feel intimidated, which is not good. If they are not too flashy then you may get away with it, but if you are concerned about it, then moderate your plumage.

Maybe a salesperson would choose to tout his success with his wardrobe  but I would hope that his sales growth numbers speak louder than the price tags on what he is wearing.

How can I stay in the loop at the office yet not be a part of office politics and gossip?

If you are simply talking about the progress of projects and business  then I am sure you can meet formally or informally with managers and co-workers to find out what is going on. Ask to be included on email lists or status reports.  Pro-actively show interest in developments and contribute ideas and feedback. Being engaged and constructive without threatening anyone’s position is the way.

But actually I suggest that you don’t totally avoid the politics and gossip. There is information in such conversations that can impact you and your position and your work and your choices. Staying unaware of it could put you at a disadvantage and you will miss out on the benefits that come from the “hive”. Find the people in your office who seem to the most connected and befriend them. The valuable “network nodes” are people who can communicate between groups or departments. Check in with them from time to time and share some information yourself. That doesn’t mean you have to be a destructive or disrespectful voice. Not all politics are bad.

Michael Pollock is President of Pollock Spark (www.pollockspark.com). He is an Executive Coach and Consultant to Creative and Media professionals.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

1. Fast & efficient personalized service

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/WB Digital Media Sales/NY: Generate online sales plans under the dir. of VP, Sales and ADs. Creates research-based presentations for sales team to utilize in client/agency meetings. Apply here (8/13)

JOB OPENING: VP, COMMUNICATIONS/MTV/NYC: 10+ yrs exp in Corp Comms/PR or Media Relations; extensive exp. in media industry, particularly entertainment & music; B.A req. EOE/M/F/D/AAP apply www.viacomcareers.com (8/13)

JOB OPENING: ACCT MGR/ONLINE SALES/PCH/NYC: Dev & maintain adv & sponsorship deals & build proposals & media plans req. exp 3+ yrs working w/online ad sale space email res to [email protected] (8/13)

JOB OPENING:  DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PROGRAM PLANNING/NBCUniversal/BRAVO: Responsible for Program Planning and Scheduling for linear platform and program acquisitions. Strong Research background is a plus. www.nbcunicareers.com #6056BR (8/10)

JOB OPENING:  SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER/BRAVO DIGITAL: 7+ yrs of experience in digital project management. Monitor project risk and define scope. PMP certification and a passion for pop culture is a plus. www.nbcunicareers.com #5495BR (8/10)

JOB OPENING: MKTG & RSRCH DIR/TVG/NYC: Ad sales resrch on prgm perfmce & ntwk hghlghts. Dvlp resrch concpts 4 promo mtrls. Kwldg of syndictn, natl ratings, sales prm & sftware. Media/entmt indstry req, BA/BS pref [email protected]  (8/10)

JOB OPENING: TEMP ASSISTANT/CREATIVE SERVICES/Crown Media/Studio City: Perform administrative duties and provides support for Executives and CS team… More info & apply: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/jobs (8/10)

JOB OPENING: EXEC PROD/History/NY: Create, develop & oversee quality Prgmng on the Net. Strong development & show runner skills. 5+ yrs prgmng exp in a media environment. Apply: www.aenetworks.com/career.html (8/10)

JOB OPENING: DIG RSRCH ANALYST/A+E NETWORKS/NY: Utilize synd resources (Nielsen Online, comScore) to address ad sales rsrch req’s; compile/analyze data for reports; 1-2 yrs dig media exp; More info/apply: www.aetvn.com/careers/html (8/9)

JOB OPENING: DIR, PROMOTION PLAN’G/HBO/NYC: dvlp on-channel promo plans optimizing promot’l inventory & freq across all linear channels & platforms. 7+yrs exp. TV/cbl ntwrk or agency mngng on-air/media plans http://bit.ly/QjwKSG (8/9)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/REELZ/Albuquerque: 1+ years Nielsen systems exp. Join one of the fastest growing networks and work directly with the head of programming research. Apply [email protected] (8/9)

JOB OPENING: CONTENT DIRECTOR/SYFY/NBCUNIVERSAL/NYC: Develop Syfy’s digital content strategy and oversee day-to-day editorial operations and updates. Min. 5 years of digital editorial exp. Apply: www.nbcunicareers.com (6376BR) (8/8)

JOB OPENING: SR. SALES ASST/NY: Support SVP + sales execs for a RLTV cable net. Book/main orders, wkly reports, srvc agencies, some admin. Strong math/excel skills, multi-task, self-start. 1+media exp a must: Apply [email protected] (8/8)

JOB OPENING: Established NYC PROD CO is expanding its reality development dept. Seek several DEV EXECS with rolodex, proven track record selling shows, finding characters and writing. [email protected] (8/8)

JOB OPENING: MGR, SALES MKTG/NY: Execute the “go to mkt” strats for Flixster’s Ad Sales team & guide/prepare mktg prgrms & online media plans to support those strats. Focus: key accts/lrger budget RFPs. Strong dig. bckground a must. Apply (8/7)

JOB POSTING: VP, DATABASE RESEARCH/NFL/NYC: Responsible for maintaining & growing NFL’s central fan database mgmnt system & analytics platform & support all business units. Min 10yrs exp-database, digital & direct mkting. Apply here (8/3)

JOB POSTING: TEMP RESEARCH ANALYST/NFL: Gather, analyze & assist in reporting NFL game broadcast ratings, audience data & provide insight on NFL fan segments. Analyze data & track perf of NFL Network prgmming. 1-3yrs exp Apply here (8/3)

JOB POSTING: MGR PRICING/PLAN’G/FX & FXM/NY: 2-5 yrs. Media exp in sales. Must understand sales systems, mngs inventory; helps w/budgeting/reporting; knwldgbl of finance & operations side of sales. Excel a must. http://bit.ly/NQicUE (8/3)

JOB POSTING: SR DIR DIGITAL VIACOM/NY: BA; 7 yrs exp media prod/content creation. Extnsv knwldg Mac/PC and software. Exp bldg. Web, Tablet, mobile-based apps. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.viacomcareers.com (8/3)

JOB POSTING: MEDIA SCHEDULER PROMOS AND CREATIVE SVCS/BURBANK: Reqmnts: BA. 1-2 yrs exp. Log prep, timing adjustments, schd promos/graphics, detail oriented. Apply www.hubworld.com (8/3)

JOB POSTING: PUBLICIST/NET PROG PUBLICITY/Crown Media/Studio City:Developing, conceptualizing & executing consumer, trade communications & publicity initiatives… More info & apply: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/jobs (8/3)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/UNIVISION CABLE NETS/NYC: 1+ years Nielsen experience. Great opportunity to learn advanced research systems and work directly with network management. [email protected] (8/2)

JOB OPENING: DIG RSRCHANALYST/A+E NETWORKS/NY: Utilize synd resources (Nielsen Online, comScore) to address ad sales rsrch req’s; compile/analyze data for reports; 1-2 yrs dig media exp; More info/apply: www.aetvn.com/careers/html (8/2)

JOB OPENING: PR MANAGER/MULTIMEDIA COMPANY/WHITEPLAINS: Seeking PR pro with excellent writing & project management skills, experience working with media and managing agencies. 8-10yrs exp. Resume: [email protected] (8/2)

JOB OPENING: WEB CONTENT PROD/HMH/BOSTON: Create, produce & write content for curiousgeorge.com website. Develop long-term strategy. Required Exp: web dev, design, & social media. Follow this link to apply: http://bit.ly/Qhwow0 (8/2)

JOB OPENING: ACCT MGR/Digital Media/HealthiNation/NY: Onboard, implement, & facilitate success of projects, partnerships, products, and initiatives. 3-5 years digital proj mngmnt or dig ad ops. Apply: [email protected] (8/2)

JOB OPENING: LINE PRODUCER/USA Network/NYC: Manage production ops. Liaise btwn creative & production. On-set and budgetary supervision. Min 5 years exp and strong knowledge of Union rules req’d. Apply: nbcunicareers.com #6444BR (8/1)

JOB OPENING: DIR OF DVLPMNT/NY: TV prod company looking. Dvlp/pitch/execute smart, engaging non-fiction concepts. Scripted exp an asset. Minimum 5 yrs network or prod co exp a must. Resume: [email protected] (8/1)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL SLS PLANNER/A+E Networks/NY: Support Dig AE’s thru Planning Pricing & Inventory in efforts to max ad revenue for all web properties. Apply: www.aenetworks.com/career.html (8/1)

JOB OPENING: MGR, NETWORK SALES & MKTG/BBC AMERICA/NYC: 3+ yrs TV industry trends & platforms, relationships w/distributors. Create sales report, maintain distribution trends database. Solid Excel & PPT. [email protected] (7/31)

JOB OPENING: iOS GAME PROGRAMMER/NYC: Kids entertainment co seeks creative programmers for high profile apps w/2 years minimum SDK, Objective-C and Cocoa skills; gaming experience a must; Send resume to: [email protected] (7/31)

JOB OPENING: LIC/MKTG COORDINATOR/NYC: Kids entertainment co seeks l/m coordinator with min 1 yr experience in related field. Organized, detail oriented w/ability to multi-task. Send cover letter/resume to: kidstvjob@gmail.com (7/31)

JOB OPENING: PGM SCHED COORD/NATGEO/DC: 1-2 yrs. TV experience. Sched entry in database; create day & late scheds; competitive tracking & analysis; point of contact for dept. Must love TV. http://bit.ly/Od6dRG (7/31)

JOB OPENING: PRODUCER/LA: Nationally synd daytime talk show looking for an exp’d Prod. Ideally would have exp producing for a daytime show w/studio audience, booking & pre-interviewing guests/pitching show topics. Resume: [email protected] (7/31)

OTHER INDUSTRY JOBS OF INTEREST…

responsible for developing and leading our on-air brand promotion strategy, driving tune-in and generating both network ratings and advertising revenue
VP, Creative Services – truTV
Turner Broadcasting
NYC NY
http://www.turner.com/careers/job-search

responsible for structuring and negotiating agreements, strategic partnerships, investments and acquisitions with a primary focus on ESPN’s Digital Media and Technology areas
Senior Director, Business Affairs  57434BR
Walt Disney Company
New York NY
http://corporate.disney.go.com/careers/who.html

develop and execute high-impact, strategic communications programs, as well as oversee day-to-day activities of high-volume press operation
VP, MTV Communications  4512
Viacom
NYC NY
https://jobhuntweb.viacom.com/Viacom/taleo/index.html

focuses on the strategy, planning, logistics, budgeting and oversight of Viacom Special Events
VP, Production Special Events  4482
Viacom
NYC NY
https://jobhuntweb.viacom.com/Viacom/taleo/index.html

develop and execute vision and strategy for BBC E-Commerce in North America (US and Canada) as it relates to product, on line and site design
Director E-Commerce
BBC America
NYC NY
http://www.bbcamerica.com/jobs/

responsible for all client service engineering efforts and delivery within the New York office, and is the resident subject matter expert on presentation layer technologies
Director, Presentation Engineering
Organic
NYC NY
www.careers.organic.com/

drive revenue and lead the change in our most important office as we enter a hyper-growth phase
VP of Sales, East
Tube Mogul
NYC NY
http://www.tubemogul.com/company/careers/

responsible for leading a team responsible for planning, organizing, and executing corporate wide strategies and policies.
VP, Customer Management Systems
Comcast
Philadelphia PA
www.comcast.com/careers/

overall responsibility for the news operation including news gathering, production, news programming and presentation on air and online
Vice President of News  6560BR
NBC Universal
Washington DC
http://www.nbcunicareers.com/

management and supervision of the company’s International taxes and the international tax aspects of US reporting, including ASC 740 calculations
VP – International Tax  6294
Discovery Communications
Silver Spring MD
https://careers-discovery.icims.com/jobs/6294/job

ensures that applications developed and/or implemented by CBS Application Development Services are architected according to defined CBS technology standards
Vice President, Application Development  9905BR
CBS Corporation
Atlanta GA
http://diversity.cbscorporation.com/careers.php

direct the HR practices and strategies in support of the Central region ofRazorfish
Director, Human Resources  11531
Razorfish
Chicago IL
http://www.razorfish.com/#/careers/

serve as the user experience external spokesperson, responsible for developing and publicly communicating the agency’s point of view on all issues pertaining to the current or future state of digital commerce experiences
VP, Experience  11317
Razorfish
Chicago IL
http://www.razorfish.com/#/careers/

responsible for the development, implementation and ongoing management of Dotomi’s Personalization Platform
VP Platform Management  1542
Dotomi
Chicago IL
http://www.dotomi.com/careers/

lead and manage a team of 275 employees across our Greater Chicago Region to achieve assigned sales, revenue and P&L objectives
VP Business Services -RVP, Greater Chicago Region Business Services
Comcast
Schaumburg IL
www.comcast.com/careers/

responsible for handling legal issues in the Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media (E&DN/IM) division
Transactional Attorney  4742BR
NBC Universal
Los Angeles CA
http://www.nbcunicareers.com/

drafting and negotiation of agreements dealing with the full range of activities for which the department is responsible, including all forms of international theatrical, television, digital and new media distribution, digital cinema, film financing agreements and general corporate matters
Counsel, International Distribution  FFE0001148
Fox Networks
Los Angeles CA
http://www.foxcareers.com/#/home

manage the contract administration department for Free TV
Senior Paralegal International Distribution  FFE0001105
Fox Networks
Los Angeles CA
http://www.foxcareers.com/#/home

create and implement policies and procedures tailored for TLC program production while at the same time ensuring that critical policies and practices remain consistent with production management practices across all DCL Networks
VP – Production Management  6252
Discovery Communications
Los Angeles CA
https://careers-discovery.icims.com/jobs/6252/job

serve as primary contact for the users, both production support and project requests
Sr. Manager Applications Development  12268BR
CBS Corporation
Los Angeles CA
http://diversity.cbscorporation.com/careers.php

build effective partnerships:own and manage a set of partner relationships with the objective to maximize the value of those partnerships for both Hulu and the partners
Content Partner Manager, Film
Hulu
Los Angeles CA
http://www.hulu.com/jobs/category

responsible for the execution and delivery of our products
Program Manager – International
Hulu
Los Angeles CA
http://www.hulu.com/jobs/category

responsible for working closely with internal Marketing stakeholders, defining business needs related to improving workflows and tools, authoring appropriate product specifications and managing the product development lifecycle
Sr. Manager, Product Development  57497BR
Walt Disney Company
Burbank CA
http://corporate.disney.go.com/careers/who.html

be an integral member of the Content Planning and Analysis team and be responsible for providing support and analysis across the breadth of work provided by the team
Senior Financial Analyst – Content Planning & Analysis
Netflix
Beverly Hills CA
http://jobs.netflix.com/jobs.html

create competitive advantage for Netflix by delivering insights that help define global strategy and facilitate speed and accuracy of decision-making
Senior Manager – Consumer Insights
Netflix
Los Gatos CA
http://jobs.netflix.com/jobs.html

On Friday, Time Warner announced Jim Walton, President of CNN Worldwide will be stepping down at the end of this year.  A search for a new president will begin immediately.

Honolulu-based KITV4 News welcomes former ABC News White House Correspondent Yunji de Nies beginning this September.  Yunji is joining the station as Co-Anchor for the 6p news with Paula Akana and the 10p news with Kenny Choi.  KITV is owned by Hearst Television.

Amy Manchester Borg was hired by Montreal-based CMJ Productions as Head/Development.  Amy joins the company from Cream Productions where she served as Director/Development.  She is relocating from Los Angeles. 

Cynthia Turner, founder of Cynopsis Media 15 years ago, is stepping down from the company and will become Editor Emeritus of Cynopsis.  Following Access Intelligence’s acquisition of Cynopsis Media one year ago, Cynthia has been working with the Cynopsis team to transfer editorial management to Editor Lisa Ball and the overall strategic and business management of all Cynopsis properties to Diane Schwartz, SVP of Cynopsis Media and the Media Entertainment Group at Access Intelligence and to recently-named Group Publisher, Denise O’Connor, VP/Marketing and Sales, Mike Farina and Director/Content and Operations, Trish Pihonak.  Cyn, from all of us at Cynopsis, we miss you and wish you all the best!

Meredith Ahr was handed a promotion from NBC to become EVP/Alternative Programming, NBC Entertainment.  In her new role, Meredith will continue to head NBC’s alternative development both internally and sourced from NBC’s partnerships in the creative community.  She will also have creative oversight of Universal Television’s reality producers to boost the studio’s lineup of productions involving unscripted projects.  Meredith will continue to report to Paul Telegdy, President/Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC.

Knoxville-based Jupiter Entertainment elevated Robert Twilley to SVP/GM, effective immediately.  Robert will have oversight of all staffing, legal, financial and production operations of the company’s offices in Knoxville, Los Angeles and New York.   Robert previously served as Jupiter’s VP/Director of Operations and has been with the company since 1998.

Effective immediately, Bob Peterson advanced to VP/Station Operations by Young Broadcasting, LLC for its broadcast group.  Bob will be based in Nashville and reports to Deborah McDermott, President, Young Broadcasting, LLC. 

CBS Interactive China named Daisy Wei as Director/Legal and she represents CBS Corporation’s first in-house counsel hire in China.  Daisy will be based in Beijing and reports to Julia Apostle, Director/Legal Operations, CBS Interactive International.

Insight Strategy Group upped Ally Aleman to Senior Manager and Nathan Cooper as Quantitative Analyst.  Ally has been with the company since 2011 and Nathan joined in 2010.

James Dumlao was appointed Head/Operations in the Philippines by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.  James will supervise the company’s local team in addition to all strategic operations and brand-building facets of the business.  Based in Manila, James will report to Hui Keng Ang, SVP/Business Operations and Head/Asian Content, Networks, Asia, Sony Pictures Television.

CINE, the film, television and digital media non-profit organization based in Washington, DC area and founded in 1957 and its Board of Directors, has elected new leadership for 2012-2013.  Mathew Tombers, Managing Director of Intermat TV will become the new Board President and Gary Lico, President/CEO of CABLEready will become VP of the Board.

Effective immediately, Larry Davis-Swing joins MediaVest USA as SVP/Analytics Director with responsibilities over the agency’s analytics practice and to spur future strategies involving data-driven approaches for the agency’s clients.  Based at the agency’s headquarters in New York, Larry will be part of MediaVest’s Executive Committee and report to Brian Terkelsen, CEO, MediaVest. 

Former VP/Creative and Brand Strategy at AMC Networks, Alison Hoffman was tapped by Starz Entertainment as SVP/Marketing.  In her new position, Alison will oversee all facets of marketing strategy and planning for STARZ Original series.  Alison will be based at Starz’ Beverly Hills office.

Later — John
John Cox for Cynopsis: Classified Advantage
[email protected]
08.07.12

Denise O’Connor: Group Publisher Media Entertainment

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Classifieds Sales: Trish Pihonak | Director of Operations & Content | 888-702-3858

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