Starting out.

I’ve been mentoring a number of incredibly interesting young people attempting to find their way in our industry recently, and all of them had pretty much the same questions.

Most of which focused on the key characteristics of junior Planners/Strategists, and how they might make you more employable in a fiercely contested world.

I’ve tried to break down my own personal view of what is important to me.

This won’t be the same for other Planners, Strategists, or Heads of Whatever, however, it might provide some insight into what could be important, and more importantly, useful, to people making their way into this utterly chaotic industry.

Ok. Let’s get into it.

For me, the question centres around your own expectations of yourself, your actions to differentiate yourself from the crowd, and your personal and outward attitude towards doing so.

I can best frame this as a mantra:

“Try your best to be interesting, and interested.”

One of the things you’ll learn fast as a Planner is that your choice of your words matters.

You may be under the impression that this is the Copywriter’s job.

That is certainly true for the execution of the end product, but you’ll find yourself drawn to them possibly more than other functions within our industry because of this unifying idea: Words matter.

Your words matter just as much as theirs.

Their words are a result of your words.

You brief them after all. So consider what coals you place upon their fire.

With that in mind, let’s unpack what I’ve just said.

“Try your best to…”

Nobody expects you to know all the answers. If they do, run away, and run fast.

These people are idiots, and they will burn you out before you get a chance to love what you do.

You’re just starting out.

You have enthusiasm without knowledge. You have dreams without wisdom. You are potential without understanding.

That is 100% ok.

It is actually a superpower.

It’s an unburdened fire and opportunity. You can be naive and ask all the stupid questions.

Questions that are utterly important and nobody who is meant to know things is willing to ask.

The only thing people can genuinely ask of you is whether you’re trying. So try your best. Throw yourself in. Demonstrate your enthusiasm.

“…be interesting”…

This is the aspect that you have the greatest control over in terms of your ability to differentiate yourself against others. Being interesting is utterly subjective. However, it’s worth considering what is interesting generally in our industry. Normality isn’t interesting.

Or is it? What exactly is normal? And whose viewpoint is ‘normal’ seen from?

Interesting is the thing the majority of people don’t understand or simply haven’t heard of.

Interesting isn’t just found around the edges or fringes of life though. It’s also found in the well-traveled, but at a deeper level than those who have previously just scratched the surface.

Interesting is also found in the beautiful, uniqueness of your own lived realities.

Your experience of life is as valid to all the white, middle-class men who currently over-represent themselves in both our culture and industry. Every life experience adds value.

Beyond our lived realities, there are other ways you can be interesting.

Consider your studies. Consider the multitude of perspectives that might offer mental models for understanding reality, consciousness, and culture.

Economics, Philosophy, Art, Fashion, Design, Politics….the list is endless because the breadth of human experience is seemingly endless.

All of these viewpoints are both useful and essential in framing your own perspective.

People may tell you that a degree in whatever isn’t useful. They’re also idiots.

You learned through lenses. You learned about mental models. You learned perspectives. Use them.

Planners should strive to be interesting in a multitude of ways.

Regard life as a tapestry.

Each thread you weave is something you can pull on when needed. Craft it wisely. Build it over time with more and more threads that compel you.

Reach into everything you don’t understand and become a richer person for it.

“…and interested.”

This is an attitudinal choice.

The one thing that people may expect of you, not just early on in your career, but throughout it, is that you give a shit.

This will likely be the hardest thing to accomplish, but it is one that is worth pushing on and at least attempting. Your attitude will be shaped mainly by your mental health juxtaposed against the conditions in which you find yourself.

As such, it will be a rapidly moving aspect of your life. You will have catastrophic days, as much as good days. That’s ok. Normalise not giving a shit, as much as the days that you do.

I’d argue there is little to control here. I’d only advise you to centre yourself on the first two points about “trying your best”, and “being interesting”.

These will help you retain both a passion for what you do and help frame the idea that you are doing your best in your endeavor.