No Experience (in magazines) Necessary
Who said you had to have a hefty number of years of experience in one career in order to advance?
Time Inc. magazine’s new CEO seems like she’s been everything but a doctor, lawyer or candlestick maker….actually, she’s put in, er, time in such fields as digital marketing, as well as product management and digital strategy at a pharmaceutical industry heavyweight and the Quaker Oats Company. According to a story at FINS.com, Laura Lang has been tapped to take the rough reins at Time Inc.
Not a moment of magazine experience on that resume! Goes to show that it may not be the depth of experience in one field that counts as much as the breadth of experience in many—all of which adds up to a wealth of perspective that will be focused on Time’s current and relevant publishing hurdles dealing with the digital front.
Time will tell if she sinks or swims, but the moral of the story is that even if you don’t have an on-point resume, but it’s a job you would kick-ass at, go for it. Be prepared to wow them with how the experience will apply.
When I graduated from school, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a living. After many job-angst conversations with friends over a beer, or four, I realized no one had a clue. Part of the problem? Job titles are useless! How are you supposed to know what you want to do if you don't know a) what jobs are out there in the first place and b) what it's really like to work in the gig. Dig This Gig attempts to find answers by going straight to the source — you! 