The career opportunities available in the media industry abound, and students should be aware of the broad spectrum of media jobs in South Africa, says CEO of Wag the Dog Publishers, Sandra Gordon. Gordon is the publisher of The Media magazine and TheMediaOnline.
She referred to not only opportunities in journalism, advertising and marketing, but also those found in media agencies and media corporations. Employees in the latter field enjoy the development of strategic planning, media planning and buying, and overall business acumen.
Gordon recently advised students attending their career day at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls south of Johannesburg. “There is a great emphasis on effective career guidance at the academy and it was a privilege to discuss the broad range of media employment opportunities.”
The students at the Oprah Leadership Academy for Girls are described on the website as: “…hav(ing) shown that they have the ability to excel and move beyond challenging circumstances.” The girls are encouraged to effect positive and enduring change in their communities and the media industry is one of the conduits for this, explains Gordon.
“Although operating in a relatively small industry, media companies influence millions of South Africans. In addition, there is a lot of innovation and plenty of room for entrepreneurship. As in any sector, the development of these rests on strong leadership.”
The girls learnt much about the different facets of the media industry and the nuanced directions one can follow within the sector. For instance, very few students know about the media agency and media owner world. In addition, publishing, journalism, advertising and marketing are fields that are complex and in constant flux.
“We encouraged the girls to research the different types of media jobs available. The industry is in search of talent and relies on the passion of young, intelligent leaders to keep the sector buoyant and sustainable,” said Gordon.
Photo L-R: Students at the Oprah Academy, Sandra Gordon, Michelle Pretorius and Beth Shirley
