Online Professional Identity

By: Kyle Redding TWC301 July 1, 2011

Table of Contents
I. II. III. IV. V. The Future Professional Me The Current Me Bridging the Gap Executive Summary Appendices

The Future Professional Me

As with most young adults I am working hard on my degree to ensure that I fulfill my dreams and objectives of being successful in life. I believe I have so much to offer and am looking forward to launching my career in advertising. The economy is soft and opportunities are limited and competition is very competitive. I need to stay focused, further develop my academic background, while looking for opportunities to break through in the industry with a major player such as Google. This will be no easy task and I will have to remain vigilant to be successful. Reviewing various jobs in this field and successful individuals has provided me with valuable information relative to the gap that exists from my current position as a student to that of the real business environment. I stand ready to work as hard as necessary and hopefully I can catch a break and demonstrate that hard work pays dividends for not only me, but the organization I work for. Following are examples of current job advertisements in my field of choice, along with successful individuals in my field of expertise.

Job Advertisements
Advertising Sales, Google Mobile Advertising Google is a world-renowned organization that is a leader in an everchanging world of high-end technology. This organization is forward thinking and seeks relevant solutions to meets the high expectations of their clients. The most competitive candidates for this position are those that are forward thinking, think outside the box, are great communicators, trustworthy, self-motivated, and use collaboration when working with others. In addition, the successful candidate must be savvy in Windows Mobile platforms and various applications as they refer to Googles product line. This position is based in San Francisco, CA., and requires a BA/BS degree, as well as at least 3 years of work experience in advertising sales, marketing and media.
http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1675120&srchIndex=50&trk=njsrch_hits&goback=%2Efjs_advertising_*1_* 1_I_us_*1_50_6_R_true_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2

Sales Analytics, Google TV Advertising Sales Another position in the Google organization that is fast paced, interactive and this position would help improve the profitability of the organization the TV medium. Best candidate for this position is one that is innovative and creative in developing interesting approaches to Googles products. This candidate would have at its finger tips the power and technology of one of the worlds biggest advertisers. They are looking for a person who is strategic in their planning, drives through collaboration to meet the customers needs. Knowledge of current technology is critical for success in this position and must be well organized and self motivated, while meeting tight deadlines. This position is based in New York,

NY. Candidates must hold BA/BA degree and they are looking for at least 2 years experience in field.
http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1649361&srchIndex=62&trk=njsrch_hits&goback=%2Efjs_advertising_*1_* 1_I_us_*1_50_7_R_true_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2

Advertising Sales (Account Executive), Google Mobile Advertising This position is similar to the first position noted above, but holds a higher degree of responsibility. The position is based in New York, NY, and requires more experience (at least 8 years) than the entry level Advertising Sales position. They require a BA/BS degree as well. Successful candidate must have proven track record and demonstrate a strong knowledge and depth of business.
http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1335845&srchIndex=88&trk=njsrch_hits&goback=%2Efjs_advertising_*1_* 1_I_us_*1_50_9_R_true_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2

Professional Identities
1. David Adams ~ VP, of Operations at VEVO David has ten years experience in the field, with specialties in ad product and inventory strategy and development, rich media, online video platforms and strategies, etc. His link did not have tremendous details on his background, but it is clear that he understands the customer base, has background in various mediums to effectively market customer bases, and is very good at communication and team building. David garnered his degree from State University of New York at Albany.
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=3795378&authType=name&authToken=5NSU&trk=skills

2. Melissa (Chapman) Bertram ~ VP, Advertising Operations for Kelly Blue Book Melissa also has several years of on-line advertising experience, ranging from advertising opportunities, behavioral targeting, dynamic advertising, to inventory forecasting and management. She can multi-task and is thrives under pressure of the ever-changing industry standards. She has worked her way into the vice president ranks quickly as a result of her trustworthiness, hard work ethic, and on the back of her marketing education at Eastern Michigan University. She is a good communicator, uses collaboration well, and otherwise intimately understands her client base.
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=18405190&authType=name&authToken=FtYa&trk=skills

3. Greg Stuart ~ Global CEO at Mobile Marketing Association Greg obviously has years of experience, both professionally and through education. He has two degrees, one from University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School; and the other from University of Washington. He has been a CEO or VP of other companies in the industry and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role. For example, he has served as CEO of Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), serving AOL, CNET, Google, Disney, and Yahoo! He led the industry from $6 to $17 billion annually, while growing IABs revenues

500% in 4 years. In addition, he has served on several boards of directors and considered a subject manner expert that is highly sought after and is paid well for his services. Greg is a leader that I would like to emulate later in my career. He is business savvy, is customer centric, innovative, great communicator, and has a passion for the best.
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=24177&authType=name&authToken=EEdD&trk=skills

To conclude this section, my research has gleaned that all of these individuals have several things in common. First, they are all well educated in their field of choice. They are all driven to perform the best they can, they can multi-task, are great communicators, use collaboration well, and are extremely bright and innovative. Similarly, they all worked from the bottom up and excelled quickly. This point gives me great hope as the market is obviously rich for young and talented people.

The Current Me
After completing web searches using Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, I was very surprised that there was not much noted using my name. I am an avid technology buff, use the internet on a regular basis, have numerous accounts, and would otherwise have thought that someone such as me would have had various hits during this search. When I compare myself to the three employees above, I at first was dismayed. However, when I look at their time in their positions, I am optimistic that I can succeed in this field. The two hits I got were on Twitter and Linkedln, where my name was on the first page. This is good news, as anyone searching my profile can easily obtain information about me. The searches through Bing and Yahoo! were not successful and obviously not of use relative to my career. Google: Twitter, LinkedIn Bing: None Yahoo!: None

Conclusions: Bridging the Gap

For the entry-level positions I researched the gap is not that great. One of the biggest criteria for these positions is education. I will shortly have my BA degree. Soft skills such as communication, trust, innovativeness, willingness to learn, multi-tasking, are all qualities of my personality. The biggest gap is the minimum requirement of practical experience in the field, typically 2 to 3 years. I am not sure how to bridge this gap, other than apply, apply, apply and keeping trying to get in the door through the interview process.

For higher-level positions, I believe I have the basic skill set is the same. To obtain a position of vice president I would have to work really hard, make a marked improvement in my chosen field and get into a thriving company that is a front-runner in the industry.

Executive Summary
This activity has provided me with critical information to not only understand my current situation as a potential candidate in the advertising / marketing arena, but what are the requirements that companies value in their employees. Similarly, education is important, but whether youre in an entry-level job or executive position, you have to be an excellent communicator, be creative and innovation, hard working, has the ability to collaborate well with others, and to a certain extent, get a break when working to climb the corporate ladder to the executive ranks. I know my biggest obstacle, or gap, from where I am now to an entry-level job is experience in the field. I will have to reach out to advertising / marketing agencies to develop a strategy to obtain this experience. Possibly I can work part time after school hours. In any event, I am glad that I completed this exercise, as it has provided me valuable insight to what is needed in the advertising corporate world to be successful and add value.

Appendices
Google: Twitter: http://twitter.com/kredd_89 LinkdIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?locale=&id=127330254&authType=name&a uthToken=FI_B Bing: Found nothing in my search. Yahoo!: Found nothing in my search.