Media headhunters - good people/bad people?

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As you almost certainly know if you know me, I've been considering trying to get out of my job for some time now. Mostly because I want something that's a bit more like a 9-5 job and less like an all-encompassing mess. Anyway, it looks like I might be about to be offered a job working in media headhunting - editors for magazines and website, mostly. I've been kind of disillusioned with the vaguely journalistic but-not-really path I've been following for a couple of years and want to do something that utilises everything I've learnt thus far but is still a bit different.

Thing is, do I want to be doing this? Is it generally well-regarded by people in the media in general?

Pros being: Sensible working hours, central location, easy commute, travel opportunities, potentially very intersting. Probably less pressure, day to day. All of which I desperately need right now.

Cons: The basic salary is lower than my current job, with commission would probably be higher, they say (although I'm wary of this). I didn't know how much they were paying when I went in for the interview, although they indicated they'd be willing to be flexible on basic salary.

I'm sure the final decision will be largely determined by money, either way, but I'd like to know from those of you that might have better knowledge than myself (Mark S? Suzy?) whether this is the sort of world I want to involve myself in.

― no one in particular, Monday, 13 March 2006 22:08 (twenty years ago)

I don't know anything this line of work but you've made it sound pretty interesting. I say go for it. Give it six months and if it's not for you by then you'll probably have unearthed a bunch of other opportunities for more traditional journalism work that you could go for.

― Affectian (Affectian), Monday, 13 March 2006 22:26 (twenty years ago)

I imagine grimly fiendish/simon will be able to help here too.

― Affectian (Affectian), Monday, 13 March 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

Oh, the other thing is I am a week away from an apraisal that I suspect to lead to a £2k payrise and a whacking great load of extra responsibility that I don't particularly want. I have no idea how that's going to affect things in my mind, just yet.

― me again, Monday, 13 March 2006 22:38 (twenty years ago)

I imagine grimly fiendish/simon will be able to help here too.

[waves disconsolately]

i say: go for it. then you can get me out of the cost-cutting hellhole i'm mired in right now.

no, i'm joking.

sort of.

Thing is, do I want to be doing this? Is it generally well-regarded by people in the media in general?

i can honestly say i've never come across media headhunting; at least, not by a third party. i've been "headhunted" twice: once in the form of, umm, a phone call from a prospective boss saying: "hello, would you be interested in applying for a job?" and once in the form of, er, lunch with another prospective boss.

my experience isn't vast, but in glasgow, edinburgh and london i've only ever seen this kind of thing done through an existing network of contacts and recommendations (eg "hey, trusted colleague: see that designer you know? well, see his photographer mate, the one with the beard? tell him he should apply for this job.") either that or the time-honoured way of, y'know, a company placing an advert and people replying to it. (hey, it's worked for me.)

but as someone who's spectacularly unhappy in their current position (not because of the job itself, which i love, but because of wider issues with the company), the one advice i will give you is do what makes you happy. that might involve following the cash; only you can tell.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:04 (twenty years ago)

I think it would be easier to advise you as the 'outed' individual because I'll base my answer on your specific and transferable skills and whether or not I do know you. Mail me privately if you do but also if you feel you are coming to a journalism watershed you might want to hang in there while it pays better than this.

I've been spoken to/at by headhunter types who cannot make that Kierkegaardian leap over what constitutes 'experience' WRT people whose experience is either freelance or 'creating their own jobs' (and by that I mean stuff like 'opens London bureau of US magazine') and are flat-out uninterested in people without trad office experience (so in the main they haven't been interested in me at ALL). FWIW you could probably earn a bucketload of commissions placing ILXors in media jobs they'd actually like, if the company itself was willing to let one non-trad person onto every shortlist, which is what seems to happen loads. Maybe say: I'd be good at this but can I consult instead?

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 09:16 (twenty years ago)

Email sent.

― loggedout, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 10:27 (twenty years ago)

I can only speak to headhunters in general, not specifically for media jobs. The industry seems a lot like car salesmen and estate agents, namely, selling people things they are already going to buy and taking a cut for it. There seems to be a 'trading in flesh' aspect that, to me, seems rather distasteful. But some people are really suited for it, and I would think it's fairly satisfying (as long as you don't get hung up on all the people you review who don't get jobs). If you do well at it, it should pay fairly well in the end, I don't think they're misleading you on that side.

― Mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 10:59 (twenty years ago)

Note to anonymous poster: the address here is a long-dead spam address. It will bounce.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 07:55 (twenty years ago)

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