Why getting it right counts
We have a lot of people who express an interest in working at Seventeen, and we’ve recently added a page to our website with a little test to help applicants understand the kind of standard we’re looking for.
This probably seems incredibly anal, or at worst irrelevant. Why should knowing who won Ultimate Big Brother have a bearing on working in events?
Whenever I speak to applicants I tend to stress two things above everything else: accuracy and cultural awareness.
If we can’t work accurately, and get things right first time in a timely manner, we’re sunk. Of course we’re all human and mistakes do happen, but I try to stress the importance of accuracy above everything else in what we do. We can have the greatest creative ideas in the world, and have all the resources we need to run events which are sustainable and environmentally aware, but if we don’t have the correct postcode on the invitation that’s all for nothing. At Seventeen, accuracy is everything.
Cultural awareness is more difficult to quantify, but equally important. We get a lot of applications from people who are academically excellent, with a detailed knowledge of project management and sustainability issues. But you get the feeling they’re operating in the theoretical world, not the practical one. We need people who can sit in a client meeting and come up with great ideas inspired by books they’ve read, albums they love, films which kept them awake at night, and yes, even trashy TV. I didn’t watch a single episode of BB this time around, but I can tell you who won – that’s my job. We have to be aware of the cultural references which our clients might want to incorporate into their events.
I’m constantly amazed by some of the emails or calls I get from people who seem not to care about either of these issues. I wouldn’t want to work with them, and definitely wouldn’t offer them a job. For us, if you’re going to do something you have to get it right.
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