Contemporary Workplaces and Employees (Subject to Change)

The evolution of new media ensures that jobs now come and go, workplaces are available, but sometimes rarely used, and that the role of an employee within any area of this multi-facted industry is never truly defined or restricted (Leong, 2011). The way that media outlets are adapting to suit current social climates and trends means that a media practitioner needs to be adept in several fields in order to remain an integral part of any company.

But for every positive, there is a negative implication that may inherently follow...

• PLUS - Instead of putting together an entire outfit for an important job interview, online interviews via Skype mean you can leave your trackies and uggs on. 
• NEGATIVE - Murphy's law would say that 9 time out of 10, your usually flawless internet connection would flake out the very minute you're expecting the chime of your Skype phone. 
• PLUS - Connecting with people all over the globe has become so easy, it can seem like your best friend or biggest client is not on the other side of the world.
• NEGATIVE - More people are working from home, and trending against manual labour. The real pitfall here is not that skilled workers are at an all time low, it's that there are less fluoro- clad tradies for us to perve on... 

              OR?            

Yeah thats what I thought... Get out from behind the computers boys, thats all I'm saying :)

While these examples only scratch the superficial surface, (and I realise the last one doesn't really fit, I just like admiring fine tradesmen) it's easy to see that if we wish to make a living within the media community, laziness and complacency will simply mean that you'll have a very short career. As kategemzik's blog points out, the dramatised, glamourised life of a journalist is far from what it is perceived to be. It is hard work! Without keeping ahead of the game and constantly looking to update your skills set, there will be a younger, feistier version of you, nipping at your heels keen to take your job from you. Or you may simply become redundant. Scary thought.... 

REFERENCES

Gemzik, Katie. 2011. Working in the media, the glamorous life..? katiegemkic. May 1st, 2011. Accessed May 2nd, 2011 from: http://katiegemzik.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/working-in-new-media-the-glamorous-life…/

Leong, Susan. 2011. "KCB206 New Media, Internet Self & Beyond: Week 7 lecture notes; Working in/ with new media." Accessed May 2nd, 2011.