The 12 Attributes of Extraordinary Media Professionals

Length: 184 pages
Edition: 1
Language: English
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publication Date: 2021-08-04
ISBN-10: 153811626X
ISBN-13: 9781538116265
Sales Rank: #3410712 (See Top 100 Books)

Careers in media and creative professions are extremely competitive, with less direct pathways to jobs and advancement relative to more traditional or technical professions. Many future media professionals train for careers without a clear understanding that personal attributes like adaptability, integrity, and confidence are just as important as any practical or theoretical knowledge. In today’s flooded market of talented and intelligent job applicants, it is more important than ever that media and communications professionals master critical soft skills to succeed in building their career.

In The12 Attributes of Extraordinary Media Professionals, Roger Cooper shows young professionals that while personal attributes are essential to success, building these soft skills is a dynamic process that can be just as enjoyable as it is rewarding. This book fills a void in the personal and professional development of media professionals by presenting key attributes as a system of qualities that, when applied and considered together, add synergistic benefits for the individual’s career.

Cooper combines examples of successful media professionals with activities to begin readers’ development of twelve attributes that will prove timeless and relevant regardless of an individual’s career stage or the inevitable changes in business practices and technology.

Preface
Introduction: Navigating the Challenges to Long-Term Success
    The Navigational Challenges
    The Power of Attributes
The 12 Attributes: A Model for Extraordinary Media Professionals
    The 12 Attributes Model
    The Big Picture Attributes
    The Active Attributes
    The Enduring Attributes
    The Reinforcing Attributes
    Getting to the Heart of the Matter
    Impact of Developing the 12 Attributes
    How to Use This Book
Part I The Big Picture
    Attribute #1 YOU
        The Accurate You
        Some Key Questions to Ask Yourself
        You and the 10,000-Hour Rule
        You and Your DMs
        The Optimal You
        YOU Exercises
    Attribute #2 Passion
        Why Passion Matters for Your Career
        Why Media Professionals Are Passionate about What They Do
        Developing Passion in Your Career: Don’t “Find” It—Grow It!
        PASSION Exercises
    Attribute #3 Ambition
        Dream Big, Work Hard … and You’ll Get Wherever “There” Is
        Two Key Ways to Take Action Now toward Your Ambitions
            Find Professional Mentors
            Set Formal Goals
        Final Word about Your Ambition
        AMBITION Exercises
Part II The Active Attributes
    Attribute #4 Connective
        Being Connective: Building a Network of Meaningful Relationships
        “It’s Who You Know” Is Only One Part of the Equation
        Simple, Yet Powerful, Ways to Be Connective
        Make Every Interaction Meaningful: Learning and Listening as a Pathway to Connecting
        CONNECTIVE Exercises
    Attribute #5 Resourceful
        Be the Solution
        The 80/20 Rule × 2
        Make Constraint Your Friend
        RESOURCEFUL Exercises
    Attribute #6 Persistent
        Persistence Is Fuel for Your Success
        Persistence and the Multiple Benefits Paradigm
        And … You’ll Be Thankful for (Some) Things You Don’t Get
        PERSISTENT Exercises
Part III The Enduring Attributes
    Attribute #7 Curiosity
        Curiosity Is More Important than Intelligence
        Curiosity Is a Special Type of IQ
        How Curiosity Works in the Trenches
        CURIOSITY Exercises
    Attribute #8 Adaptability
        Building Your Adaptability: The Case for Being Well Rounded
        You Are Not in Control of Your Career
        ADAPTABILITY Exercises
    Attribute #9 Reliability
        Reliability: The Natural Connector
        Reliability Is Built on the Little Things You Can Control (So Do Them Well)
            Arrive Early, Stay Late
            Write It Down
            Prep, Prep, Prep
        Be True to Yourself and the Results Will Be, Too
        RELIABILITY Exercises
    Attribute #10 Integrity
        Success without Integrity Is Failure
        Getting to the Root of Your Integrity
        Your Reputation Is Everything … and It Precedes You
        Integrity and You(r) Attributes
        INTEGRITY Exercises
Part IV The Reinforcing Attributes
    Attribute #11 Confidence
        Confidence Is an Acquired Skill
        What Successful Media Professionals “Master” to Become Confident
        The Pathway to Gaining Confidence: Enjoy the Process
        CONFIDENCE Exercises
    Attribute #12 Resilience
        Embrace the Struggle, Don’t Run from It
        Resilience and Your Response-ability
        RESILIENCE Exercises
    The 13th Attribute Luck
        LUCK Exercises
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index