Campaign TV: Maxus' Neil Stewart on attracting the brightest media talent

In a message to those looking to embark on a career in media planning and buying, Stewart says more than searching for specific abilities, he hopes to attract candidates with “passion and an enquiring mind”.

A problem, he says, is that media industry people are often “blinkered” in their approach. The most desirable talents, particularly in the early stages of their careers, are generalists who are able to juggle tasks and are “quick to grab diversity”.

The other issue comes from the agency side. Stewart indicates that the industry has not promoted itself well enough to attract the brightest talent, and notes that there are many appealing options beside working at an agency for those interested in media careers.

“We’ve got to put ourselves out a lot more and demonstrate that it’s a great career [choice] — not just sitting in front of a computer crunching excel numbers.”