Calculated Hire Continues to Expand Access to the Telecom, Media, & Entertainment Industry

As an organization that sets out to modernize the professional services and staffing industry with innovative workforce solutions focused on the core areas every business needs to thrive, Calculated Hire (CH) accredits its success to strategic partnerships and collaboration with organizations like FUTURE NOW. Nikki Ehlers, National Vertical Lead for the Telecom, Media, and Entertainment industry has participated in the FUTURE NOW Media and Entertainment Conference in some fashion for the past three years. This year, Nikki and other members of the CH team stepped up their involvement by volunteering as panelists, mentors, and sponsors for the conference. For this piece, we sat down with Nikki Ehlers and Skyler Katz, a CH Senior Recruiter, to get more insights into the occasion and our involvement.

What Is the FUTURE NOW Media Foundation, Inc?

According to the organization’s website, FUTURE NOW Media Foundation, Inc. is a “501(c)3 leadership incubator passionate about building future leaders in media and entertainment.” FUTURE NOW achieves this goal through mentorships and training for emerging professionals as it builds future leaders for the content, business, and technology sectors of the industry. The foundation also believes in offering equal opportunity, exposure, and access for professionals of all backgrounds and puts a special emphasis on increasing diversity and inclusion within the TME industry.

Started in 2016 by Margaret “Peggy” Kim, FUTURE NOW further accomplishes this goal by utilizing its partnerships with colleges, upskilling programs, and other like-minded groups to establish a pipeline of diverse, motivated, and well-prepared talent that TME organizations seek to hire. In addition to the conference, FUTURE NOW produces quarterly and monthly programming involving networking events, educational presentations and training, and other mentoring initiatives throughout the year.

Building the FUTURE of TME, NOW!

When building teams of the future, Calculated Hire understands that an organization’s culture and workforce are vital factors to its success. How can you ensure you are using the best and brightest minds if you’re not attracting professionals from all backgrounds? How can you innovate your industry without a diverse workforce of alternative perspectives and viewpoints? These questions bring up genuine concerns for any organization. However, it’s especially dire for the Telecom, Media, and Entertainment (TME) industry which is closely tied to the popular culture of the United States and American society. The success of media properties like “Black Panther”, “The Equalizer” TV series, and “Barbie” highlight the growing demand for wider media representation from audiences and the industry is taking notice. As Nikki highlights, “The TME industry has been well-established for some time, and unfortunately that has resulted in some complacency with traditional technologies, media representation, and storylines. However, major industry shifts like cord-cutting and growing demands for increased diversity are now spurring change throughout the industry.” This industry's transformation is also a main driving factor behind the FUTURE NOW and its foundation. As a non-profit organization, FUTURE NOW not only works to support students from underrepresented communities but also provides scholarships for these students to attend the conference.

Throughout the conference, the Calculated Hire team shared its workforce and interviewing expertise as panelists and mentors for the “Speed Mentoring” activities. Whether through our community partnerships or innovative workforce solutions, Calculated Hire remains dedicated to expanding and diversifying the talent pipelines of our clients and the industry we serve. Our workforce transformation program, Elevate, has been designed to target emerging or reskilled professionals as well as underrepresented communities like Veterans and those with diverse backgrounds. This experience meant Nikki and her colleague Skyler were especially prepared to assist FUTURE NOW attendees with the more challenging questions like “How do I showcase my skills without an industry-specific internship?”

This is a common question at the conference, as internships are another example of the many barriers that any emerging professional must overcome. However, the obstacle of internships can be extra challenging for certain individuals. Internships, or more specifically unpaid internships, are seen as a necessary step to gaining experience and getting your foot in the door at highly competitive organizations. However, many students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds cannot afford to accept an unpaid role in their dream field over a paid role in an unrelated one. Although the norm of unpaid internships is growing out of favor in most industries, it is still very common for ones as highly competitive as the TME industry. Skyler Katz, a Senior Recruiter for Calculated Hire, explains that “TME is one of those industries that everyone just wants to be a part of - people dream of working in Hollywood! Even if I am searching for an entry-level accounting role, as long as it’s for one of our big TME clients, I’ll have hundreds of applicants.”

This competitiveness is why Nikki and Skyler both stress trying to build one’s brand and stand out as much as possible during the interview and application process. “Part of making it into the TME industry is being creative” shares Nikki, “Working as a bartender or server is a common job for many college students but too many discredit the experience that it provides. As a server you’re working in sales, collaborating with the front and back of the house, and acting as an ambassador for that brand.” Helping FUTURE NOW attendees understand that any experience is still “experience” was the main focus of Nikki’s comments as a panelist.

Relationships Are at the Center of All We Do!

Another strategy Nikki and Skyler stressed to attendees is the power of networking. Networking can get you so much farther than others think. Skyler and Nikki shared how they have kept the resumes of emerging professionals from the conference in case any openings arise. “Interacting with the attendees has been a remarkable experience. Their passion, intelligence, and enthusiasm for the future of media are nothing short of extraordinary. I have no doubt that they will go on to become trailblazers and visionaries who will shape the media landscape in the years to come” replied Nikki when asked about the networking opportunities she’s experienced through FUTURE NOW. In addition to the FUTURE NOW Media and Entertainment Conference, the foundation hosts several networking events throughout the year.

The networking between our team and the FUTURE NOW Foundation has also created a wonderful partnership and more opportunities to help expand access to the TME industry. On July 17th of this year, Calculated Hire sponsored the FUTURE NOW Summer Party. This networking event in NYC gave fellow FUTURE NOW volunteers, alumni, and corporate partners a chance to celebrate the group’s success and meet fellow industry leaders. These networking events are an often-overlooked strategy for breaking into the TME industry, even if you only have experience in an alternative industry.