What Does Career Growth Look Like Right Now?

Once upon a time, there was a ladder. You started as an assistant - either PA, in a crew department, or on a desk - and you worked your way up in a somewhat straightforward way. Whatever your ladder was (PA → Production Coordinator → UPM; Assistant to Lit Agent → Assistant to Studio Comedy VP → Coordinator, Comedy Development → Creative Executive; Writers’ PA → Writers’ Assistant → Script Coordinator → Staff Writer), you could see how one role would lead to another and focus your job applications on growth.

The ladder looks different now.

In fact, it’s not so much a ladder as it is a winding, Hogwarts-style moving staircase in a funhouse with lots of distracting mirrors and chaos. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go up it! Career growth still exists, and you should aim for it with your next step (yes, even in this job market).

The thing to remember is that career growth can manifest in a lot of different ways. Sometimes, it’s a title bump. Other times, it’s trying something new. Working on a new type of content. Building your skills in a new technology. Situating yourself in a different part of the content lifecycle so you can build on your perspective. Exercising entrepreneurial skills by building out your own consultancy. Basically: learning.

As you think about your next steps, consider if there’s anything you want to learn. Evaluate job postings to see how an open role might set you up for future success. Sometimes, this is obvious, like an open role at a higher level at a more aligned company with better pay. But the non-obvious growth matters, too. Sometimes, long-term growth means taking a tiny step back in title to develop skills in a new area – you may have been a VP of Comedy Development at a network, but you might be at the director level if you move into video games. Sometimes, long-term growth means staying at the same level in a job you can do in your sleep but at a company that exposes you to new things – like if you’re a story producer who’s only worked in true crime, you might find that you’ll be better positioned for in-house roles in Netflix’s unscripted department down the line if you build up more credits in different genres right now. 

When we recommend you think about a job search strategy, it’s not just about figuring out who to reach out to and holding yourself accountable and having a great resume (though that’s all important, too!). A job search strategy is also about assessing opportunities, centering what you want in the now and the long term, and making decisions that align with those goals. Doing this will not only make you more satisfied with your career, but your desire to grow will show through in your applications and interviews and help set you apart from the candidates who are settling, unenthused, or otherwise not invested in the opportunity. Hiring managers can sense those things, so your biggest differentiator in this competitive marketplace is being intentional and future-oriented.