Biggest Challenges Faced By a Producer at a Fortune 100 Tech Company
Sib's biggest challenge as a producer at a Fortune 100 tech company is "overwhelm or burnout," stemming from a consistently busy workload, a common experience transitioning from the agency world. Successfully navigating this requires proactive communication, "managing expectations," and a supportive environment that values both "quality and quantity" to prevent sacrificing one for the other.
Project Management, Stress Management, Teamwork, Overcoming Challenges, Workplace Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sib Santos
Producer
Fortune 100 Tech Company
California State University, Chico
n/a
Business Management & Admin
Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Work-life balance and burnout are significant challenges in high-pressure roles. Learning to recognize and address overwhelm is crucial for maintaining both productivity and well-being.
2. Proactive communication with managers and teams is essential for managing workload and expectations. Raising concerns about project feasibility is important for preserving quality of work.
3. Finding an employer that values employee well-being and offers support systems is key to avoiding burnout and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The ability to push back on unrealistic deadlines is a critical skill.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The thing that came to mind, even though I've talked a lot about juggling, is overwhelm or burnout. This is because when you are really busy on a regular basis, brands are relying on you, and you're relying on that business for income.
Overwhelm can creep in and you might not realize it until it's a little too late. But, over time, identifying those patterns, talking to your team or manager, and doing whatever you can within your scope to avoid hitting that overwhelm space is key. No one does good work when they are overwhelmed.
For example, at the beginning of projects, managing expectations is important. We recently had a situation on our team where someone wanted to do a story. It was a cool idea, but our team had been traveling globally and was at max capacity.
It wasn't going to be possible to do the story well and to the required standard within the given timeline. I'm grateful that my manager and creative director are good at protecting the team. You have to balance quality and quantity, and if quantity gets too high, quality will be sacrificed.
As an individual, you don't always have full control over this, but raising your hand is important. Finding a place that identifies, values, and supports you to avoid burnout is also crucial. This can be challenging in any role while juggling many things at once.