The most ambitious, creative and technologically versatile generation of college graduates in history will soon be looking for work. Savvy Christian media organizations have a huge opportunity to get a jump on attracting this valuable talent pool.
It may take some retooling to get ready. Five basic steps to help jumpstart the process are just ahead.
Colleges Retool
Journalism and mass communications educators are coming to understand the need to revamp for the times. Universities are overhauling course and degree offerings to address the mind boggling changes technology is bringing to all media.
So far, more than 30 major colleges have retooled or discontinued their journalism and mass communications programs.
With a new mission, a new name. Schools of Information are removing walls between programs, combining learning tracks like journalism, communication technology and business entrepreneurship.
In her article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Katherine Mangan says students are flocking to these schools. “Blogging, broadcasting, and tweeting their way through courses revamped to embrace the digital age.”
“Information students,” as they’re known, are being provided with a wider variety of skills — how to develop multi-platform convergence strategies and design business models; how to take photos, shoot video and use social media; how to connect people, information and technology in more valuable ways.
A huge challenge is looming for the students.
Dismal job market
Upon graduation, these qualified and well-trained new media professionals will face the worst job market since the depression.
The Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication reports that graduates are confronting a job market unlike any they’ve encountered in the nearly 25 years for which comparable data are available.
Big media companies are radically restructuring. But they’re cautious about hiring. Everyone is trying to figure out where media technology is going next.
Jobs are scarce.
One student said that nothing he had done at the university prepared him “to deal with this horrible economy.” His advice to 2010 students not yet graduated was direct: “Stay in school forever. It all goes down hill from here.”
Opportunity for Christian organizations
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Christian students are currently attending Schools of Information. They’re in these schools because of the belief that God has called them to use technology and digital media for advancing the gospel. They too will soon be looking for jobs. Where will they go?
I believe turmoil in the marketplace and a hyper reluctance to hire has opened the door for Christian organizations to attract these graduates before anyone else does. Like the colleges of journalism and mass communications have learned, restructuring around information and communication technology and social networking will put you on their radar.
Five steps to “retool” and prepare for the next generation of digital media graduates:
1. Be certain that you have a complete understanding of the Internet and digital media. For instance, very soon the majority of us will consume most of our digital media on a mobile device. It will be visual and two-way. See “YouTube Starts Testing New Live Streaming Platform.”
2. Protect operational basics (people, processes, technologies), then restructure or blow everything else up and rebuild.
3. Create new jobs. Director of New Media would be a good place to start. (A post on new media job descriptions is in the works.)
4. Form collaborative team to anticipate which way media is going in order to design new business and ministry models.
5. Actively recruit students who are prepared to deal with a variety of applications across diverse working environments.
Revamping legacy operations will be a daunting job. It will take time and patience. For those rising to the challenge right now, willing to be made into new media communication centers in a sense, there will be many highly trained Christian graduates eager to serve.
Sharp digital media warriors in sync with the times and the great mission.
You will be made into a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains. Isaiah 41:15
In biblical times a threshing sledge was used to drag fields to chop straw in preparation for being separated from the grain by the winnowing process. The chaff, and the grain would be tossed into the air, and the chaff would be blown away, leaving the grain.
QUESTIONS: What other steps could organizations take to retool? What other jobs should be created? What advice would you give to graduates looking for jobs in Christian organizations using media?
(Image of threshing sledge courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org)