Glam Fields - One in Decline, One Going Gangbusters, One a Sleeper

In this volatile era for professionals, those wonderful glam jobs are especially in-play. Or maybe it just seems that way because the media, professional anonymous networks and mainstream jaw-jawing are following them closely. 

Some are losing jobs, perhaps the sectors are contracting permanently. 

Others are growing, with nosebleed compensation in certain settings. 

Then there are those which have a shot at taking on the aura of a dream career path. 

THE WORLD OF ENCHANTMENT AS TV WRITER

 

Vanity Fair brings us up to date on the grim employment situation prospects for TV writers since a few years prior to the strike by the writers. That could worsen if the blue-collar crews strike this summer. 

Actually, author of the article and herself a TV scripter Joy Press describes that career path as shot through with "terror" by those who need assignments. Some have already done a career change. Others are holding on, despite sleepless nights, hoping for better times. There is speculation that things will pick up in 36 months but few are betting the activity will be like the golden days of broadcast entertainment.

The negative forces include:

Shift to profit after the streaming focus on growth. A series that doesn't take off fast may only run for one season. And it might not grab audiences because decision-makers are tending to play it safe to protect their own jobs. Because of that flight into safety more ideas don't even get the greenlight. That means less work available. All this might be summed up as: There are fewer big swings.

Tribal warfare. During the writers' strike that world of enchantment divided into factions. As in most professions, contacts are everything. Now it's hard to reach across functions to make connections and get on radar screens. 

Over is the old-studio system in which big-name stars are bankable. Star power doesn't necessarily translate into revenue and profits. 

Success doesn't guarantee anything. Those winning currently still describe living a nightmare. There are no safe harbors.

LAWYERING IN ELITE LARGE FIRMS 

In contrast the glam sector of being a lawyer in a large brandname firm can be employment paradise, at least for those who know how to navigate that complex political context, along with the long hours. That niche is all about grow or go out of business. In a 2021 Bloomberg Law interview Paul, Weiss chair Brad Karp articulated that principle. There is no ambiguity. 

Currently growth is happening in two ways. 

One is through "raiding" from other law firms the stars. Unlike present-day Hollywood there still is star power. That not only brings in business. It enhances the brandname. 

The other is through geographical expansion. Many US firms have developed an international identity. And, yes, there are big swings. Paul, Weiss took one of those in attempting to recruit the big names in the Houston, Texas market. That didn't work. But its big swings did hit homeruns in other locations such as the London market. Raided was Kirkland & Ellis.

Pay at all levels is nosebleed. An inexperienced JD just out of law school can pull down $225k annually, plus bonus. A partner can have a guaranteed salary for mulitple years at $20 million. 

Of course, generative AI is a wild card. But that is an unknown. Actually it could improve the profitability of a law firm if it fuses its legal expertise with generative AI tools which serve general business needs. Those could range from assessing risk to managing reputational issues.  The law firm in the near-future might be multi-disciplinary.

GLAM IN ITS MANY FORMS

The yearning to be in a glam field is a constant. We boomers had it. Gen Zers also do, as you read on Professional anonymous network Reddit Career Guidance. 

However, the parts of it where you can make a living wage or much better continue to mutate. 

In my undergraduate years I was very vocal about "wanting to become a writer." That was extreme glam at the time. Females became English teachers. I did get there and stayed there for decades. About eight years ago the meme, quite harsh, became: Writers are a dime a dozen. 

Currently I am in the mysticism niche of intuitive coaching/tarot reading. It could take on glam. The New York Times salutes it as effective for self-awareness. According to the New York Post, more are ditching their therapists and turning to tarot readers. 

Limiting beliefs? Self-defeating? Stuck? Complimentary consultation with Coach/Tarot Reader Jane Genova (text/phone 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com)