I remember over ten years ago that advice given to new graduates was to get into the computer and technology industries as they were the future growth sectors. That was good advice then and still is today. As the internet and other digital applications become more and more sophisticated we are now seeing new technologies affect almost everyway that business is done in the modern world. Following this, traditional ad agencies are now beginning to shift their attention towards ‘new media’ advertising and therefore several of the positions I am now working are in this exciting field. So what is ‘new media’ and how can you prepare your self for the changes ahead?

The term ‘new media’ refers to a variety of media which has been born out of the digital age and may include web sites and blogs, social networking sites such as Mixi and Facebook, virtual worlds including Second Life, video games and almost any type of information that is provided on mobile phones.
These days more and more people are using their mobile phones for searching the web, social networking, blogging and even reading novels, and advertisers are taking note with data from Dentsu showing that mobile based advertising expenditure has risen over 60% in the last year!

For someone with many years of experience and a broad knowledge in the traditional advertising mediums, the shift to web and mobile based platforms can be a little scary as it threatens their future job opportunities. However, there is no reason why this has to be the case and for many people simply updating their technical skills and knowledge could add that extra dimension to your resume and make you a more valuable employee in the digital work place. Unless you’re around 60 years old then you still have many working years ahead of you and so it is definitely worth taking the time to consider the future direction of your industry (next 5 – 10 years) and then determine where your interest lies and what niche you can carve for yourself.

Once you discover your career options, you may also realize that you need to update your skills and knowledge to remain competitive in the work place. Take for example mobile phone technology and applications. If you currently work in traditional media such as magazine advertising, it may be time to start learning about mobile advertising etc. One way you could do this would be to attend some of the many mobile industry events that are held around Tokyo. One regular networking event that I attend is called Mobile Mondays (MoMo) http://www.mobilemonday.jp/. MoMo is held once a month and features presentations about the internet and mobile industry from individuals and major companies, including Microsoft, KDDI and MTV and it can be a great way to catch up on what’s going on and also meet interesting people in the industry. Perhaps I will see you there!

Something that may be difficult for non-native speakers to understand is the etiquette involved in email communications in English or with foreigners.

If you are writing to someone for the first time, then you should use formal style speech and writing patterns to begin with. In addressing your email, consider using proper honorific titles such as Ms. and Dr. and you should never use casual terms such as ‘mate’, ‘dood’ or ‘bro’ until you are good friends with someone.

After trading a few emails with the same person, it may be acceptable to become more casual in your writing. In order to save time some people will not address you, or even write their own name, but simply write a few words to answer or ask a question. Occasionally in email correct grammar and punctuation are also overlooked with examples being: using ‘i’ instead of ‘I’ and even ‘ur’ instead of ‘your’

Generally this is fine as both people gain an understanding of each others communication style, but unfortunately there are no rules that cover what is appropriate in email. Overall, just be careful to stay professional and if you are unsure, then stick to being formal and it may be best not to use emoticons such as :p L and J etc.

For most people their work email address is their name, which is easy and professional, however often we think up creative personal email addresses that reflect something about ourselves such as a hobby or personality trait. Unfortunately these types of addresses can create an improper impression of who you are and make you appear unprofessional.

Perhaps the best and easiest email is simply your name: firstname.lastname@yahoo.com

If this isn’t available try simple things like adding your favorite number or the city you live in:

gary-bremermann1970@hotmail.com or gary-in-tokyo@yahoo.com

Although making up strange email addresses may make you easier to remember, it may lead people to associate the image of the address with your personality or work ethic. Also, try to make it easy for people to contact you by not making your email address hard to read and full of punctuation marks or long sets of numbers etc. Some bad examples of email addresses are:

eating-icecream-with-pink-pandas@yahoo.com {-808(+-+)<gary>(~.~) -808-}@yahoo.com

Many people use multiple emails and it’s probably a good idea to create a new email account to use for your job search communications, while you have a special personal and interesting sounding email address for friends and family. Unfortunately there are no rules for this either - just be careful to be professional and consider what people will think of you.

OK, here is a quick rant…USE THE PHONE! (End of rant) Sure, email is a revolutionary communication medium. I can’t imagine doing what I do without the marvels of one-way time-independent available anywhere communication via email. I love it.

The problem that I have is that so many people have become overly (if not exclusively) dependent on email as a way of communication that they outright avoid using the telephone.

I have to admit that there are times when I fall into the trap of using email when I really should be calling. I’m guilty too. When I realize I’ve fallen into the trap I know it’s generally from laziness or fear.

Sometimes I catch myself starting to write and email when I think to myself “Why don’t I call?” It has become a good habit to question my use of email, especially if its something that would be much better handled by calling, especially difficult situations.

I know that many people are stuck at a desk and sitting next to their co-workers or boss in an open-plan office so it’s hard to talk if it is not directly work-related (or even if it is and you have something to hide), but it seems like the majority of people have shifted to an over-dependence on email at the expense of more effective two-way communication by phone.

My theory is that many of us over-use email and under-use the telphone. What do you think? What is your communication style? I welcome your comments to this post.