# 78 - Thought I'd tell ya'll what I do for a living

To put it plainly- I am a media planner who works in a media buying house.

But for people ( who are unfamiliar with the terms); it's the most complicated thing to wrap their minds around.

To start if off, most people in Pakistan, especially aunties, once they hear that you are working, for some God-knows-what reason, always assume that you are at a bank. It happens with me so often, and usually goes like this:

Random Aunite at Random Family Event ( to be now known as RARFE) : Sooo beta ( for my foreign friends, 'beta' is a term used to refer to someone who is or could be like your son/daughter) 'what are you doing now? Done with your studies?'

Me: 'Yes, I am. I'm working now'

RARFE: 'Ohh where.... at a bank ??'

Me:  'No, no I work at a media buying house.'

RARFE:  *gasp* 

 

At this point the only word the auntie hears is 'media' , and subsequently goes on to envision everything negative that is associated with the word, especially here in Pakistan. She does not even think of it as press, or journalism, all that comes to her mind is this

Hanging out with drunk celebrities..you know, 'media people'

or this

Other bad stuff

[ For some God-knows-what-reason as well, most aunties also assume that the only respectable job a girl can have is at a bank. ugh.]

Me: ( Now totally recognizing the aunties expression, having seen it so many times): Yes, but it's not what you think....

RARFE: really?You know, the media industry here is not a place for respectable girls like you

Me: No, but see I work in advertising-

RARFE:  *Gaspppp*  ( At this point, I am a little worried that she might choke to death with all the gasping - and to tell you the truth, a little relived as well)

Me: No, but I deal with research- (  around this point I realize that it's no point in explaining and just end the conversation or let it dwindle off onto another topic.

Just to clarify, I love my work, but it does not involve the above at all, even though it is fun most of the time, at work I am like this:

thats me at work ( not really me, it's some random pic I Googled off the net)

and my computer screen looks like this

 

 

Ok- this is one thing. Another common thing which happens is this- with younger people usually, who have no qualms about the word 'media' but don't really know what media planning is

So what do you do?

I'm a media planner

What's that?

Well, the company I work for buys advertising space on televison and magazines and on websites and I place ads there according to the target audience.

Ohh you make advertisements!

No, I don't make them, I just make sure they get seen

Huh?

Look, you don't just randomly place ads on tv right? You want to make sure the right people are watching them right? Thats my job, to place ads at the right time on the right channel

But how do you know what people are watching?

Research.. simple!

But thats not possible
Yes it is, we subscribe to software to help us find out- ever heard of TV ratings?

Yeah, but thats only in America

No, it's here as well

How is that possible?

Well, this is the 21st century you know..see.. there is company who selects a sample of people to...

(Waving away my explanation)  Oh you just put ads naa, what's the big deal in that?

I give up.

Questions anyone?   :)