Name: Karly A. Young
Title: Chief Creative Officer Company
The Anstadt Company
Company URL: https://anstadt.com/
LinkedIn Profile URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlyayoung/
Please share advice for young women considering or starting a career in print…which includes design, sales, marketing, and all jobs within.
The print industry provides so many incredible opportunities for growth – from working on the front lines in sales, marketing, and customer service to behind-the-scenes in design, file prep, production, mailing, fulfillment, and distribution. With the continuous introduction of new technologies such as digital automation, AR, and even robotics (just to name a few!) – the opportunities are now almost endless.
Print is NOT dead! It really is the place to be! And as print continually evolves, we are always on the lookout for the #NextGen to really shake the industry up! With fresh new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking, who knows what the future of print will look like! Oh!? And printers LOVE to share! They’re a wealth of knowledge! I encourage anyone just starting out in print to not be afraid to ask questions.
You’ll most likely learn and get way more than you expected. Heck, push the limits even more and shadow someone that does something completely different than you! You’ll be amazed where the answers and knowledge will take you.
How have mentors helped your personal and career development?
Mentors are crucial. Your mentor(s) may not be in the print industry, but he/she/they should at least be familiar with it. A majority of my mentors have not been in print and they have changed over the years, depending on where I was in my career.
The most important factors – are (1) you’re a good match, (2) you have established trust, and (3) your mentor can remain neutral. I have turned to my network of mentors countless times throughout my professional career. In some way or another, they have helped me to (not all at once, of course!)… initiate tough conversations • strategize • tap into undiscovered potential • establish goals • gain + build confidence • improve communication • reignite passion.
Most importantly, they helped build me up both personally and professionally when I needed it most. The best piece of (mentor) advice… “In an industry where no two days are alike — your day is what YOU make it! Now, go have some fun!”
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