Steve Jobs has said something very good, which is surprising because I never really pegged him as a public speaker. It’s a brilliant speech – for graduating students which is appropriate to me but it’s a good thought generally. It’s like the diagram – if you don’t aren’t happy, change something – but it’s a little bit better and lengthier than that. Notably uplifting but good, with lots of warm smushing-feeling around the ears.

It made me think about dropping out of Hull University. This made me happy. When I went to University I had a lovely view that things happened as-such in life – with some sort of mighty life plan drilled in to me at some point. And then I left in December, after many long phone calls with me blowing my nose down the telephone, and the world has been a nicer place since.

It also made me think about where I’ll be in six weeks (working). Reading an ad creative’s blog like ‘If this is a blog then what’s Christmas’, it’s strange to see the job you want to do panned so bitterly. It makes me feel like a bit of an ass actually. At least it’s done well:

“[Of commentors,] 8% want to be a planner. I can see where you’re coming from. You are on the up. You are in the ascendancy. You have taken on the mantle of the asymmetric haircut and the Japanese denim. You are cuckooing the creatives into oblivion and it stirs warm your nerdy loins.

There are surely better, more enjoyable ways to make more cash for less work than the creation of ads. Even the skill-sets involved in being client friendly (account management) or doing research (planning) must be usable in a host of more lucrative industries.

Advertising seems like an office job with more glamour than most, so it sometimes attracts the kind of people who want money, but also the kind of people who want to bask in the perceived trimmings. But there’s a strong chance those perceived trimmings do not include ‘the making of great ads’ so much as looking like your life is more fun that that of your chums who earn more than you in The City.

You may have entered this industry with more ‘noble’ intentions, but you’re almost certainly spending your days with people who didn’t.”

As a Planner I’m going to organise and research stuff, rather than come up with swanky ideas. I will Powerpoint at you until your nose bleeds. Perhaps I will dive into gigabite-sized Keynotes. I will send large files by email. I will laugh manically from behind my chilled drink. But if its not great I shall take my researching, powerpoint, and cuckooing skills elsewhere – somewhere less glamorous and more happy.