At this time of year, thoughts naturally turn towards renewal and rejuvenation. Fresh starts for a new year, dry Januaries, detoxing, job-hunting and defining goals for the year ahead are the order of the day.
Of course, within a couple of weeks most people are back on the rollercoaster and riding the wonderful wave that is life in the commercial media sector and time zips by before another year comes to an end - with us all wondering where it's gone.
But the issue of work/life balance in our industry is a serious one and worthy of a pause for thought, especially as we embark on what will be a tricky and challenging year.
This week's feature profiles a typical day in the life of three media professionals and provides a snapshot of the pressures people in our sector face on a daily basis.
Of course, as Media Week columnist Tess Alps points out, anyone who comes into media needs to understand it's not a nine-to-five job. It's a work-hard, play-hard environment and the late nights preparing for pitches, dealing with clients and revising sales budgets are counterbalanced by the opportunities to experience things people working in other industries can only dream about.
But juggling family commitments with the long hours and stringent demands of working in the media sector is increasingly problematic. And younger staff whose lifestyles and mindsets are better suited to long hours can start to feel as though they are on a never-ending treadmill rather than an exciting adventure.
In the current climate, with job losses and rationalisation the order of the day, it's tempting for media agencies and media owners to put their graduate recruitment schemes on hold and suspend their ongoing staff development programmes. But this is short-sighted.
It will put extra pressure on existing staff and mean media companies are ill-prepared to come out of this recession with their businesses in the right shape to really renew and rejuvenate.
Media must continue to sell itself as an attractive sector in which to work and make a career. Now more than ever, it has to be in there pitching to attract the brightest people into the industry.
