Margie Dana

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2007 delivers all you need - and more. Thanks for your ongoing support.

Thanks for subscribing to Margie's Print Tips, written to build bridges between the printing industry and its customers.

Sixty Seconds of Advice

I had a weird dream: I got on an elevator at the ground floor of a high-rise building and met a woman who was considering print buying as a career.

"Do you have any advice?" she asked. "Sister, you have no idea. . ." I thought to myself.

I only had a minute before we parted ways. Luckily, I talk fast. Here's what I told her.

Print buying's a great career. Every company needs printed materials, and someone in every firm is responsible for making this happen. You don't get a degree in print buying - it's something you back into. If it suits you, you'll be hooked forever.

Look for positions in larger firms - they're more likely to have on-staff buyers. Print buying skills are transferable, by the way, so if you're good, you can pretty much work in any industry.

Don't get hung up on a job title. Buyers are called different things in different firms. This makes finding a position tricky. Sorry, no way around it. And corporate buying jobs are tight right now.

Most buyers I know are very bright people. They thrive on the fast pace. They love the daily challenges and working with different people constantly. Speaking of that - working with people is a big part of a buyer's role. Printers, editors, designers, mail specialists, finishers, and so on. If you're not a people person, move on.

You'd better love detail work. You have to juggle specs and jobs and deadlines and all sorts of tasks. If you want a sedentary job that's peaceful and quiet, don't go into print buying.

You'll be learning about printing and a whole lot more: paper, ink, finishing, mailing, direct marketing - lots of cutting-edge stuff. It's all fun. No two jobs are alike. And you'd better be a quick learner. How do you feel about budgeting? Negotiating? Sourcing print and comparing prices? Can you analyze numbers? How are your communications skills? High-level computing skills are a given, too, especially familiarity with graphics software.

The print industry's really changed. Companies are consolidating, and the Internet's a major influence. You can work with printers near or far - even over the sea. And some firms are strictly "e-printers." It's a field with lots of new opportunities.

No printer can "do everything" despite what you hear. Every firm is different, and printers are good at different things. Prices and equipment vary. Other buyers will help you a lot with this. If you land a buying job, keep learning. Don't ever stop investigating new opportunities.

Before I forget - printing's a small community, at least here in New England. Everyone knows everyone else. Don't burn bridges or bad mouth anyone. Salespeople tend to move around. Be professional and polite.

Seek out your peers in whatever field you end up in. In my experience, buyers are always glad to help out other buyers.

Well, this is my floor, gotta go. Here's my card. Call me if you want to talk again. Hope that helps - and good luck!

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