Discover when to stay in your role, when to pivot internally, and when it's time to make your move—plus the skills that will future-proof your media career.
Episode Overview
In this episode of It's A Yes! Making It In Media, Jo Wood and Debra Sharron tackle one of the biggest questions facing media professionals: should you stay in your current role, look for internal opportunities, or make a move to a new company?
Despite negative headlines about the media job market, Jo reveals the reality is far more optimistic than LinkedIn would have you believe. While some roles have become more competitive, ad spend in the UK continues to climb toward £40 billion, creating ongoing demand for talented salespeople. The challenge isn't whether jobs exist—it's knowing when and how to make your next move.
Jo and Debra explore the critical milestones when salespeople typically get itchy feet, the emerging importance of data literacy and portfolio selling, and why "stay interviews" might be more valuable than exit interviews. Plus, special guest Jo Redfern Evans from Education Cubed joins to share her insights on getting promoted, including the powerful "Yes, But" framework for identifying and addressing career obstacles.
Whether you're feeling restless in your current role, frustrated about promotion prospects, or weighing up a competitor's offer, this episode delivers practical frameworks for making informed career decisions.
What This Episode Covers
- The real state of the media job market—beyond the doom and gloom headlines
- The 18-month itch: when high performers start looking for their next challenge
- Essential skills for 2026: portfolio selling, data literacy, and ROI conversations
- Specialist vs. generalist—which path serves you better at different career stages
- How to evaluate internal opportunities before looking externally
- The "Yes, But" framework for understanding what's blocking your promotion
- Culture vs. cash: how to decide when a competitor comes calling
- Stay interviews and why managers need to proactively retain top talent
- The three-choice framework: change it, live with it, or get out of it
Guest Expert: Jo Redfern Evans
Jo Redfern Evans is the founder of Education Cubed, a niche agency operating at the intersection of education, data and insight. She brings valuable perspective on carving out a specialism and building new business in media. In this episode, Jo shares her hard-won lessons on internal politics, influence, and getting promoted—including the promotion she didn't get and what she learned from it.
YES List
Mad Men (Netflix)
Debra recommends this iconic American drama series set in the 1960s New York advertising world—not for the workplace behavior (absolutely not), but for masterclass-level pitch craft. More here: https://www.netflix.com/title/70136135
Get In Touch
If there's a media career question, challenge or experience you'd like us to explore, email hello@makingitinmedia.com
Upcoming Workshops
Debra runs live, interactive online media sales training workshops focused on building commercial confidence and capability.
Details of upcoming sessions can be found here: https://makingitinmedia.com/sales-training-courses/
Subscribe & Share
Follow the show for conversations about building a career in media, and share this episode with someone who's at a career crossroads or looking to future-proof their skillset.
More from Jo & Debra
- Subscribe to Jo and Debra’s newsletter, to get your FREE guide to the Top Media Sales Tips for 2026
- Join one of Debra’s upcoming media sales workshops
- Follow Jo on LinkedIn here
- Follow Debra on LinkedIn here
About the Hosts
It's A Yes! Making It In Media is hosted by Jo Wood and Debra Sharron.
Jo is Managing Director of The Media Exchange, a specialist media recruitment consultancy working closely with candidates and employers across the industry.
Debra is founder of Media Sales Training, where she designs and delivers training for media sales teams, supporting professionals at every stage of their careers.
Together, they combine recruitment insight and sales expertise shaped by decades of experience inside the media industry.
Disclaimer: The views shared on this podcast are for general information only and reflect personal experience. They should not be taken as specific career, legal or financial advice.
