What does it do? The 57-strong agency sales team sells spots across
Channel 4 and Film 4. Sales people stress that they ’actually sell’,
rather than wait for the phone to ring.
Good offices? A glass tower with a steel exoskeleton and scary outside
lifts. Unfortunately it’s located in the no-man’s land between Victoria
and St James’s Park, so while connections are good, entertainment is
sparse.
As for shops: ’There’s the Army and Navy - and that’s it.’
What’s it like? The average age is 26 and the team is split evenly
between male and female. They all agree that the best thing about the
job is Tina’s sandwich trolley, which arrives at 11am and 3.30pm every
day. Tina herself puts in a good word: ’They’re the best bunch in the
building - always laughing and joking.’
When Tina isn’t available there’s a canteen on the ground floor,
complete with table football. The food is regarded as so-so, but TV chef
Anthony Worrall Thompson was recently spotted ’munching away quite
happily’.
What about perks? Pension scheme, private healthcare and five weeks
holiday.
Up to nine months maternity leave and a week’s paternity leave. Best of
all, there’s an 80-seat private cinema which shows free screenings of
the latest Film 4 offerings. Celebrities are occasionally spotted: ’I
saw that Johnny Vaughan the other day,’ claims one sales person.
How does it recruit? The usual mixture of headhunters, word of mouth and
letters.
Good at training? Newcomers get a week-long induction course, with
presentations from each department. After that, courses are regularly
offered, or staff can make their own suggestions.
How do you get ahead? This is a meritocracy and ’there’s a firm link
between what we take in revenue and our salaries’. There are also
opportunities to move between departments, so if you fancy becoming a TV
presenter ...
