Careers in Geek Fashion: Insert Coin Clothing Head of Communications Dan Long
Photo Credit: Insert Coin Clothing
Do you dream of spreading the word about your favorite geek fashion brand? Do you want to connect people and bring them together around a shared passion? If you do, then a job in communications might be for you!
In this installment of Careers in Geek Fashion, Insert Coin Clothing head of communications Dan Long tells us about his path to working at the company, what he does in his role, and what you should know if you want to work in this area of the industry.
What is a typical work day for you like as head of communications?
I think the most typical day is that nothing will be typical! Every day is different and sets up a different challenge for you to tackle. That’s what makes it so exciting and means you’re always eager to wake up and check out what the day has in store.
What interested you most in pursuing a career in communications?
I didn’t really start out with communications in mind. In fact, my career path was initially very different. When I was little, I wanted to be a draftsman and design planes and cars. I studied hard and took a course in aeronautical engineering. I really enjoyed it, but when I graduated, I fell into a role at a “learned society” writing about engineering news. That awakened a new passion in me and I started writing all the time–for work mostly, but also recreationally for websites and forums. I think the thing that made me switch was how writing could connect you so effortlessly with other people and help bring people together. It has amazing properties to break down barriers. It’s almost like witchcraft!
Dan Long
How did your interest in geek fashion start and when did that interest and your career first intersect?
As a lifelong geek, I’ve always been in love with all things nerdy. I grew up playing arcade games and watching worn-out VHS tapes of Star Wars, King Kong, and other geeky classics. I’ve always loved things that are a bit off kilter too, and I think if you can combine what you love with what you wear, then you’re always going to enjoy life that little bit more. Aside from buying loads of geeky gear growing up, it all started when I joined Insert Coin. I got involved right at the start, so it’s been amazing to see it develop over the last decade.
Did you need to get any specific training, education, or experience for your job?
Personally, I didn’t have any specific training, but I learned a lot on the job over the last 20 years and, perhaps surprisingly, my early career in engineering has helped a lot in terms of being organized and understanding processes. The most important thing is to have an inherent love for communicating and for connecting with people. It’s not something you can learn, but something you’re born with for sure.
What skills would you say are essential to being successful in your career?
Empathy is absolutely essential in any communications role. If you can’t put yourself in the position of other people–other stakeholders who you’re writing about or potential customers who you’re writing to–then you’ll never connect fully. Best of all it’s an essential life skill as well, so you’ll live better overall too.
What are the different positions or opportunities available for people in the communications part of the industry?
There are lots of different roles in the communications industry. The most important thing to recognize is that you need to run before you can walk. Experience goes a long way and helps build a mental picture for you to refer to whenever you need it. As your career progresses, you’ll need to use the encyclopedia you’ll have built up in your head over the years and you’ll be adding to it daily too. You'll never, ever know everything.
What is your work-life balance like for your job? What do you enjoy the most and least about your area of the industry and your work?
Many people will tell you that communications jobs are 9–5, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is important to build in checkpoints so you don’t let work invade too far into your personal life, which can be difficult to master at first. But even when you have done that, you’ll still feel like you’re “on call” a lot of the time, with a weather eye on what is going on with your projects and in the digital world at large. When you’ve built up a brand and put a lot of time into it, it’s a bit like one of your children. You want to nurture it, help it grow and protect it whenever necessary. It can be hard to switch off, but you do need to try and put in boundaries for the sake of your mental health. It is, as with all things in life, about finding the right balance for YOU.
There’s not much to dislike about a job you actively enjoy really, but I guess the main gripe is when people don’t fully understand or appreciate the effort and skill that goes into crafting a brand’s presence and tone of voice, from a customer email through to the biggest campaign or event. The positives are far more numerous though. Personally, I think the best thing is interacting with people and helping to make them feel part of something bigger. It’s lovely to swing the spotlight round and give everyone their chance to shine as part of a collective who all share the same passion.
Photo Credit: Insert Coin Clothing
What professional groups, associations, or other resources would you recommend people turn to for help in networking or finding out more about this area?
It’s difficult for me to recommend any specific organization as I didn’t really go down that road. However, what I would say is find some brands you love online and that you enjoy interacting with on social channels. You obviously like them on a deeper level, which is why you engage regularly. Look out for what they say and how they say it. If they have a named social or brand manager, you might want to ask them for their thoughts on what you’re doing too. Many social specialists are just that–very social. They love talking about what they’re working on (if and when they can!) and helping to develop the next generation of comms experts is one of their favorite things to do.
How has your field changed in the last few years that people should be aware of if they're entering it now? How do you think it might change in the next few years that people should consider if they want to enter the field in the future?
Life online is constantly changing and to be honest the landscape has probably changed more in the last few weeks because of COVID-19 than it has in the last few years. The way the online world is moving is overwhelmingly positive though. There is a much greater focus on brands being responsive, responsible, and more inclusive. Those are the key skills that anyone in the industry must have. You need to be open hearted and live without prejudices because a) no one likes bigots and b) no one likes bigoted brands. And rightly so. So anyone looking to enter the industry in the coming years needs to be flexible, adaptable, and 100% inclusive and they’re good rules for life in general too!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in your career to get to where you are today? What challenges do you think people face now who want to pursue a career in geek fashion?
I think the biggest challenge for me was to step away from my initial career path and change direction to do something else. It was a risk to pursue what I loved doing, but it seems to have worked out well in the end! In terms of geek fashion, the biggest challenge is to find a USP [unique selling point]. There is so much out there, it is difficult to stand out from the crowd. But once you find that unique hook, stick with it and your perseverance will reap dividends.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to pursue a career in communications, what would it be?
Be patient, be kind, be understanding. They’ll help you in whatever you choose to do.
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