Net Working : Work Patterns and Workforce Policies for the New Media Industry

In just a few short years, hundreds of thousands of workers have made the switch into "new media," where elements of computing, telecommunications, and written and visual content are combined to create interactive products and services. Yet little is known about how these professionals find work, use their time, maintain steady employment, and build careers. Net Working, based on a study of highly accomplished new media workers in New York City, is one of the first to take up labor market issues in this burgeoning industry. It describes the challenges faced by professionals and employers alike, reveals why firms and workers in this supposedly placeless industry tend to cluster in "valleys" and "alleys," and identifies strategies for success in a project-oriented environment with highly complex skill demands and rapidly changing technology.