Years ago I was told that a large percentage of jobs go unadvertised – recommendations are passed on through word of mouth – and before you know it, the vacancy is filled. Whenever I have been in charge of teams, I have certainly followed this approach – after all, I already trust and respect the people in my team, so it makes sense that their recommendation carries weight. (It also means that the new person is likely to be a good “fit” – which to me, outweighs the need for particular skills – but that is another post.)
But the next best thing to a personal recommendation is a “social recommendation”. That is, a recommendation from someone within your social network. Now, some people have large social networks thanks to Twitter, Facebook and blogging, but even discounting this fact – we are unlikely to recommend someone whom we don’t know or don’t trust. This means that a social recommendation can be acted on with some confidence.
Stan Johnson is well aware of this fact. Not only does he write the respected Australian marketing blog, BrandDNA, he regularly writes a feature article Around the Blogosphere for Marketing Magazine. This month he suggests that we all Get Connected. As Stan says:
A blog is not for everyone, but done well it can help boost your profile in industry. They are great as an online CV. You can post details of yourself, samples of your work. And they give you a web presence of your own.
So as the recession rolls on, rather than just turning up each day and staying out of the way of the HR Director, why not get working on your social media profile and connections. You never know when they’re going to come in handy.
There is one important thing to remember about CVs – it won’t get you a job – it just opens doors.
Many people spend a vast amount of time writing up their CVs. They fill out each section with detail after detail – from their first job through to their last. But, in my view, a CV is not necessarily about explaining your experience. The CV has a single objective – and that is getting you an interview.
One way of doing this is to clearly differentiate your CV from everyone else’s. (Look at it from the employer’s point of view: if you are on the receiving end of 100 CVs for a single job, then they all start to become a blur after a while.) How can you do this? Start by reading Blogs are the new CVs. Then consider how you can DEMONSTRATE your skills in the production of your CV.
A great example of this approach was sent to me by Mounir Bekkouche. As he says:
As a graduate in advertising looking for a job all around the world (but preferably in London where I am living), this is my own story-telling campaign aiming at showing my ability to manage an advertising project (including viral videos, blogging, social networking, public relation, etc.) from beginning to end… Because of the Recession, I wanted to show what I am capable of and to differentiate myself from the other applicants through my passion for Japanese comics…
Now, I certainly don’t have the graphic skills of Mounir, but there are plenty of creative ways to present our capabilities, skills and experience. It just means thinking outside of the box. Give it a go. What have you got to lose?
Earlier this year I ran a very small survey to get a sense of the salary expectations of people working in the social media space. It was most interesting to me because the survey asked both employers and employees the same questions. And while I fully expected there to be a mismatch between the two groups, the results were surprisingly similar.
Over in the UK, the advertising focused recruiters, The Talent Business, produce a guide that outlines what agency folk are being paid. Simon Veksner over at Scamp has shown that there is a huge discrepancy in what ATL people are paid over their digital counterparts.
So while there is a huge push for those from traditional agencies to acquire some digital skills, it could be, as Scamp suggests, creating a race to the bottom. It seems that there is little immediate incentive for creatives to skill-up in order to take a cut in salary.
But it is not just the creative department where the discrepancies lie. Amelia Torode shares the salary details for planners from the same report.
There doesn’t appear to be quite so much variation between the ATL and Integrated rates …
But while it seems that the heads of planning at ATL agencies earn more than their digital counterparts, this is reversing in junior roles.
Note that all these figures are in Pounds Sterling – and it can be difficult to get a sense of the cost-of-living equivalent here in Australia. But I would guess, based on our earlier survey, that 1:1.5 is not far off. Makes for interesting reading.
If you are an employer of Gen Y staff, then you may think that you understand their mindset. This video suggests that what you see on the surface may easily be reversed - and provide a more accurate sense of Gen Y’s aspirations.
When I was a teenager, my mother was always asking me to clean up my room. I would spend what felt like hours and hours putting things away, neatening-up bookshelves and hiding things under my bed. But almost always, she would come in to inspect my efforts and ask “what’s that?”. There would always be one thing that I missed. Perhaps it would be a soccer ball peeking out from under the bed or a cricket bat falling out from the cupboard.
The thing that always surprised me, was that I was surprised. I would check and double check – and yet there would always be something that I missed.
When it comes to job seeking, we need to do the equivalent of cleaning up our bedroom. We need to check under the bed for any unwanted surprises. We need to check our photos and our profiles on MySpace. We have to do our due diligence. In short, we need to do what our potential employers will do.
As Seth Godin explains, your profile is only a Google search away. So what does someone find when they Google your name?
This is the first annual survey of employers and job seekers working in social media. It was carried out in early February 2009. While this poll has a small sample size, it is very targeted – receiving responses from those with direct practical experience. The majority of responses were received from Australia, with 10% of responses coming from the USA.
The survey asked JOB SEEKERS their salary expectations for social media oriented roles – at a variety of levels. The survey also asked actual EMPLOYERS what salary they would be willing to pay for roles at these levels. Interestingly, there was no difference in the salary levels indicated by Australian and USA respondents.
The aim was to identify the degree of alignment between those hiring and those seeking work.
Both job seekers and employers indicated that they considered social media oriented roles to be essential to the success of their businesses over the next 12-18 months.
No matter whether you are an experienced job seeker or new to the market, there are some excellent ways of using the Internet to further your job search activities. Guy Kawasaki shares ten ways that you can use LinkedIn to find a job. There are some great suggestions - so make sure you read the article in full!
But in addition to this, Mario Sundar, provides another THREE tips that can help you find a job for a FRIEND. Social media is, after all, social. Mario suggests:
Use social media megaphones - such as Twitter and Facebook status updates to make people that you know, aware that you or your friends are now looking for opportunities. Remember, it is the strength of weak ties that will deliver most value!
Do smart research - use Facebook’s network tag to see where your friends have worked. Follow this up on LinkedIn. Is there a company contact that you can leverage for your friend? Look at the employment history patterns - do people seem to stay? Does the company seem stable? Even in the toughest times you still need to feel valued to perform at your best!
Build your networks - it is never too late to build your network. After all, the bigger your network is, the greater the chance that you will be able to reach the right person.
Oh, and finally, if your friends ARE looking for a job, have them subscribe to this blog for our job seeker tips and to our job updates. You never know when your PERFECT role will pop up!
Over the past month I have been asked a number of times about salaries for social media related roles. While most of these questions have come from job seekers new to the workforce, some have also come from employers.
But rather than provide my own opinion, I thought it may be best to survey the market … to ask:
Job Seekers: What are your salary expectations for different levels of seniority
Employers: What are you willing to offer candidates applying for social media oriented roles
Now, you can only answer the survey as EITHER a job seeker OR an employer.
By answering the questions REALISTICALLY, we will be able to gauge whether there is a mis-match between employers and job seekers, or not.
I will close and publish the results of this survey on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009.
NOTE: When answering questions about salary, please specify BASE salary (without benefits) only.
There is no doubt that one of the most difficult aspects of interviewing for a new job is answering the tough questions. And while we KNOW that they are coming, it is still a challenge to deal with it one-on-one.
So what can you do?
1. Ask yourself the tough questions. Begin by asking yourself the tough questions. The MSN Careers site has a great list of 10 questions along with recommendations as to how you can best answer them.
2. Rehearse. Write out the tough questions and then have a friend sit down and rehearse them with you. Try some role-play. And the important part? Keep going over them until you feel comfortable with the answer. I don’t mean five or six times. I mean 10 or 20 times.
3. Ask your friends. Talk to your closest friends and trusted colleagues. Ask them to honestly tell you where your strengths lie. Use this as an answer - “I was speaking with a colleague the other day, and she suggested that …”.
4. Take notes. Remember, an interview is about finding a good fit. That means that you need to feel that the potential employer is a good fit for you, your skills and your aspirations. So take notes into the interview with you. Refer back to them.
5. Remember your blog. If you have a blog (and you should - after all blogs are the new CVs), go back through it and read it. Get to know it from a reader’s point of view. After all, a smart recruiter will have researched you and found your blog before an interview. They will be expecting consistency.
We all love to think about the future - to peer over the horizon and to wonder how what we see will affect our businesses and our lives. It is no different for employees or employers. On the one hand, those looking for new jobs are hoping to find opportunities; and on the other hand, employers are hoping to provide them.
But with all the uncertainty caused by the collapse in global financial markets, there is an even greater focus on the PRACTICAL aspects of future gazing. We want to know what we can DO. What innovation will give us an edge? And who will help us achieve these things?
On February 26, 2009, Inspecht are holding a one day HR Futures Conference in Melbourne Australia. It will be bring together speakers covering all areas of HR, Recruiting and Technology to discuss how social media, innovation, culture and technology empower, attract, engage and evolve employees.
Years ago I was told that a large percentage of jobs go unadvertised – recommendations are passed on through word of mouth – and before you know it, the vacancy is filled. Whenever I have been in charge of teams, I have certainly followed this approach – after all, I already trust and respect the people in my team, so it makes sense that their recommendation carries weight. (It also means that the new person is likely to be a good “fit” – which to me, outweighs the need for particular skills – but that is another post.)
