The Perfect Fit

TEDx St. Louis: Ideas Worth Spreading . . . An Event Worth Attending!

I feel priviledged to have been one of 100 entrepreneurs, CEOs, civic business and education leaders to have been invited to the first (of what we hope will become an annual) TEDx St. Louis evert.  The TED Conference began in 1984. In 2006, TEDTalks began being displayed online, free for the world to share. In 2009, TEDx was launched--a program that enables independent organizers to enjoy a TED-like experience through self-organized events. 

TED-which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design-is a California-based nonprofit conference series that has taken the world by storm, annually assembling the world's leading thinkers and doers into a program of highly engaging, motivating and informative presentations, each in just 18 minutes!  I heartily recommend you visit TED.com and watch a video from a presenter in your field of choice.  You'll be mesmerized!

Keith Alper of Creative Producers Group was the force behind the St. Louis TEDx event.  CPG teamed with it's own UPBrand Collaborative, Maryvile University, Hasting+Chivetta, The Science Center and XIOLINK to sponsor the event.  The event was beautifully produced (as you'd expect from a company like CPG that produces business meetings for a living) in every way.  The experience was immersive, fascinating, thought provoking, and perhaps best of all . . . motivating.

From the networking before the event, where you never knew who you'd run into, or find yourself talking with, to the quality of the speakers, this was one unusual assembly of professionals.  I felt like I was a part of something unusually special.  It wasn't like a "typical" St. Louis event.  It felt more like something that you had to travel to a major city to attend.  It was exciting that for one morning, an assembly of this diverse assortment of regional leaders could be brought together, with the goals of "Unexpected connections.  Extraordinary insights. Powerful Inspriation".  In my opinion, every one of those goals was exceeded.  I would be surprised if the participants weren't motivtated to do something to make a difference . . . in their own lives, the lives of those dear to them and their communities.

The speakers were diverse, polished, riveting . . . inspirational!  The topics of the presentation ranged from the St. Louis Symphony's own David Robertson's "The Art of Conducting", to juevenile education reform, to multi-cultural marketing, insights into Millenials in the workforce, how to reform the US Prison system (delivered by a former inmate, and now lecturer at Harvard and the London Business School), how media will evolve and sustain, to Panera's Ron Shaich passionately presenting how a corporation is successfully challenging the shameful amount of hunger in America.

There were six 18 minute presentations, and one from a guest via video:  Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love" talking about the creative process and artists "having" a genius, instead of "being" one!  Fascinating stuff!

My understanding is that photographs and links to the presentation will be available through the TEDx_St. Louis Facebook page in a day or two.

I sincerely hope that this is the first of what becomes an annual event.  Having many more participants would have the beneficial effect of additional positive impact on lives and communities.

 

New Search: Senior Consumer Brand Strategist #10094

General Description:
This new position is a result of our St. Louis client’s growth and need to more fully service their clients at a smarter and more strategic level.   Our client is a marketing communications firm who accelerates their client’s path to market.  They are not a traditional agency. 
This position will partner with Fortune 100 consumer package goods brands in helping them define and execute brand identity, positioning and supporting marketing communications.  We want someone who can drive the “what should we do” conversation with senior client representatives. 
Our client works extensively in new product development and the re-positioning of established national (and sometimes global, iconic) brands, with emphasis in the food and beverage category.  Our client engages with brands from the concept stage, through every facet of production, with marketing support up to and on store shelves (brand positioning and packaging through promotion).

Primary Responsibilities:
•    Work closely with the ECD and Group Account Director in delivering actionable insight into their clients’ strategic marketing needs.
•    Meet with senior client reps and lead the strategic discovery process resulting in dynamic (and successful) tactical marketing solutions.
•    Write the resulting brief and collaborate with the creative and account staff in executing the marketing solution.
•    Travel as necessary for client responsibilities and new business development meetings.

Experience:
We’re looking for a special person who could be a writer, a planner, brand manager, CMO, or a hybrid of those titles.   We’d like that person to have an elite education (MBA preferred) and at least 15 years’ experience of strategic brand experience with at least 10 years of that experience on the client side.  We want someone who’s very smart, but insatiably driven to continuously learn through additional experiences and reading.
The ideal candidate will have significant prior experience with brand identity and positioning, new product development, packaging, promotion at retail and/or shopper marketing experience for national consumer package goods brands.  Additionally they should be fluent with the most current marketing channels including traditional and new media applications.

We’d also like that classically trained candidate to be unusual and/or unpredictable . . .  someone with an atypical approach and solution to an issue.  This person has a non-traditional thought process and delivers powerful, non-traditional and innovative (perhaps constructively disruptive) insight.  We’re looking for brilliance that leads to success in an “off center” way.  As you’ve guessed, this is a very unusual marketer.

Compensation:
Our client is offering a comprehensive compensation package including a base salary, the potential for a bonus based on performance and outstanding benefits..  Your starting salary will be based on experience, expertise and is designed to intrigue premier candidates. The benefits package includes medical insurance (dental and vision), a 401K, Disability and Life insurance.  A relocation package is being offered.

 About our client:
Our client is mature, yet young and innovative.  . . a  comprehensive marketing resource.  Our client is proud of the loyalty of their own client base, which is leading to frequent, substantial new business opportunities and successes.  The environment is urban, modern, collegial and fun.  Our client is interested in loyal, productive and happy employees and works hard to retain them.  EOE

Interested candidates should upload their introduction, resume and portfolio info to our website: Bishop-Partners.com (Retained Recruiter).  We’ll respond promptly.  Thank you!

Social Media Shouldn't Cause Your Career To Crash!

We all know that social media can be a very positive force in networking, advancing your career and if necessary, supporting that job search.  We also know that as professionals, it's essential to be careful what's out there in our online profiles.  If you don't think that recruiters, hiring managers and employers don't "really" look at your online presence, you're wrong!  It's that simple.

I liked this blog I read yesterday, and decided to share Tim Tyrell-Smith's thoughts with you.  His LinkedIn Profile and Group can be found on his blog on job search strategy.  We appreciate his thoughts:

"It’s a good thing no one is watching.

Because I saw a ton of tweets yesterday where someone in a job search was crashing and burning on Twitter.  And I’ll bet I could find a few on Facebook.  Maybe less so on LinkedIn. 

Whoops! Turns out people are watching.  People in HR, recruiting.  And potentially your hiring manager.

Just like someone is always there to watch you fall when skiing or snowboarding.  And, interestingly, the poor guy to the left has fallen on a really well-groomed hill.  Twitter is kind of like that hill.  You can have a nice enjoyable ride on Twitter.  Networking and making new friends.  You can also make a mistake and fall flat on your face.

How many of you hiring managers are looking at Twitter pre-interview?

And how many of you candidates are putting on the wrong kind of show?

Here are 10 examples based on a simple Twitter search of “job interview tomorrow” (the bold type is mine – the rest in quotes is real):

1.  Desperation: “I need this job tomorrow I hope the interview goes well….it better lol!”

2.  Graphic: “Job interview tomorrow f__kkk!”

3.  Bad Impression: “i got an interview tomorrow wit a job i applied for online *sticks out tongue & does bbm dancing face* what now HOE”

4.  Over-Exposed: “Woooooo Job Interview Tomorrow now ill have 2 Jobs and a Full time band. Bye Bye Free Time”

5.  Scary: Have an interview tomorrow for a long term temp assignment. Surely, dressing up as a Dracula will get me the job, right?”

6.  Conflicting: “i got a job interview tomorrow, i hope my job doesnt call me today askin me to come in tomorrow unless its around 3″

7.  No Bull: “job interview tomorrow better scratch up on how to talk bs!”

8.  Unqualified: “Phone interview tomorrow for a job I’m not qualified for, so that’s always fun. Let’s see how I can bulls__t my way out of this one.”

9.  Way: “Holy s__t, no way. Actually have a job interview tomorrow!”

10.  Spinning Yarn: “Ahh! I just rolled another interview into my “churches help job seekers” story. am scrambling now for additional story. deadline tomorrow!”

So why am I sharing these examples?  I don’t need to embarrass anyone.  But I do need you to pay attention.

Because the hiring market is starting to pay attention to people exposing their job search journey on Twitter.

So is my advice to stay off Twitter?  Of course not.  Use Twitter with a purpose and you’ll get great value during your job search.

Here’s a tweet I’d like to read from a candidate:

“Interviewing tomorrow for my dream job at @XXCompany.  Excited to share what I can do.”

How would you write one?"