I hope this letter finds you well. As your dedicated partner in the on-going quest for top-tier marketing talent, I am excited to share a transformative development that is significantly enhancing our recruitment capabilities and ensure we continue to exceed your expectations. Bishop Partners has always prided itself on its meticulous approach to identifying the best candidates for your unique needs. Today, I am thrilled to explain how the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make our already successful and experienced recruitment process even more efficient, accurate, and tailored to your requirements.
Our Foundation of Trust, Honesty, and Discretion For years, our firm has built a robust database of over 11,000 marketing professionals across North America. This extensive network, coupled with our unwavering commitment to trust, honesty, and discretion, has cemented our reputation as a leading recruitment firm. Our personalized approach ensures that we deeply understand your needs and the specific nuances of each role we fill. This commitment to excellence will only be amplified with the strategic implementation of AI technologies.
The Power of AI in Recruitment Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing various industries, and recruitment is no exception. By integrating AI into our recruitment process, we will enhance our ability to identify, assess, and present the best candidates for your specific opportunities. Here’s how AI will transform our recruitment process and benefit your organization:
Every day, I speak with candidates who are incredibly frustrated by the job application process, whether through an online posting or even applying directly to the employer. It’s a very unsatisfactory process . . .
Though 2024 is only about halfway over, I think most of us can agree that this year has been anything but predictable. Hiring is all over the place, with some sectors facing layoffs while others continue to staff. Even the monthly BLS jobs report offers little clarity amid the relative chaos. And that’s without getting into the other myriad factors impacting the recruiting landscape.
Still, even without a pithy catchphrase to describe what’s happening (Great Resignation, anyone?), it’s evident that there are gaps between where employers stand and what job seekers experience. That’s what the 2024 Employ Job Seeker Nation Report sought to uncover by surveying more than 1,500 U.S. workers in April. Here’s a look at some of what these folks had to say:
They’re keeping the door open. While 79 percent of workers are satisfied with their current jobs, some 86 percent would entertain other opportunities, with 46 percent eager to see what’s next.
They’re starting with what they know.Though 4 in 10 workers indicated they are seeking new employment, the majority (58 percent) have looked for a new position within their current company.
They’re after more than just money. Higher compensation is a factor in looking for a new job, but it’s not the only one. Career advancement, greater flexibility or remote work, better company leadership, better company culture and a change in location are also top of mind.
They’re confident in their candidacy.Half of active candidates believe that finding a job in this current market is easy, with 56 percent saying that today’s job market favors candidates. Collectively, about two- thirds of respondents think it will take them less than three months to find a new job.
They do have some concerns. Year over year, workers’ concerns about layoffs increased by six percentage points to 40 percent in 2024. At the same time, concerns about their employer’s financial future also rose four points to 38 percent.
But what does it all mean? Our team’s analysis shows that while workers understand the complexities of the labor market,
Happy July 4th Holiday! I hope you enjoy your time off to relax and refresh. It seems like an unusual number of folks are taking this time of summer to look for new employment! July is typically one of the slowest times on the creative calendar!
Fiscal years ended on June 30, as did many client and agency budgets. Not much happens in July because of summer vacations and it seems overall summer lethargy (or relaxation!) rules! Budgets for the new fiscal year haven’t really kicked in yet . . .
Historically, copywriters are among the most difficult, if not the most difficult recruiting searches. Frequently, every client from one employer who’s involved in the interview process has a different expectation/understanding of how a candidate would (or could) fit in! Portfolios are very subjective.
I’ve never been contacted by more creative writers at every level of an agency or brand at the same time, in my 23 years of recruiting. I currently have candidates from ECD of global holding agencies and a Cannes Grand Prix winner, to other ECDs with Cannes Lions, Advertising Emmys, D&AD, One Show, Platinum Hermes (and more) awards, working with iconic global brands (From Mercedes-Benz to McDonald’s or Nike to Neutrogena! Bacardi, Coke, Rolex, Dyson, DeBeers).
It goes on and on . . . every level writer from Junior on . . . It’s just surprising to me that so many contacted me in such a sort time frame! If anyone’s looking to add a writer to your team, please get in touch. These folks are all open to remote work and a surprising number will re-locate for the right opportunity.
Available right now, are also agency and brand marketing leaders available with diverse experience and responsibilities. Thanks very much! Enjoy your Fourth of July Holiday weekend!
I'm happy to say that after more than 20 years of working to be the best marketing recruiter around, my reputation continues to lead to premier marketing leaders across North America getting in touch and trusting me to help in representing them for their next career opportunity. It's become pretty clear that the entire range of career responsibilities are aware of Bishop Partners and get in touch. I.e. A first year marketer with sports teams' and venues' successes in a Chicago suburb or a CMO with Fortune 100 experience with global CPG brands in Palm Beach FL. Recent Resumes From Marketing Leaders, that are trusting Bob for Representation: All are open to hybrid or remote work. Senior Digital Analytics & Health Systems Manager, St. Louis, 7 Years’ Experience,MS in Statistics Agency Experience with Healthcare & Pharma Fortune 500 Brand experience, Director of Digital Strategy & E-Commerce, Dallas, 14 Years’ Experience Footwear, Automotive, Sports & Outdoor Activity, Multi-lingual (English, Spanish, French) Quantitative Research & Business Insights, Media Planning & Buying Grew media from 0 to 12M webpage views, 4.2M Instagram Followers, 720K X, 1.6M Facebook Chief Marketing Officer, West Palm Beach, 19 Years’ Experience, MBA Healthcare, Technology, Energy, GE, NFL, AI, Multiple Tech Certifications Designed 90% surge in Most Qualified Leads, adding over $1.25B in revenue in 18 months
Wow! I can’t believe that I’ve been a recruiter for 22 years and I’m still loving it as much as I always have! I consider myself very lucky, being able to make a good living by helping my Clients and Candidates grow, improve or move forward in some way. It’s extremely professionally satisfying to be sincerely thanked for the role I played in talent acquisition or career advancement.
I’m really proud of the reputation earned over these decades of work. I’ve always tried to add value to every person or company I’ve come in contact with. Sometimes that help is a conversation and sometimes it consulting, either cultural for a Clients or career for Candidates. It’s always extremely gratifying! I consider myself very lucky!
That reputation is now leading to marketing leaders (both agency and brand) all over the US, getting in touch with me. They trust me with their resume to discreetly help them identify their next career chapter. These leaders range from the CEO, CMO level to CDs, Analysts or Project Managers (virtually every title at ever level) who’ve have heard I might be able to help. I’m talking about Presidents of Global agencies or holding companies to those who’ve just graduated. It’s flattering and it’s fun! I like to think it’s karma. Good things happen when you consistently treat people with respect.
I’m looking forward to more years of helping agencies and corporations and candidates increase their capabilities or capacities. I’m very proud to be able to feel like a true partner. It’s why my company’s name is Bishop Partners . . . Thank you very much!
When you have the ability to work remotely, the opportunities are endless. You could land a full-time job with a company that operates virtually, or you could even open up your own online business! No matter what’s next on your professional journey, Bishop Partners can help you get ready. Here’s how to search for remote work opportunities, network online, and spruce up your resume for the job hunt.
Find a Telecommute Position
Today, plenty of companies allow their employees to work remotely. Here’s how to land the remote job of your dreams!
● Wondering how to find job postings for remote positions? Check out these platforms. ● Create a virtual portfolio for employers to view that showcases your most important professional achievements. ● Get in touch with Bishop Partners if you need resume and portfolio consulting. ● Get ready for your video interviews in advance by rehearsing your answers and testing out your technology. ● Once you’ve secured a remote position, settle into a routine that will boost your productivity!
Run a Business From Home
You can open a business without renting a retail space. These tips will help you launch a company that you can run remotely.
● Don’t launch a product or service without creating a business plan first — you can get all of your ideas down on paper. ● Registering your business as an LLC will grant you limited liability and tax perks, so get your Certificate of Formation in your state through an online formation service! ● Make sure that customers can easily find you online by setting up a small business website. ● Running a remote business doesn’t have to prevent you from networking — these tips will help you connect with others online and offline.
Tips for Job-Seeking Veterans
Are you transitioning from the military to civilian life? These resources are packed with tips on landing the right remote job.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch Headline over the weekend read, “US Economy Roaring Back”! Friday in the Wall Street Journal, “Jobless Claims fell below 500,000 last week for the first time during the pandemic as layoffs continue to decline.” It’s not only bars and restaurants who are having trouble hiring . . . it’s every (not any) employer who is interested in upgrading particular capabilities.
The second week in January, 2021 Bishop Partners experienced an incredible, sudden acceleration of recruiting activity from our former and new Clients. It was exciting! We’ve already completed more searches this year, than all of 2020!
For example, in an agency or in-house creative group, those superior creatives, digital media planners/strategists/buyers, client service leaders or new biz developers are extremely difficult to identify and hire. They don’t watch job boards or apply for new positions. If they’re not working at the employer of their choice, being paid what they’re worth and professionally very happy, it’s their own fault!
When layoffs are planned and executed, employers don’t lay off their most valuable employees. They lay off those who are not great at what they’re doing or who’s comp level was just too much during Covid.
Companies are more methodical in the approach to hiring in that the openings are a result of analyzing the business model and organizational structure to key on personnel realignments, upgrades or replacements. With the vaccine rollout and a better understanding of how to mitigate surges than a year ago, companies are working feverishly to meet demand and expand capabilities (modern marketing), while also assessing where they can embrace remote talent in some departments permanently.
If you aren’t already, now is the time to be developing your hiring strategy for the rest of the year. Business is bouncing back quicker than anyone expected . . . don’t get lost in the dust!
To efficiently identify, recruit and hire the top performers in your industry, it’s smart to hire a professional recruiter who specializes in your industry. You want the position filled as quickly as possible.
Give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs and explain how we can be a resource for you.
If you’re looking for a way to become an active member of your community, consider starting a business. Local entrepreneurs help cities and neighborhoods thrive. They pave the way for industry and contribute to upward growth for everyone around them. Here are some tips for how to create a business that’s interwoven with your community:
Getting Started Set a strong foundation in order to build a company you can be proud of:
Building a Local Team Create jobs for your neighbors and build a unified team:
● Freelancers can help you handle basic foundational tasks, such as accounting or email marketing, while you build a full staff. ● Be sure to do an honest audit of your own skills in order to see what gaps you need to fill with your team. ● For example, if you don’t have much marketing experience, you may want to consider using a marketing recruiter to help you find a great fit. ● Even if you’re hiring locally, you can still consider hiring remote workers in order to
reduce office costs and attract self-motivated candidates.
Staying Community-Minded Your business has the power to make a real difference in your community:
● Offer your product or services to local people and businesses to build relationships. ● Build charitable giving into your budget so you can support local improvement efforts. ● Join your local chamber of commerce in order to stay knowledgeable on what’s happening and connect with other business owners.
With time, local businesses can become defining elements of a neighborhood or city’s character. Focus on building a business that supports the community, and it will support you in kind!
This is the perfect time to enhance your talent pipeline! The situation caused by Covid-19, is unlike any other economic slowdown in history. It’s not driven by economics, but by biology. Just like SARS, or MERS or H1N1, this pandemic will end. We’re seeing encouraging signs of employment and the stock market rebounding. Even NYC has taken the first steps of “opening up”. There’s a cautious optimism about our economy.
Executive leadership teams are having strategic conversations about what to do as their business picks back up. Every furloughed worker will not be brought back. This is an opportunity to re-position, refine and “topgrade” those critical roles that will help bring your brand or company back and lead it into the future. ‘Bringing back’ is just the start. Creating meaningful strategy and innovations based on what will be a new reality, is essential for brand survival and growth. This is the time to scrutinize, refine and enhance your team for maximum efficiency and productivity.
Candidates have never been more accessible. They thought their employers had a very positive feeling about them. Many believed themselves to be ‘indispensable’. Many were absolutely stunned and angry, after having been furloughed or laid off. Now, they’re home, they’re answering their phones and have the time and willingness to re-consider their career futures. I know that many previously happy and engaged executive and employees are not so happy or engaged right now.
Before Covid, candidates couldn’t be reached, they were too busy or they were travelling to events or in meetings. It was difficult to have a conversation during work, if there didn’t happen to be a conference room or some other place to accept a recruiter’s call. Now is the best time (maybe ever) to contact top candidates. There’s time to find “the best of the best”. I’ve never had such a high percentage of candidates answer my calls and be willing to listen to and consider new opportunities. The "Covid Side Effect"
Between telephone and Zoom interviews, we’re able to get a really clear picture of a person’s skills, experience and personality. The hiring process can often take 30 or more days . . . It makes sense to start, continue or re-charge the interview process, right now. Candidates want to hear about opportunities! They return calls promptly.
While I understand that this might not the time to bring someone on board, it is the perfect time to start to identify the pool of candidates (or create a pipeline) for other searches. There’s opportunity for more “first interviews” by video and phone.
There’s never been such a confluence of time, opportunity and availability, to get phone conversations started. Now is the best time we’ve seen in years, to build your candidate pipelines! Bishop Partners is trusted, experienced and ready and willing to help. Give us a call!
I wanted to send a note of support and optimism, as business has stopped, literally overnight . . . we’re here to help you. I agree with those marketing prognosticators and many of our Clients, who suggest that once this virus is under control and we approach ‘normalcy’, business and demand for marketing will explode with the pent-up demand that will have been simmering for months.
Jobs will return to support that demand.Whether laid-off or furloughed employees wait for their former employer to hire them back is an open question.There will be new, better opportunities. There are CEOs and Managing Partners all over, who are wondering “What will we do to staff properly for the future”. The most experienced executives are creating contingency plans, in case “their” employees have found a better opportunity.The most sought after, data driven skillsets have changed and will be in high demand.Opportunities will abound!Brands will be hiring!
I want you to know that I’m not just here for you when times are great! We’re not going anywhere. I continue to value our relationship.I’ve got your back. If there’s anything we can to do help, now or as business picks up, please let me know. I don’t want to sound “mercenary”, because that’s not my intent. I genuinely want to provide help and support in whatever ways I can.
I’ve been in the recruiting and consulting business for a long time.We’ve been through the dot com bubble burst, terrorist attacks and “The Great Recession”. We've learned valuable lessons.
The first quarter of this year is the busiest start to a year we’ve ever experienced! We’re proud to have worked with a diverse Client base ranging from tiny start-ups to Fortune 100 iconic brands. What’s struck me as most interesting is how the searches have almost all become focused on data driven digital media/online marketing skills and tactics. Here are searches we’ve worked on or are still working, in the first quarter:
Design Director
Dir. of Digital Advertising Operations
Experiential Producer
Graphic Designer
Marketing Analyst
Senior Client Success Manager
Senior Creative Research Strategist
Senior Digital Media Analyst/Campaign Manager
We’ve all known that “Big Data” and the targeting of specific customers, demographics or groups of prospective Clients, has been rapidly growing in use, effectiveness and efficiency. This is the quarter when I’ve realized how truly ubiquitous digital and data are in customer or client outreach and engagement. I’ve previously written about "FutureHire" and how digital skills were becoming a critical component of every search we’ve conducted for the past several years, but it seems to have hit a new level.
I’ve historically been as much a consultant as a recruiter to my Clients. My “target Client” is a small to medium sized, privately held company where support (or advice) is needed in marketing, advertising or digital media talent acquisition. In fact, a recent blog post, “Consultative Recruiting” (http://bit.ly/2yCQ6wf), speaks exactly to that.
Earlier this week I met with the CEO of a successful mid-sized agency that’s making acquisitions and expanding across the US. He suggested that I start to specifically offer a “Consulting” practice to owners/principals of those small-medium sized Clients ($2M-$200M). He believes that I deliver value during, open and honest communications with owners/principals. He said “there aren’t many people we’re (CEOs and Owners) comfortable enough with to be truly honest in conversations. Your communication style encourages that.”
Bishop Partners provides “Recruiting and Consulting for Marketing, Advertising and Digital Media”. We practice “Strategic Recruiting”. We will quickly deliver skilled and experienced candidates for difficult positions at every level of your organization, up to and including succession planning for your most senior roles. Please get in touch with me and let’s have a conversation about how I can help you identify, recruit and hire the premier talent that your organization needs. EOE
For at least the last four years, every search we’ve conducted has had “digital media” components. Digital Media has become the ubiquitous element in advertising and marketing communications. Very little communication happens anymore, without the strategic digital element. While the value of those digital elements continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled digital workers. The experienced experts in every digital specialty are very difficult to hire. Those with the most expertise and experience are fully employed and not actively looking for a new opportunity.
Bishop Partners has over 17 years’ experience as marketing and advertising recruiting and consulting specialists. Over the past five years, that specialty has grown to include digital media. Here are some of the titles of the (specifically) digital media searches we’ve recently completed.
Client Success Manager
Content Strategist/Writer
Sr. Digital Strategist
Digital Media Campaign Analyst-Strategist (three hires)
Social Media Campaign Manager (two hires)
Sr. Digital Media Campaign Manager
Digital Project Manager
VP, Social Media Strategy
Digital media nomenclature and titles are rapidly changing.New specialized skills are needed as new technologies, tactics and metrics are developed. As digital media grows, so does the need for new expertise.It’s very difficult for many; many privately held companies to keep pace.How about your Company?
Bishop Partners routinely consults with CEOs, Partners and Owners of privately held companies to help them identify and prioritize their need to evolve, catch up or even “get started”, to take advantage of the possibilities and efficiencies, of digital marketing communication.
Some of the statistics identifying companies who actually admit that their lack of digital experience is restricting revenue growth is surprising, if not stunning.Yet, they’re unsure how to take a first step or develop a digital practice expertise, that adds real value (i.e. revenue) for their company.
Social media is taking on a life of its own.It’s everywhere.You can look around at any moment and see someone staring at his or her phone or other device.It’s no longer a matter of “if” a company should get involved, but how.Whether a B2B service or manufacturer, your customers can (will) be reached by creating a content marketing strategy based on the classic lead generation funnel.Content engagement is starting to dominate, because it works.Even better, it can be measured, analyzed and optimized for “real” ROI.
If you’re worried about your company’s next step(s) with digital media, please get in touch.We can help.
U.S. employers expect hiring to pick up in the first quarter of next year, with 21 percent planning to add staff between January and March, according to the latest “Employment Outlook Survey,” released yesterday by ManpowerGroup. Employers in all U.S. regions and industry sectors expect headcount to grow.
One of the ways Bishop Partners can help employers is with a special file that we keep, called “Most Placeable Candidates” or "MPCs". We’re proud of our reputation and how attractive it is to the top performing candidates in marketing and advertising nationwide. Every week, industry leaders confidentially introduce themselves to us, share their resume and ask for our help. Taking seasonal variations into account, the net employment outlook for Q1 2018 is up 19 percent, the strongest reported in the past decade. This marks the 14th consecutive quarter with an outlook of plus-15 percent or stronger. Here’s a partial list of those candidates:
Brand Manager, Toys/Entertainment/Gaming or CPG Copywriter, Social Media Producer Creative Director, Copywriter, Consumer Products Creative Services Firm CFO/COO Creative Services Firm New Business Developer Director of Paid Social Media Director of Product Brand Marketing, Analytics, Strategy Executive Creative Director, Consumer Products Executive Creative Leader: President, CEO, COO, EVP Senior Digital Art Director / UX Specialist Senior Interactive Designer / UX-UI Designer / Animator Senior Media Strategist & Analyst VP, Director of Client Service Aviation/Finance/Food/Retail VP, Global Paid Media
Taking seasonal variations into account, the net employment outlook for Q1 2018 is up 19 percent, the strongest reported in the past decade. This marks the 14th consecutive quarter with an outlook of plus-15 percent or stronger. Nationwide, hiring prospects are two percentage points stronger when compared with the final quarter of 2017, and employers reported an increase of three percentage points in comparison with this time one year ago.
Published on: August 12, 2016 By St. Louis Post-Dispatch, USA
Written By Shobhana Chandra
It’s another sign that America’s job market is hot. Workers are in no mood to stick around too long while businesses make up their mind about hiring them. Al¬most one of every four employees loses interest in an opening if they don’t hear back from a prospective employer within a week of being interviewed, according to a survey by staffing firm Robert Half.
Make that two weeks of waiting, and the share jumps to 46 percent.
Further, 39 percent of people surveyed said they’d move on to chase other openings when faced with a lengthy hiring process.
“They have options, they want to move quickly,” said John Reed, senior executive director of the technology staffing division at Robert Half, the world’s largest specialized staffing company. “The market is so strong that candidates can have a lot of influence in the pace of the interview process.”
Since the survey, done in June, was the first of its kind for Robert Half, it doesn’t offer comparisons on how workers’ expectations have changed. Still, Reed said he noticed about two years ago that the leading companies started to move faster as they realized good applicants were less willing to be patient.
The relentless hiring spree of the past few years has reduced the unemployment rate to near an eight-year low and the pool of excess labor is vanishing, making it tougher for companies to find the workers they need. Filling open positions is also a problem for small businesses, the National Federation of Independent Business reports.
Of course, economists predict that the pace of hiring will cool later this year as the economy approaches full employment. For now, workers are calling the shots, at least on getting quick answers.
The largest share of respondents in the Robert Half survey — 39 percent — picked seven to 14 days when asked to define what was “too long” a process, starting from the initial interview to when they got the job offer. Companies need to step up their game, or risk losing out on good hires. That doesn’t mean carelessly rushing through an important decision. But striving to get that verbal offer out quickly helps,and frequent communication will prevent the applicant from walking away, Reed said.
“Secure those candidates before the competition does,” he said.
We’re already into the second quarter of the New Year and both the micro and macro-trends for the advertising/marketing industry are looking towards significant growth. Unemployment is dropping, budgets and spending are increasing and technology is exploding with new opportunities across the industry and the overall economy is solid. So what to do...
We are living at a time of a confluence of mega trends: the retirement of the baby boomers; the creation and adoption of new technologies and an emergence of a strong economy. Growth brings new challenges to us all:
1. How do you attract talent that can provide the level of service your customers have expected? 2. With the growth of new skills requisite to adopt the new technologies, where do you find the talent and how do you train them? 3. As your own baby boomers prepare for retirement, how do you put a succession plan in place that manages the expectations for your company, your retirees and your bench strength? 4. And do you HAVE bench strength? 5. And who is actually buying stuff today?
A few facts about those Baby Boomers: 1. They control over $7 Trillion in net wealth
I was having coffee with another recruiter colleague a couple of days ago. He owns a “staffing agency” and currently has about 500 part-time, temporary or contract employees working with his clients. He’s a very smart business guy and our conversations are always interesting and enlightening. After this meeting, I realized once again how lucky I am to have a niche, a recruiting specialty and expertise.
Most recruiters’ number one issue, the thing that routinely keeps them up at night is that inability to find qualified and/or reliable employees. Seems amazing doesn’t it, when all we’ve heard for the past six or seven years is how bad unemployment is?
I’ve said it before and now I’m saying it again. If you factor college degrees into the equation, the unemployment rate drops significantly, to as low as 3.6% in some studies. Well folks, that’s what’s called “full employment”. It is not easy finding qualified candidates. Yet, I’m lucky to be in a position to have a bit of an advantage.
I’m in a niche, recruiting exclusively for marketing and advertising. I’ve been in that same niche as a recruiter for (almost) 15 years. I’ve spent my entire career (to date) in that niche. All that time and specialization, along with an online presence and reputation I’m very proud of, has lead me to having the advantage of candidates finding and contacting me. They introduce themselves because they want to “be on our radar”. I had forgotten how lucky I am. It’s also an advantage for our clients.
I'm pleased to have been interviewed for my client Bozell's (yes, that Bozell!) quarterly pubication, "Think". This article was written by Robin Donovan, Managing Partner of Bozell. Please check out her award winning blog: www.menologues.com!
The Latest from Bozell
Things are tough all over. The economy is taking its own sweet time rebounding, and certain key indicators are continuing to nosedive. Getting jobs in any industry, in any market, presents a challenge, and marketing job searches have some added barriers to success.
The daunting challenge of finding a job in marketing has spawned a plethora of books and articles on the subject. David Dirks, author of Job Search Marketing: Finding Job Opportunities in Any Economy, has practically made a career of advising folks on how to find that most elusive of positions.
In addition to his recent book, Dirks hosts a weekly radio show called “Job Search Marketing.” Dirks espouses creating your own personal marketing and branding campaign, and his book provides strategies and tactics designed to shorten the duration of your search.
So why all the fuss over finding jobs in marketing? Are they really that much harder to find than jobs in other areas? Theoretically these are intelligent, well-educated people who know how to persuade others. Shouldn’t they excel at landing a job?
Unemployment is high nationally, and decidedly higher in select pockets of the country. Marketing jobs have morphed over time, which has added levels of complication to the search equation. Coinciding with a dip in respect for marketing professionals in general, companies have cleverly saved money by merging marketing positions with other disciplines, such as engineering, or saving money by promoting administrative people into lead marketing positions at a fraction of the cost. This trend has significantly reduced the number of marketing positions available, as well as the level of overall marketing excellence.
St. Louis Marketing recruiter Bob Bishop believes that 9/11 created a black hole in marketing employment: “7 out of 10 marketing resumes stopped wherever they were in 2001, the level of very successful people that were getting laid off was astounding.” Bishop believes that it has taken top management 10 years to begin to prove the worth of marketing by showing a resulting return on investment from campaigns. He believes the need for a tangible ROI could be one reason behind the fact that digital has become an absolute point of entry when hiring marketers.
The good news, Bishop said, is that things are finally starting to loosen up a bit. In fact, in his blog, The Marketing Recruiter, he claims that problems are beginning to arise “because hiring managers are aggressively trying to increase human capital to reach their 2011 revenue goals. Having the right people in the right seats is key, and we see many companies take too much time when seeking to hire good talent.”
So with a light finally shining at the end of the tunnel, what are some of the other key points to consider in order to land one of these plum positions? Don’t just sit around and respond to job postings. Instead, Bishop recommends that you market yourself to the companies where you would like to be employed.
Most job seekers, marketers included, just sit around getting hurt feelings when they send a resume and don’t hear back right away. They develop the attitude that “nobody likes me.” Thin skin like that can really tank a search effort. Bishop suggests self-expectation management. Understand that those hiring have a mountain of paperwork to wade through just to see your resume. Try not to be so thin-skinned—and get busy marketing yourself.
Bishop believes the most likely path to gainful employment is to market yourself just as you would any other product. If you have the resources to create your own “look,” even better. Bishop recommends identifying a list of fifty companies by whom you would like to be employed. Determine the people within those companies who need to be aware of and impressed by your personal brand. He strongly admonishes any job seeker who emails or calls asking for a response, or even implying they’re looking for one. Don’t place any more demands on the already busy people you’re trying to impress—just keep building your own brand equity over time.
A simple, personalized and mailed message should be sent to each name on your list every few weeks. It should be a campaign as opposed to a one-shot effort. “Surprisingly, nobody does this,” Bishop said.
Bishop also acknowledged LinkedIn as the king of business networking. Get your profile up and completed, if you haven’t already. Start building a base of meaningful recommendations as well.
For a professional marketer, these suggestions for a proactive approach to a job search should be second nature. Do unto yourself as you would like to get a job doing unto others.
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!
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.
I'm starting to embrace Twitter more and more enthusiastically, as I use it more and become comfortable with it. I'm an advocate of continuing education and staying abreast of industry news, trends and new ways/ideas for doing something. I'm finding Twitter to be extremely helpful in that pursuit.
I still read about six or eight trade and professional publications a month. That has always been my way to know what was going on, hear about new ideas and the like. I'm starting to find that the lead times for publication make that media almost dated by the time it's published. Even weeklies like AdWeek and Ad Age print content that I've already seen or actually read through with all the electronic updates I now receive.
I created my Twitter account maybe two or so years ago with the username @HeadhunterBob (I encourage you to follow me!). I had no idea what to do with that account for the longest time, yet I kept having people follow me. I couldn't figure it out, I'd never sent one tweet, yet I had followers!
Over the past few months, I've started tweeting more frequently and I'm feeling very good about that for two reasons. One, I feel like I'm "giving something back" . . . I've been told that followers appreciate the content of my tweets and enjoy reading many of them. Second, I read more . . . a lot more. I now read articles from literally scores of sources, including blogs, and articles of others I follow on Twitter. It's enlightening. I feel like I have a much better idea of what's going on, much sooner.
I'm sure you know that Twitter now integrates with the LinkedIn update box in your profile. You can send tweets right from LinkedIn!
I tweet about issues related to recruiting, employment, employee retention, employer culture, marketing and advertising trends, etc.. In short, content that should be of interest to most in our marketing/employer/employee communities. There are several other applications that have grown up around the world of Twitter, that I've found very useful. I'd like to share some of those.
The most important is probably Tweet Deck. Tweet Deck pushes the tweets of those you follow. On Twitter.com, you have to refresh the page to see new Tweets. Tweet Deck also allows you to follow several of (your own) accounts at the same time, as well as notifying you of any "direct tweets", or mentions of your username. It's flattering to be "re-tweeted" and Tweet Deck tells you when that happens.
TweetChat is an application that lets you use the #(hashtag) to find people to follow in particular categories of interest . . . in my case, marketing, advertising, media, etc.. Twitter itself has an advance search capability that isn't so easy to find (you could look for users in your city). If you'd like to tweet a photograph, use Twitpic. Twellow is a directory of public Twitter accounts, with hundreds of categories and search features to help you find people who matter to you.
The last tip I have goes beyond Twitter. It's a preferred method for shortening urls. The reason it's preferred is that bit.ly tracks the number of times a particular url that you've sent has been clicked. It's very cool and far superior to tinyurl, for example.
Go to Twitter, create a username and profile and get out into the Twitterverse! It's fun and you'll actually learn something!
For those of you already using Twitter, do you have any stories of it's benefits?
I had the opportunity to attend a workshop on SEO training yesterday. It was presented by a new local company called Buzzhound. I was looking forward to the training for two reasons. I thought I would be able to put additional knowledge to work for the benefit of my website, this blog and in general, my online marketing efforts. Additionally, I thought it important to keep up with the principles of online marketing. It's obvious that online/digital marketing is a huge growth area for the future of marketing and advertising. SEO is fundamental to and the foundation of every company's online presence (or certainly should be). I want to stay as current as possible.
It took less than 15 minutes for me to be impressed with the presentation and to realize that the two presenters were experts on their topics. I assumed that would be the case. What I wasn't sure of, is how they would present the materials. I wasn't sure how complex the material would be or if I had enough basic knowledge to be able to take advantage at all.
The presentation was incredibly well organized. It was presented in a straightforward, simple and logical way. Each of us was given our own computer, already set up with all the documents, tools, links, etc. that we'd be using during the day. It was slick, it was efficient . . . and it was effective!
It was obvious from the conversations with the other eight participants that they were as excited as I was to be "finally" reaching a level of understanding about how SEO works. What's more important, is that I believe every one of us walked out of the event with a clear idea of how to improve each of our own websites. There were some marketing professionals in attendance as well. It was obvious that they were excited about what they were learning and how they could take that knowledge and add value to their clients. They mystery of SEO was removed. We were able to see "behind the curtain" and realize that there are simple tools available to help a website's SEO.
I was also impressed with how organized the presentation was and the support materials we were able to take back to our offices. Buzzhound provided all of the tools used for key word development, website page ranking and overall site "health", analytics and more. I think part of the real value of the workshop was having the ability to see someone using these tools. You can read and/or hear about this stuff ad nauseum, but to see how simple it is to use the tools made all the difference. In fact, SEO concepts are not all that complex or difficult to understand. The presentation made sense, so it was easy to learn and understand the material. The Workbook we all left with has even more detailed than the presentation itself. I know I'll be able to successfully refer to it for answers, when I have questions later. Buzzhound even gave us a jump drive with the documents we created during the presentation and the tools/applications and links we used for the tools.
I want to recommend this training. I think every professional company should send (at least) one person to this workshop. I think the money spent is well worth the value received. I don't know how anyone can be serious about enhancing their web presence, or marketing communications without starting with SEO. It's the most fundamental essential, after having a website at all!
In the worlds of recruiting and staffing issues, Kevin Wheeler stands out as an experienced practitioner and commenter on current and future trends. I have a great deal of respect for him, and have learned a great deal from following his thoughts, especially on recruiting. Yesterday, he posted an article on what he thinks trends are in the coming year. I thought they had value beyond specifically recruiting, and want to share them.
"Every year I try and predict what trends and topics will dominate our thinking, conversations, and technology in the coming year. Last year my three predictions were pretty much on target: Simplicity in sourcing, the rise of social networks, and internal redeployment. I am not sure how much redeployment actually took place, but it must have been significant as key positions remained filled even when external hiring was slow.
Sourcing remains a topic that I am interested in. It seems to me that the need to conduct in-depth Internet searches and apply Boolean logic to searches is no longer relevant in the majority of cases. Cold calling and other traditional methods of locating people will never go away, but are less significant. Two occurrences have changed the game. The first is social networks whose mass adoption, personalization, and ease of use have put them first in the sourcer’s toolkit. Second, jobs are being redefined and replaced with an emphasis on broader skills and on the ability of candidates to take on a variety of roles. This opens the door to more candidates, except in narrow technical areas where specific skills and training are required. A third minor factor is the recession and the short-term surplus of candidates. This will evaporate as Baby Boomers retire and more people start to work for themselves, but this will be an evolution over the next five years.
I don’t need to comment too much on the importance of social networks. This past year has proved their efficacy as sourcing tools as well as sales tools to motivate and engage candidates. What is going to change this year is the emergence of proprietary networks for specific industries or even for specific organizations, if they are large and employ a lot of people. The Facebook’s and LinkedIn’s will face competition, in a way, from networks that are designed for a specific type of person, role, industry, or geography. These more general networks are already offering this, in a way, through interest groups and pages for specific organizations."