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Category: Jobhunting

Job Searching 2.0: Looking for Work “New School”

Published January 18, 2009

by Monica Hamburg

I gave a talk at UBC last week on “uncovering the hidden job market online” – from how to find job listings to how to network on and offline. Whether you're a new grad or just looking to make a change, here are a few highlights from my presentation for the social media savvy job hunter:

Tweet Your Way to a Cool Job with twitter_logo_s

Twitter is a great resource for information and job openings are no exception.

  • As JmakTech advises “Use the search at search.twitter.com to find specific tweets about companies and recruiters hiring. Search for specific titles you are interested in like ‘community manager‘ or more generic terms like ‘now hiring‘. Also, check out TwitHire which is a free service that has begun aggregating all job related tweets.”

  • Occasionally, (and when you have built up a good database of
    followers/connections) mention (tweet) that you are looking for work
    (be specific about what you want – even writing a Twitpitch
    for yourself (elevator pitch of <140 characters).  If you can add a
    link to your portfolio, so much the better. (You might also adding your
    resume/portfolio/linkedin profile as a “posted item” on your Facebook.)
  • Make sure your profile and picture looks like
    you’re professional – or at the very least, not nuts (I question the
    motivations of Twitterers with shirtless pics…).  For the “Web”
    section, use your blog, website or Linkedin profile – which ever you
    think would present you best/most-interesting.  If you have any mad
    design/photography skills you could upload your own background design.  Or bereft of any such talent (as I am) you can look to a “Pimp my Twitter Background” type site, or even get one customized, to make your profile stand out and mesh with your brand.
  • Create real relationships.   Schawbel notes: “Most
    people get jobs on Twitter by already having hundreds or thousands of
    followers. For example, I’ve heard of at least ten people getting a job
    by tweeting “just got laid off, looking for a job in finance” and then
    receiving a few direct messages with people who want to help them. Of
    course, these individuals had built trust, credibility and relationships with their followers over time, so they were more inclined to come to their rescue. You can do the same, just start right now!
  • Follow the companies you want to work at (or Twitters who work at
    that company).  But don’t harass or pester – just be friendly, lay low
    and see if they tweet about a job opening.  They just might.

rob-cottingham-tweet-social-signal-job2

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Let's Talk Talent with Bruce Powell – 5 Question Interview

Published October 14, 2008

Brucepowell
The talent wars, particularly in the digital space, are heating up (again).  And who better to shed some light than Bruce Powell.  Bruce is the co-founder and managing partner of IQ PARTNERS Inc., an executive search & recruitment firm specializing in online marketing, media, communications and emerging technology companies. 

I remember working with Bruce in the early days of internet marketing – before the dot com bomb – he has definitely seen it all.  He sat down with us to offer his perspective on how job hunters can make a go of it these days, particularly in this new era of social media.

OD: You’re seeing a renewed demand for online expertise.  What are the top 3 skill or experience sets that your clients are looking for?

This is an interesting question – with 2 slightly different answers.  Obviously there’s been an evolving niche specialization in online marketing for many years.  Where companies previously sought individuals to oversee their overall ‘online marketing’ spend, they’re now looking for individuals with much more refined skill sets.  And as marketing activities have progressively moved online, whole teams are being built to manage each facet of a company’s online marketing effort. 

Without a doubt, the most sought after skill sets over the past year have been:

  1. SEO & SEM
  2. Specialized email marketing skills (i.e. dynamic content & CRM integration)
  3. Social Media

That said, there’s also clear polarization happening.  While some individuals have developed highly refined technical and functional skills – clients have also expressed frustration at the lack of breadth and awareness on how their specialist skills integrate within the overall marketing effort. 

It’s an ironic catch-22.  At the same time the industry is demanding more specialized skill-sets, it’s also annoyed these ‘specialists’ don’t have a broader understanding of brand-marketing fundamentals and general business-case analysis. 

Within agency environments we’re seeing a similar frustration with increased specialization coming at the cost of declining client-management skills.

There’s a clear message hear – demand for online talent over the last few years has clearly outstripped supply.  Specialists are self-taught, and there’s not a clear pipeline of learning and skill-progression to broaden their skill-set – nor incentive or time to do so.  They’re in demand, and they’re being paid well – why upset the apple cart? 

On the other hand – the world is a dynamic place.  For those few individuals willing able to operate holistically AND dive deep in select areas of specialization – the world will be their oyster.

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