The marketing industry is slowly merging with everything around it and becoming the all-encompassing digital industry thanks to one thing: the internet. What were the (once slightly more defined) spheres of marketing, advertising and public relations are starting to become absorbed into one, a great play for clients looking for more bang for their buck but how can the same positive change affect job seekers in the industry? If you’ve ever googled your own name you will know exactly what you find on the first 5 search pages – yourself; and any HR manager who’s worth their salt will be doing that as soon as they receive your CV or Linkedin request. What can be the best invention since sliced bread for your work life can also showcase the worst things about yourself when you are jobhunting, and even worse you might not know about them. Read our below tips to discover what we recommend for creating your best self online and keep those old myspace photos lost in the Google mists of time.
Start with your personal social media feeds
Not many job hunters that we’ve spoken to are aware that you can search for someone using their email address and phone number on Facebook. Unless you’ve used the strongest privacy settings available Facebook is a prime location for finding all the things most of us would love to have never resurface. Most of us signed up circa 2008 and were very into publicly sharing embarrassing status updates and photos of us drinking and dancing on tables but luckily the internet has evolved since then. Employers will very often search for you on your most popular social media feeds; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and the world is yet to meet the hiring manager who thinks the ability to down five pints in five minutes shows a responsible character. Last month tweets that James Gunn had written were unearthed and he ended up being fired from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise – a multi-million-dollar opportunity lost thanks to stupidity from 2009. Take our advice and keep your social media on complete lockdown so that nothing will come out and ruin your career chances.
Don’t just think about hiding yourself, think about showcasing your work
It’s very easy to look at a job description and tell a potential employer: “yeah I know how to write, no problem”. But more and more frequently we have seen employers actually asking candidates to send them samples of their writing. Working in a creative agency is fast-paced and frenetic so halting the proceedings to get your writing up to speed really isn’t an option for managers looking to add to their pool of talent. Content writing is a fast-growing career path in Bristol but so is any career in the creative industry – so using an online portfolio or blog is the best way to show to employers that your writing or recent projects are up to standard. Two sites we recommend are adobe’s portfolio to showcase projects, an easy to use website specifically designed to show creative work and WordPress, while not exactly mould-breaking, it’s easy to use and write on with minimal design effort.
Linkedin, Linkedin, Linkedin – seriously, utilise your linkedin!
More and more professionals are using Linkedin seriously for job hunting and for easily connecting with decision makers and career help. Linkedin is THE social network for making good connections and showcasing your articles. Linkedin job pages will often give you the name of the person responsible for a job that you are interested in so you can send off your CV and contact the recruiter to follow up your application a few days later. Another great way to use Linkedin is to join groups with similar interests to yourself such as the Bath, Bristol and Cardiff Marketing Network or the South West England Marketing Professionals group. Use Linkedin to connect directly with recruitment consultants and speak to them directly.
Hubspot Certifications
Hubspot is one of the go-to places for inbound marketing and thought leadership and education in the creative industry. You can use Hubspot certifications to hone a particular talent in your own time at home and you also get a neat little graphic to show off on your new portfolio or blog. Many senior marketeers have also taken multiple Hubspot courses and it’s a great way to join the conversation with potential colleagues and peers.
