Whilst UK recruiters cannot wait to see the back of 2009 the outlook for next year looks altogether more favourable, according to industry thought-leaders.

A recent discussion in the UK Recruitment Professionals LinkedIn Group asked for recruiter’s thoughts on their feelings on what was in store in the New Year.  The post received an almost unanimous vote of confidence.

The past 18 months has seen almost unrivalled challenges for the staffing industry, battling not only a downturned economy but also the emergence of social media, heralded during its inception as the complete antipathy to the traditional recruitment model – the anti-Christ to decades of relatively unchallenged prosperity.

“When the sea is rough, sail better”, pontificated Stephen Hart, owner of sales and recruitment training company, Edenchanges.  “I’ve worked with quite a few recruitment companies this year and continually I see that the solid basics of hard, professional and focused work and effort will ensure companies do well.”  And these are the key issues.

Undoubtedly, those recruitment agencies who chose the short-term aggressive approach above the long-tailed account management mantra will find that by mistreating their jobseekers and failing to properly consult with their clients, has probably nailed the lid on their coffin.  For the scurrilous vagabonds who have skulked our industry caverns for too long now, may be about to given short thrift.

Arrogance & complacency

“If there has been any silver lining to the last 18 months,” opined Stuart MacGregor, business manager at MacGregor Wilson Resourcing, “I think it might be fair to say that it’s wiped out a fair amount of arrogance, complacency and shoddy work in the recruitment sector and re-focussed many of us.”

Very few industry sectors have managed to avoid the recession, with even less managing to flourish.  Perhaps the earliest sign of the gathering storm was the dramatic drop in the number of marketing jobs advertised.  Perceived by many bean-counters as an unquantifiable expense, the creative folk have struggled more than most this year.  But the signs in this sector are extremely positive, with the number of visible advertised vacancies on the rise.

More jobs for recruiters

Jeremy Snell, group sales trainer at Spring Group Plc, is upbeat about the future: “The looks healthier for 2010 certainly, with recent news revealing that permanent jobs are at a 28 month high for November 2009.  I think also that there will be a lot more movement [in our industry], with a strong war ensuing for talented recruiters. Many firms cut their headcount by up to 30% (some also crashed out all together) and all have made noises publicly that 2010 will see that change.

This means next year will see a lot of recruitment firms attacking the market with renewed energy.  With many recruiters looking to change jobs, 2010 could be the year that brings home the importance to many businesses of their human capital.” 

All aboard the staffing carousel

So, interesting times ahead: Jobseekers can return from a well-earned festive break to a veritable alpine snowfall of newly-budgeted vacancies; recruiters can look forward to once again working with a smile on their face and a regression to the merry-go-round that keeps it all interesting; and hiring managers will be enjoying the benefits of tip-top talent, brought to them by the remodelled and battle-hardened recruiter.

To end John Reynolds, managing director of tri-sector recruitment specialists, Storm Recruitment Services Limited, simply enthused: “Bring it on.  I predict a riot”.  And I’ll propose a toast to that!

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs

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Recruiters need to evolve to stay ahead in the race for talent attraction

Since the economic downturn many questions have been raised about the future of the staffing industry and the validity of traditional recruiters in it.  Having established that professional search & selection firms will once again flourish in the upturn, it will be interesting to see which paths are taken to evolve into the requisite integrated agencies of the anticipated ‘new era’.

One thing is for certain: the traditional ‘fee-based’ contingency recruitment model will find it difficult to rediscover its ‘mojo’.  Already battling sceptics the advent of social media and its relative successes has shown that – perhaps senior/executive-level placements aside – the placement fee proposition will, in many quarters, require justification.

Of course many employers will look at more cost-effective methods of attracting staff.  But haven’t they always?  There are many routes to market for a hiring manager but each presents its own problems: print advertising is expensive; job boards can be speculative; social media is both time-consuming and intangible.  So where’s the wood through all these trees?

Aside from database searching this is what recruiters need to be doing to ensure a positive evolution:

It’s who you know

Leveraging contacts has never been more appropriate.  Or necessary.  It remains that the only truly tangible way of galvanising a relationship with someone is to meet them. 

Where possible recruiters should be meeting their candidates.  Of course, this is not always possible.  Logistical elements conspire to dilute this prospect but never underestimate the impact this has.  A candidate will rarely forget a recruiter they have met but rarely remembers one they have only spoken with on the phone.

Furthermore, in a competitive industry how do recruiters get in front of prospective clients?  Cold-calling is time-consuming, speculative and very frustrating.  Attending events where employers hang out shows both commitment and sincerity, two important traits hard to portray during a telephonic sales-pitch.

Russell White, owner of executive marketing recruitment agency, Premier Consulting, attests that social networking continues to deliver results: “I do have a very extensive network of people who I have helped over the years and if asked always seem happy to recommend people to me for specific marketing jobs I am working on”.

Traditional advertising

There is much conjecture surrounding trade and national press and its importance in today’s digital and cost-conscious market.  One only has to pick up the Guardian on a Monday to note the lack of marketing & media jobs currently advertised.  It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that the readership and, thus, relevant audience, has dwindled as a result.  This cannot be good for realising ROI, something increasingly difficult to justify given the cost implications.

However, ‘press’ advertising is not only about the immediate recruitment drive.  It is also about both brand awareness and brand association.  Being seen as a partner of the Guardian or Marketing Week, for example, can be a powerful attraction.  Whilst it may often be client-led, recruiters can tag along for the PR ride.

Social media mayhem

I recently wrote that business professionals not engaged in LinkedIn were ‘conspicuous by their absence’ and so I believe this statement to be increasingly true.  But it doesn’t stop with this networking site. 

Twitter, Facebook, and developing social platforms such as Ning afford fantastic opportunities for building communities and attracting candidates.  And the best thing about social media is that it rather surreptitiously manages to tap into the passive jobseekers, which are, of course, the ones clients really want to know about.

The biggest challenge facing anyone engaging in social media is time; the commodity most in demand for any progressive recruiter in the current climate.  Just choosing the right social channels can be sapping so managing the distribution of content is an altogether more daunting prospect.

The good news is recruiters need not necessarily open social channels themselves.  By plugging into a niche social-savvy recruitment advertising platform (cheaper than outsourcing to a social media consultancy) the results are a quantifiable symbiotic relationship that suits both parties.

People management

Today’s candidate is tomorrow’s client is a mantra to which I constantly refer.  I have never believed that ‘going for the ‘fast buck’ wins out in the end and the events of the past two years or so have done nothing to quell this thought.

Successful recruiters maintain loyalty within their communities, be they candidates or clients.  Looking after today’s frustrated jobseeker will pay dividends when they one day find themselves seeking a recruitment partner for their own hiring needs.

Recruiters should strive to manage their customers effectively, continually seeking innovative ways in which to do this.

Conclusion…

Each one of the topics above is an accentuated article in itself and this is by no means an exhaustive list.  For recruiters can organise events, host open days, engage aggregators or split fees with other agencies.

Whichever paths they choose though, recruiters must ensure the candidates they attract are the right ones.  Oversubscription with irrelevant applications muddies the water further and what should be a clear route to a 2011 evolution could end up more frustrating than what initiated the talk of change in the first place.

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs | @simonlewisomj

How face-to-face interaction helped Manchester’s marketing community

On 18th November 2009 the UK’s largest marketing jobs advertising platform hosted its inaugural networking event in Manchester.  More than 130 marketing, media and communications exponents descended on the Walrus Canteen and Lounge bar, intent on developing their career prospects.

Many of the attendees were looking for marketing jobs in the North West and saw the juncture as a chance to meet local recruiters and hiring companies.  Others were there simply to mingle with industry peers and broaden their networks.  Employers benefited at both ends.

Titled the ‘Manchester Link-up’ the event was the second of Only Marketing Jobs’ regional tour, which aims to connect marketing professionals with significant industry luminaries; matching jobseekers with recruiters, and networkers with other like-minded contact-makers and career-builders.  The ‘Link-ups’ are aimed at all marketing disciplines, from graduate to senior level.

Tapping into business-oriented social networking sites, Only Marketing Jobs structured the event around its LinkedIn marketing community in the North West to produce an occasion that was educational, enlightening and fun.

Throughout the night two fabulously gregarious clairvoyants used tarot cards to provide a staggering number of accurate profiles, whilst confidently predicting intriguing insights into their futures.  By day Suzie Sharpe and Olivia Stefanino are professional career coaches, encouraging individuals to look more deeply at their personal brands and consider the benefits of enhanced profiling.  Their involvement helped define a distinctive experience for all.

Jeremy Bassett, SME Ambassador for CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Manchester, who co-sponsored the event, said: “The networking evening represented a unique opportunity for CIM to engage at a level quite different to our traditions.  We were staggered by the response of the attendees.  The Link-up is a great initiative and we hope to be a part of future activities.”

Invaluable interaction

For many a social event of this nature was a new experience.  With online channels so readily available the desire for physical interaction has receded over the years, especially within Generation X.  But for many, the chance to interact with other marketing people, both newcomers and established professionals, proved invaluable.

Ghida Basma, a marketing and advertising professional from Manchester said: “As someone attending her first networking event, I felt at ease with everything and enjoyed socialising with other marketers, who were kind enough to offer exceptional advice and insight from their own experience.”

Networking events are, of course, what you make them.  Sitting in the corner observing the room will get you nowhere.  You have to get involved because the more effort you put in, the more you get out.  Justin Moore, recruitment manager of specialist Creative & Marketing staffing agency, MacPeople, was certainly no wall-flower: 

“I made sure I got amongst it and used the time to get to know as many relevant people as possible.  This event represented a perfect opportunity to make new contacts that will convert into new business! This is certainly an event to highlight in your diary for the future!”

Speed networking

A key component of the event was the speed networking session, where attendees were invited to converse with as many new contacts as possible in an hour.  This broke the ice and provided an electric atmosphere that set the tone for the rest of evening.

Each chat lasted five minutes before the chinking of a glass signalled it was time to move onto the next person.  The decision of whom best to engage with was made easier by the use of a traffic light name-badge system, where a green label indicated a jobseeker; orange suggested a networker; and red denounced a recruiter/hirer.

Hayes Client Services, one of the event’s sponsors, made the most of the experience by using each five-minute slot as a preliminary interview for prospective hires into their expansive hiring programme.  In total they identified 10 prospects, all of whom were invited in for formal meetings the following week.  James Goodrich, HR director of the Manchester-based direct marketing agency, said:  “The outcome was beyond our imagination.  To attend an event like this and be able to simultaneously meet so many relevant marketers suited to our business was extraordinary.”

Relationship development

The enforced engagement provided some excellent platforms from which to build and the remainder of the evening was spent developing initial conversations.  With preliminary drinks coming courtesy of the sponsors, the mood amongst attendees was certainly relaxed, accentuating the benefits of offline social interaction, opposed to digital processes or, indeed, more formally structured affairs.

Richard Gahagan, Co-founder of Sales & Marketing specialist recruiter, Adam Recruitment, said: “We attended the event wearing three hats: firstly, to help the jobseekers; secondly to promote ourselves to prospective clients; and thirdly, to network amongst other business leaders.  We were delighted our sponsorship paid dividends in all regards.”

Predicting the future

With the UK preparing to exit recession 2010 hopes to herald the dawn of better times for marketing professionals.  Whilst the jobs landscape remains uncertain there are positive signs.  As marketers begin to see the welcome again mat appearing at company doors, those associated with the industry should be doing all they can to stand out from their competitors. 

So getting out there, meeting people and showing them you are serious about your career, your business, your future, is one proactive element of a successful personal and commercial branding campaign.  Hiding in the shadows serves no purpose.

“This was a well-attended and organised event and a real good turnout.  Met loads of people and made useful contacts,” concluded Naheem Bhatti, a senior marketing manager. 

And that, of course, is what it was all about.

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs

How face-to-face interaction helped Manchester’s marketing community

On 18th November 2009 the UK’s largest marketing jobs advertising platform hosted its inaugural networking event in Manchester.  More than 130 marketing, media and communications exponents descended on the Walrus Canteen and Lounge bar, intent on developing their career prospects.

Many of the attendees were looking for marketing jobs in the North West and saw the juncture as a chance to meet local recruiters and hiring companies.  Others were there simply to mingle with industry peers and broaden their networks.  Employers benefited at both ends.

Titled the ‘Manchester Link-up’ the event was the second of Only Marketing Jobs’ regional tour, which aims to connect marketing professionals with significant industry luminaries; matching jobseekers with recruiters, and networkers with other like-minded contact-makers and career-builders.  The ‘Link-ups’ are aimed at all marketing disciplines, from graduate to senior level.

Tapping into business-oriented social networking sites, Only Marketing Jobs structured the event around its LinkedIn marketing community in the North West to produce an occasion that was educational, enlightening and fun.

Throughout the night two fabulously gregarious clairvoyants used tarot cards to provide a staggering number of accurate profiles, whilst confidently predicting intriguing insights into their futures.  By day Suzie Sharpe and Olivia Stefanino are professional career coaches, encouraging individuals to look more deeply at their personal brands and consider the benefits of enhanced profiling.  Their involvement helped define a distinctive experience for all.

Jeremy Bassett, SME Ambassador for CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Manchester, who co-sponsored the event, said: “The networking evening represented a unique opportunity for CIM to engage at a level quite different to our traditions.  We were staggered by the response of the attendees.  The Link-up is a great initiative and we hope to be a part of future activities.”

Invaluable interaction

For many a social event of this nature was a new experience.  With online channels so readily available the desire for physical interaction has receded over the years, especially within Generation X.  But for many, the chance to interact with other marketing people, both newcomers and established professionals, proved invaluable.

Ghida Basma, a marketing and advertising professional from Manchester said: “As someone attending her first networking event, I felt at ease with everything and enjoyed socialising with other marketers, who were kind enough to offer exceptional advice and insight from their own experience.”

Networking events are, of course, what you make them.  Sitting in the corner observing the room will get you nowhere.  You have to get involved because the more effort you put in, the more you get out.  Justin Moore, recruitment manager of specialist Creative & Marketing staffing agency, MacPeople, was certainly no wall-flower: 

“I made sure I got amongst it and used the time to get to know as many relevant people as possible.  This event represented a perfect opportunity to make new contacts that will convert into new business! This is certainly an event to highlight in your diary for the future!”

Speed networking

A key component of the event was the speed networking session, where attendees were invited to converse with as many new contacts as possible in an hour.  This broke the ice and provided an electric atmosphere that set the tone for the rest of evening.

Each chat lasted five minutes before the chinking of a glass signalled it was time to move onto the next person.  The decision of whom best to engage with was made easier by the use of a traffic light name-badge system, where a green label indicated a jobseeker; orange suggested a networker; and red denounced a recruiter/hirer.

Hayes Client Services, one of the event’s sponsors, made the most of the experience by using each five-minute slot as a preliminary interview for prospective hires into their expansive hiring programme.  In total they identified 10 prospects, all of whom were invited in for formal meetings the following week.  James Goodrich, HR director of the Manchester-based direct marketing agency, said:  “The outcome was beyond our imagination.  To attend an event like this and be able to simultaneously meet so many relevant marketers suited to our business was extraordinary.”

Relationship development

The enforced engagement provided some excellent platforms from which to build and the remainder of the evening was spent developing initial conversations.  With preliminary drinks coming courtesy of the sponsors, the mood amongst attendees was certainly relaxed, accentuating the benefits of offline social interaction, opposed to digital processes or, indeed, more formally structured affairs.

Richard Gahagan, Co-founder of Sales & Marketing specialist recruiter, Adam Recruitment, said: “We attended the event wearing three hats: firstly, to help the jobseekers; secondly to promote ourselves to prospective clients; and thirdly, to network amongst other business leaders.  We were delighted our sponsorship paid dividends in all regards.”

Predicting the future

With the UK preparing to exit recession 2010 hopes to herald the dawn of better times for marketing professionals.  Whilst the jobs landscape remains uncertain there are positive signs.  As marketers begin to see the welcome again mat appearing at company doors, those associated with the industry should be doing all they can to stand out from their competitors. 

So getting out there, meeting people and showing them you are serious about your career, your business, your future, is one proactive element of a successful personal and commercial branding campaign.  Hiding in the shadows serves no purpose.

“This was a well-attended and organised event and a real good turnout.  Met loads of people and made useful contacts,” concluded Naheem Bhatti, a senior marketing manager. 

And that, of course, is what it was all about.

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs

 You’ve got your marketing degree but what else should you be doing to ensure employers are attracted to you?

What are the biggest challenges facing university graduates who are looking to secure career positions?  More and more we are hearing about the graduates leaving university, unable to secure work at all, let alone in their chosen profession.  Whilst the number of marketing jobs and, indeed, graduate marketing jobs may be on the rise, competition is fierce.

You are in a better position than some though.  Marketing is a sought-after industry and thousands of marketing vacancies are over-subscribed with applications from people without any tangible knowledge at all.

So what more could graduates be doing to effectively promote themselves?

Here are six top tips to help you get started:

On-the-job experience

Qualifications are great but employers would rather combine these with life and work experience. Most marketing degree courses offer the chance to apply your knowledge in a commercial environment but if you haven’t managed to do this, keep trying.  A lot of employers have neither the time or the money to pay an intern but by offering them something for nothing or by being innovative it is amazing what comes up.

A great place to look for intern marketing vacancies online is Rate My Placement.

Organising your CV

Despite the current age of digital technology the common CV remains the key ingredient to any jobseeker’s application process.  And it should not be taken lightly.

Whizzing your CV off to email addresses and ‘Apply Now’ buttons is the easy part but once it reaches the intended destination you have no control over who reads it or what they gain from doing so.  Therefore, you need to ensure you have sufficiently and professionally optimised this sales tool.

Of course most recent graduates will only have a limited amount of work experience to add to their employment history.  It is important, then, to maximise what you say about yourself – your ‘softer’ skills.  This is where developing a fantastic personal profile and writing a compelling cover letter comes in.

Read how to write the perfect cover letter and produce an amazing profile via individual career coaching.

Social media

These days employers are as likely to find you as you are them. With more than 70% of employers admitting to checking candidate credentials online at some stage during the interview process, it is essential you are not only visible but visible for the right reasons.

You need to ensure that the information you post on your social pages is both accurate and sends out the right signals about you. This should be your first step to ensuring a good application strategy.

If you are looking for marketing jobs make sure you hang out in all the right places. Some good places to start are: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Ning.

Personal Branding

In any climate standing out from the crowd is essential. Simply submitting your CV is no longer good enough.

Investing time (and a little money) into developing the way people perceive you will set you apart from your competition. Are you dressed appropriately for the occasion? How sincere is your handshake?  Have you considered the impact of your non-verbal communication (NVC)?  These are a few of many essential elements in the compilation of ‘brand you’.

Of course, personal branding is not just about the way you look.  And it is not all about face-to-face interaction, either.  Your online presence is just as important. 

Above all though, personal branding is about confidence.

Learn more about developing ‘brand you’ and maximising your career chances with a personal branding expert.

Networking

Any marketer serious about their career needs to network.  Establishing and building contacts is essential to both personal and business development.  Online networking is, of course, a critical component to any progressive strategy but nothing beats face-to-face interaction.

You should look to attend as many marketing events, seminars, conferences and professional social occasions as possible – time and money permitting, of course.

Make no mistake, getting out there, showing people who you are, what you do and – most importantly – what you can do for them, is imperative to any jobseeker’s strategy.

Applying to suitable vacancies

The key word here is ‘suitable’.  Too many graduates spend their time applying for positions for which they are clearly unsuitable.  This is incredibly counter-productive and never pays off.  All you will achieve is a sense of under-achievement as the frustration of not hearing back from your application heightens.

When searching for jobs to apply to go for job titles such as Marketing Assistant, Marketing Administrator or Marketing Executive.  Whilst not everything is in a name this will provide you with some guidance.

As for salaries, most graduate-level marketing jobs start between £18-24,000 per annum, though certain disciplines will pay more.

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs

The number of advertised UK marketing jobs has picked up in recent weeks. With many of the industry’s leading experts predicting that we will see resurgence as early as Q110, is the optimism justified or should we continue to tread with caution?

“We’ve seen a huge increase in new briefs in the last two-three months, and there seems no sign of it letting off,” comments Charlie Jackson, sales director at marketing recruitment specialists, Jackson Rose. And Barry Furby, director of multi-channel recruiter, Fresh Resources, agrees: “The last three months have been the busiest for eighteen months,” he said.

But with recent news suggesting the Government were rather presumptuous in their parliamentary prognosis that Europe was on the road to recovery, are we in the midst of some profound piffle or has the marketing industry really stolen a march in getting back to work?

A wealth of riches

No doubt we remain in challenging times. There are still too many applications per vacancy and those clients who are recruiting continue to seek the ‘magic lamp’ from what they perceive to be an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of options; prepared to wait for the ideal candidate, rather than accepting any period of transition. And this is proving to be enormously frustrating.

Kate Ravenscroft at the Genesis Appeal has been looking for a marketing management role for more than twelve months.  She agrees there are more jobs being advertised now but believes genuinely transferable skills are being overlooked: “Recruiters are able to be totally arbitrary when culling before shortlist, meaning that flexible all-round experienced general marketers don’t get a look in.”  Kate believes this attitude might start to change by the beginning of Q210.

Transferable skills aren’t enough

Michele Jones, a marketing manager from Bradford is not convinced it is all good news.  She emphasises with those who believe employers only want to see applications from candidates with relevant industry sector experience.  “Even though I have a wealth of transferable skills I am not getting in front of employers”, she says.  “And I know this is annoying the recruiters, too”.  Furthermore, and “having seen it before”, Michele believes this time of year means the number of vacancies will recede.

However, Daniel Shaw, principle consultant at executive search & selection firm, PSD Group, is more upbeat: “Traditionally the final quarter of the year is the strongest”, he says “and if September is a good barometer, we are [moving] in the right direction”.  Whilst believing the jobs market has picked up Daniel does think some disciplines will take longer to recover.  “Employers are hedging their bets and lower salary, lower risk hires: areas such as account management, CRM and [business development], for example.  Events, branding and PR are still struggling”

Helping you prepare for 2010

So whilst the number of advertised marketing jobs appears to have increased in recent months there are factors to consider:

• Some marketing disciplines are more buoyant than others.  It may take a while for communications, for example, to stage a comeback;
• As far as you can target your applications within the sectors you have most experience in.  You are far more likely to receive interest from employers;
• Register with recruitment agencies with which you have a symbiotic relationship.  Remember they have felt the pinch this year, too.   As job levels increase you need to ensure your representatives understand your requirements; be flexible.  It may not be necessary to reduce your salary if you are prepared to commute further than you would like or undertake a role you might not otherwise consider;
• Seek out the contract/temporary roles beginning to emerge.  These can offer great experiences without tying you into a role you are not 100% keen on;
• Stay focused and upbeat.  The market is changing.  Remember that ultimately people buy people.  When you’re given the chance, seize it with zest and positivity.

The demand for marketing personnel is increasing.  Recruiters are beginning to pick up new roles from their clients.  Employers are looking to get ahead of their competition.

Now is the time to get smart, get focused, and get motivated.  Christmas is coming and the goose is getting is getting fat…

Simon Lewis | Editor | Only Marketing Jobs

We all know that LinkedIn rules the earth.  Well, it is certainly trying to do so.  Business folk circumvent this networking platform at their peril, for avoidance renders them conspicuous by their absence.

But just like any other product, LinkedIn is only beneficial if you know how to use it.  Virtuous it may be but just how much can it improve your personal development opportunities and, anyway, how do you use it to network?

First, let’s look at what you could do:

Courses of action

Suppose you are a jobseeker looking for marketing jobs.  What would be your usual course of action? 

1. Register your details with a couple of selected recruitment agencies. 
2. Type “marketing jobs” into Google and see what comes up.  You may also wish to determine a specific location. 
3. From this you’ll get a selection of advertised vacancies from job boards and recruitment agencies.  Or aggregators pointing to the same.
4. You may be an executive, in which case you’ll probably grab the Guardian on a Monday or, perhaps, you’ve already subscribed to a trade journal or two.

Whilst on the face of it these proactive job hunting methods are admirable, they are nothing new.  All your competitors are doing this; and right now there are many of those.

So here’s what you can do with LinkedIn:

Before you start, make sure your public profile is complete and up-to-date.  And this includes your photo.  There is little point engaging in the social media space and hiding under the sofa.  Show people who you actually are, not what you want them to believe.  Where’s the transparency in that?

Next there are your recommendations.  Who can endorse you?  Of course, these need to be business references, not something your ‘professional friend’ cobbled together.  Ideally you’ll have a collection of suppliers, clients, peers and managers. 

Are you a blogger?  Do you have your own blog page?  If so, set it to RSS into your LinkedIn profile – provided, of course, it complements (rather than contradicts) the image you’re trying to portray.

What we’re trying to get at here is that your profile is your sales platform.  You have no idea who views your page each day and if you get it wrong you could be missing out on some great opportunities.  Because unlike the four channels mentioned above networking is a two-way process.  You need to visible to people looking to find you as much as you need to be proactively punting yourself.  By getting it right, you really can maximise your exposure on LinkedIn. 

Once ‘social you’ has been established you can confidently commence your networking, which means putting yourself in front of as many relevant people as possible.  And if you are jobseeker you’ll be tracking down premier recruiters and, of course, direct employers.

Join a LinkedIn Group

One of the most constructive ways to network via LinkedIn (and any other digital space for that matter) is to join relevant groups.  This is where your peers, recruiters and potential employers hang out.  There are 1000’s of groups on LinkedIn so choosing the right ones can be a bit trial and error.  If you are a marketer, for example, you would join a marketing group.  Common sense.  Many groups are densely populated by friends across the pond, and whilst the US tends the lead the way technologically, they don’t half mind nattering about themselves.

Contribute to the Group

Once you’re in the groups, take part.  Social media encourages an altruistic culture so you should be giving more than you receive.  Start discussion and join in others, offering advice and passing on your knowledge.  People soon realise who the good guys are and you will be surprised who starts connecting with you.  If you have an interesting news piece, share it.  Benevolence this may be, but this is part of the networking.  Play the game right and you will be rewarded by the bucket-load. 

LinkedIn offers you the chance to send messages directly to the people with whom you wish to engage.  You already share common ground so with some clever content you can easily break the ice.  You can request people to join your network and they will oblige if they see some relevance.  By offering the opportunity to connect with your contacts you will initiate a two-way beneficiary.  Again, it’s about being authentic and transparent. 

LinkedIn search functions

There are various search functions you can implement to find the people you want.  The same process will help you uncover companies in your [skills] area that would be worth researching.  Before/after you apply for a job (via LinkedIn or not) why not seek some advice from people who are either working there now or who have in the past.  This will help you prepare your application and, where necessary, tailor your cover letter.  It will also provide useful knowledge at interview stage.

Make an impact

Don’t forget that the fundamental rule of networking is impact; leaving your contact wanting more.  You need to be as proactive as you are reactive; ensuring your online presentation is as good as it is during the offline meetings LinkedIn will undoubtedly afford you.

For more information about using LinkedIn view this LinkedIn user guide.

Simon Lewis | Only Marketing Jobs

60-second interview

As the UK emerges from recession there are worse places to be than Manchester if you’re looking for marketing jobs.

And to assist the North West jobseeker, there’s a networking event in Manchester arriving on 18th November.

I spoke with Dan Marshall, director of North-West based recruiter, Absolute Recruitment and asked his thoughts on the marketing jobs sector in Manchester; how his company is doing things differently; and what jobseekers can do to stand out from the crowd:

What is marketing recruitment looking like in Manchester?

The North West has always been a hive of activity for the marketing sector, with Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds emerging as critical hubs over the past fifteen years.

As the country emerges from recession, we’re already witnessing a massive surge of activity amongst employers keen to attract the very best marketing and online marketing talent. It’s a sad fact that marketing budgets are usually the first to suffer during economic downturns; the upshot though is they’re usually amongst the first to be reinstated as things start to look up. As a result, there are some hugely exciting opportunities in the region at the moment, particularly in the online arena.

How do you see the marketing jobs market going in 2010?

As confidence returns in the UK economy, companies are champing at the bit to push ahead with marketing strategies that may have become casualties of budget-cuts over the past twelve months. This will have a major impact on the numbers of marketing positions becoming available over the coming year. We are already seeing increased hiring activity across all disciplines, but for marketing jobs online specialists are in particular demand as many firms advocate cost-effective online strategies in the fallout of the recession. Good marketers should be looking around now to make sure they aren’t left behind.

What should a marketing jobseeker be doing to make themselves more visible to their audience?

We work in the most innovative, creative, exciting industry in the world. Mediocrity stands out like a sore thumb. Marketing jobseekers need to remain creative, vibrant and enthusiastic and be able to demonstrate this to prospective employers. Just as importantly though, they need to appear business savvy and at the forefront of technology to ensure they stand out, especially when so many excellent candidates are looking for new opportunities. Jobseekers need to be avid users of Social Media and remain proactive in their careers – whether that’s via networking or by keeping up to date with the latest marketing processes and techniques.

What innovative steps is Absolute Recruitment taking to ensure it remains competitive?

Absolute is constantly updating its brand and publicising itself via Social Networking; recommendations; and getting the brand out there via meeting marketing professionals, both client and candidate side. Because our Consultants are still business hungry, our brand remains competitive – we are always developing business relationships ensuring our name is constantly out there. We market ourselves out via Email Campaigns, attending events, speaking to the public, Social Media and developing our own Media Tools.

Why are you sponsoring the Manchester Link-up networking event?

The North West has historically been associated with the Industrial Manufacturing, but the past thirty years has witnessed a massive image shift for the region, with North West companies trailblazing the way in the Marketing Sector. As a company, Absolute Recruitment UK Ltd has always been highly sensitive to the recruitment market and we can see great things happening in the Marketing sector at the moment. Events like the Manchester Link-up are the very best way for companies and jobseekers to ensure they remain at the forefront of this exciting industry, and Absolute are proud to support it.

Events in Manchester

If you would like to meet the Absolute Recruitment team, increase your career opportunities and make new marketing contacts please join us at the Manchester Link-up jobseeker and networking event on 18th November.  Ticket price includes food, the chance to register with some of the North West’s most celebrated recruitment agencies and the opportunity to speak with direct employers who are hiring right now and using this event to find people like you!

Simon Lewis Editor Only Marketing Jobs

Midlands employers who are struggling to find good quality sales, marketing and creative job seekers should look to specialist recruiters for assistance. Well what else would you expect all at Swindale Parks to say! Except we didn’t say this, these are the findings of a recent joint survey by the CBI and accountants KPMG. The research, conducted recently discovered that 40% of the Midlands businesses are having problems recruiting the right Sales, Marketing Creative talent.

As it has been for a number of years a skills shortage remains an Achilles’ heel for the region. Even though jobs are being lost and recruiter demand has fallen, Midlands businesses are complaining that whilst they aren’t short of applicants they are struggling to find the right calibre of job seeker to fill their vacancy.

Research aside and whatever the economic outlook at Swindale Parks we firmly believe that as a specialist Sales, Marketing Creative recruitment agency we can bridge the skills gap and find the right candidates, whilst allowing our clients to do what they are best at focus on their business.

www.swindaleparks.co.uk