Typically my blogs focus on the job hunter. Today, I’d like to switch gears and shoot a little friendly advice over to my hiring manager friends.
Media reports late last week showed that the economy actually grew and 200K+ new jobs were secured to start off the year. As a recruiter in digital media, this doesn’t surprise me so much. In fact, if you looked at digital media alone as an index of the strength of our economy, you’d be hard pressed to think America was suffering financially!
My firm is pretty darn busy helping clients staff up during these first few months of 2012. And, because driving revenue is the #1 priority for companies in the digital media business, sales jobs are hot right now. On fire. It’s February, which means year-end bonuses have been handed out and there’s a flurry of activity and movement. Account Executives, Sales Managers and the likes are getting calls left and right regarding job openings. Some are good and some are, or could seem, kind of sucky. The question is, how do you break through the clutter and convince the best in the business to choose you over the other guy?
Here are my top five... Read more
Archive for Jane Turkewitz 
You've Got to Work It To Hire The Best Talent
Don't Take a Job ONLY Because You Like Your Future Boss
One of the things I’ve noticed, as a digital media recruiter, is that quite a few people have told me that they were wooed out of their past positions by someone they admire. A former boss, mentor or acquaintance who heavily recruited them to come and work for them.
One candidate, who took a job primarily for this reason, found herself in a quandry when, after only five months, her mentor-boss, whom she took the job to work for, decided he was not happy and left the company. Another candidate who went to a start-up, primarily to work for a particular individual, was not happy when just a few months after he was hired, the company was bought by an established ad network. Boom, just like that, he had a different boss.
Yes, it’s important to like the person you work for. Yes, it’s important to respect the person you work for. And, yes, it’s important to feel as though you can learn and grow professionally through the directives of a strong boss. But, it’s not a good enough reason to make a move. Always evaluate the opportunity in... Read more
Don’t Take a Job Because You Like Your Future Boss
After a year and a half hiatus, I’ve been doing a lot of recruiting -- and interviewing -- lately. As of about five/six months ago, the activity in the job market for digital sales people has increased quite a bit. I’ve seen alot of folks who have been with companies for years take the plunge and try something different. One of the things I’ve noticed is that quite a few people have told me that they were wooed out of their past positions by someone they admire. A former boss, mentor or acquaintance who heavily recruited them to come and work for them.
One candidate, who took a job primarily for this reason, found herself in a quandry when, after only five months, her mentor-boss, whom she took the job to work for, decided he was not happy and left the company. Another candidate who went to a start-up, primarily to work for a particular individual, was not happy when just a few months after he was hired, the company was bought by an established ad network. Boom, just like that, he had a different boss.
Yes, it’s important to like the person you work for. Yes, it’s important to respect the... Read more
Top 3 Interviewing Mistakes
#1: Get Rid of the "We"-- Focus on the "Me"
I know, I know. You don't want to come off as being full of yourself. But, I can't tell you how many times I found myself, as a recruiter, interrupting a candidate and asking her to reconsider my question focusing on what she PERSONALLY did in regards to my query. In other words, can you please answer the question by starting with the word "I" vs. "We?"
When you are interviewing, try and highlight your accomplishments while stressing how effectively you worked with a team of fellow employees when answering questions. This way you can discuss what YOU have accomplished without sounding haughty or grandiose. Here’s an example of how to answer a question regarding specific job responsibilities: “I, along with my co-workers, wrote the collateral for all our programs and presented new concepts to the sales team.” Or, if you are asked about your ability to make rain, you could say something like: "I worked on new business initiatives on a regular basis and, along with the Partners of my firm, brought in x-number of accounts." In this way, you are clearly articulating your responsibilities and accomplishments while being careful not... Read more
Cover Letters for Jobs NOT Advertised
The job boards are slow as the employment market continues to tighten. Does that mean you should sit back and wait for a job of your liking to magically appear on iMedia, The Ladders or any of your other preferred job sites? Me thinks not! Create a wish list of companies you want to work for and take the initiative to contact these guys directly. Visit their Web sites, call the main number and ask for the name of an HR Director and the head of the department you want to work in (e.g., if you are a marketer, get the name of the Marketing Director). Your ultimate goal is to get at least one face-to-face informational interview. You want to introduce yourself to the right people, meet them, and make such a great impression that they will call you when a suitable position opens up.
Your cover letter has to be highly targeted. Illustrate that you are smart about the company's business. If, for example, you want to work on the account side in a particular advertising agency, find out what accounts the agency is working on. Check out their advertising, see if they have been involved in any philanthropic... Read more
