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How to avoid drowning in the candidate sea of sameness

“In a world…” where there are many well qualified candidates available for one job, it’s not easy to stand out. You want to be plucked out of the sea of sameness. It’s a challenge agencies face all the time in new business. So what’s a savvy candidate to do?

The following three quick thoughts are all worthy of their own posts. They could be combined to make your job search more strategic and focused. But don’t have to be. They’re listed in order of easiest t0 hardest to execute.

Include metrics on your resume and Linkedin profile

Without a doubt, this is the most common mistake this critical, practiced eye sees on resumes. Most people’s resumes are more functional, describing what they’ve done over their career. Which is fine. But you can do better and craft something more effective. I encourage you to think feature-benefit as you take a look at your resume. What were the results of your work? What was your impact at that agency or in that job? Did the work work? How did it impact client business results?

All agencies will suggest that what matters is the results they help the client achieve. But let’s be honest. Agency metrics are important, too. Particularly if you’re more senior — leading a piece of business, department or an entire agency. The other day I saw a resume from a terrific senior leader.  And her resume did a great job of highlighting her impact from both the client and agency perspective. It’s the kind of thing that makes her easier to market. And easier for any recruiter to justify why the candidate is being presented.

The subhead reads “Linkedin” because this is one of the primary tools internal and external recruiters use to find talent. When looking for a job, the best situation you can find yourself in is to be asked to apply. To be recruited. Making sure you have a solid Linkedin profile — complete with success metrics — is critical if you want to increase the amount of recruiter calls.

Position yourself

For <cough> years, yours truly has helped agencies find and win new business. And one of the things I learned — and what you’ll hear from just about every other ad agency new business consultant — is the power of specialization. Agencies typically specialize in one of three areas: consumer (e.g. moms), category (retail) or marketing situation (challenger brands).

Why not apply same positioning concept when marketing yourself? Another senior-level candidate I was recently helping has a good work history. A collection of working at both big and small agencies, on well-known brands. They’re steeped in consumer packaged goods experience. With a little more work, we figured out a way of thinking about her experience that gave her the chance to make her work experience relevant across a couple of different client categories. It also gave her something to write about and demonstrate her expertise. Which makes it easier for recruiters and hiring decision-makers to find.

Specialization also help shape the focus of your search. For instance, you can pay attention to agency pitches, wins and losses. And then leverage that intel. Because a pitch or a win can mean an agency will be hiring someone with just your skill set. This allows you to get just slightly ahead of other candidates competing for the same job. Articulating your specialty also makes you easier to find when recruiters begin looking for qualified candidates. You can even go a step further by demonstrating said expertise through writing, speaking, blogging and more.

Apply account based marketing to your job search

Huh? Account based marketing is the concept of surrounding of selling something to people working at specific company, based on what you know about them (wikipedia entry). When this is done in ad agency new business, there are typically four steps:

  1. Research the company/brand in question. Understand the players, culture, brand plans and activities
  2. Surround the decision-makers with custom content
  3. Be where they are (both online and offline)
  4. Approach them with specific offers directly related to them relevant to their situation.

When you do any kind of internet research on ABM, you’ll see a that it’s most often used for multi-million dollar sales and in high tech. Think B2B.

But with an adjustment or two, I think this approach could work for your job search. Particularly if you’re in one of three situations:

  • You’re really senior (where jobs are scarce and agency-side impact expectations are higher)
  • You only want to work at a few select agencies (creative hot shops, for instance)
  • You have specific job needs (geographic limitations, agency size limitations, culture expectations, etc.)

Anywho, hope these three ideas will generate your own thinking about how to stand out in the candidate sea of sameness. As always, thanks for reading. And if this sparks a question, feel free to contact us.

photo credit: blavandmaster Better days via photopin (license)

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Job search tips: how to be found in the hidden job market

Hello, new job seeker! I’ve been reading a great book. It’s called Designing Your Life. In it, the authors take design principles and apply it to living a happier, more satisfying professional life. Very smart thinking. They also offer up a job search tip or two on how to tap into the hidden job market. Which is what today’s post is all about.s

The DYL guys sum up that element of the market like this: “the hidden job market that’s only available to people who are already connected into the web of professional relationships in which that job resides.”

Ooof. Great sentence!

So, how do you get into that world? Here are four quick thought-starters:

Build a network

Uh, yeah! But how do you go about doing that? Lots of great writing out there about this kind of thing, and I encourage you to explore many perspectives on how to increase the group of people you know. Some quick thoughts:

  • Reinvent how you look at the word. It’s both a noun and a verb. When I helped ad agencies win new business, I wrote a post about networking as a verb. To sum that up, it ain’t about you. It’s about helping someone else.
  • Consider using relationship valentines. Here’s something written from the recruiter’s perspective. But you as a job seeker need to do the same thing (keep on people’s proverbial radar screens). What can you share that’s relevant to agency recruiters and hiring managers?
  • Keep your “you” in mind. Reflect your own brand. Don’t do anything that feels really uncomfortable and that wouldn’t make your mother proud.

If you’re looking for a new job, a larger network represents a pipeline of intel, relationships and connections that lead to referrals that can get you hired.

Conduct informational interviews at target ad agencies

The smart guys at Designing Your Life call these prototype conversations. Sounds much sexier and less business-y, right? So have that proverbial cup of coffee conversation with the idea of learning someone else’s story. Because most people love talking about themselves. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the agency, their role…and a potentially valuable connection.

Sometimes those conversations turn into job opportunities. But let that happen organically. But i it doesn’t, think about asking this towards the end of the conversation…

The more I learn about XYZ and the more people I meet here, the more fascinating it becomes. I wonder, Joe, what steps would be involved in exploring how someone like me might become part of this organization?” (source: DYL)

Asking it this way is more friendly and less interview-y, and gives the respondent lots of ways to positively answer the question.

One thing I’d add here is that if you’re new to informational interviews, prepare and practice.

  • Prepare by knowing the questions you want to ask and demonstrate you’ve done some homework about the agency, the role and the person with whom you’re speaking.
  • Practice via road-test. Insert your analogy here – Broadway, major league baseball or brain surgery. Hone your conversation-building skills and ability in low pressure situations BEFORE you put yourself in a situation where it really counts.

Here are two more job search tips that approach the hidden market in a different way: by making yourself easier to find.

Revise your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is one of the most important marketing tools in a job seeker’s arsenal. Your profile is your silent salesman. Your brochure. What is it saying about you? Two quick considerations:

  • Think SEO when you revise your profile. That search bar in LinkedIn is like The Google search bar. So, conversationally pack your profile with the keywords you see in target job descriptions. But do it in a way that doesn’t too SEO-y. You hidden job market, job hunting and/or job search tip seeker, you.
  • Work in your category experience – by name – early in your profile. I also like adding multiple versions of your target title in the bit before your specific job experience. These are very specific tips, but will no matter what your discipline (agency CEO, president, agency general management, account management, planning, creative, digital, etc.) this kind of thing will help recruiters find you when they start searching for candidates just like you on LinkedIn.

Be where they are

If I were looking for a new ad agency job and wanted to connect with recruiters and hiring managers, I’d spend more time on places like LinkedIn. But your online destinations should also include places like Adweek, Ad Age and category or discipline-specific communities. Read. Comment. Interact. Share. Write.

Here’s another tip: participate offline, too! Explore the local and national trade groups. Attend an event. Judge an awards show. The connection you make in person can be stronger than 280 characters.

So, if you’re looking to be seen in the hidden job market, consider things like growing your network, conducting more informational interviews, revising your LinkedIn profile, and becoming more engaged in the offline advertising agency community.

Anywho, hope this gets you thinking about a few new ways to go about your job search.

If you know someone who might appreciate this post, please share it with ’em. Thanks!

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photo credit: John C Williams Wall Lizard via photopin (license)

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How ad agency recruiters uncover passive candidates

Hello, agency recruiter and senior agency leader. Recently, yours truly has been reading Designing Your Life. It’s a great book. Written from the job hunter’s perspective, a chunk of the book talks about the hidden job market. The searches we have going on we don’t put online or advertise.

There’s lots written about the hidden market. But it’s from the job hunter’s perspective. Not from your perspective, the potential employer’s.

So, what about the hidden candidates? The professionals out there who aren’t actively seeking a job, but are fantastic leaders and potential great hires. Folks who just may be interested in working for your agency at some point. Here are a few ideas inspired from Designing Your Life that can help you build relationships with passive candidates and potential hires.

Build your LinkedIn network to uncover passive candidates

Designing Your Life builds a case for why candidates should avoid online applications. They also understandably crap all over generic job descriptions. Both of which make me wince a bit. Wrote the agency recruiter who’s written a few job descriptions and sifted through hundreds of online apps.

However, their advice is spot on, re: building a network. Particularly if you’re looking to build relationships with passive candidates. The more contacts you have, the more passive candidates you have. There are tools within LinkedIn that help facilitate growing your network. I heartily recommend them. The tools leverage the insight that good people tend to know each other.

Call me a tastefully damn-near-gray-haired old schooler, but I’d personalize that invitation to connect. One of the ways I do this is mentioning someone we both know that’s an awesome human being.

And if I want to start a conversation with this candidate, I’ll ask them about something in their profile. This demonstrates you’ve read it and suggests you’re truly interested in them. It also sets you apart from others on LinkedIn who may be more interested in quantity over quality.

Use relationship valentines to maintain awareness and build relationships

As an agency recruiter, you’re looking to build a pipeline of talented, terrific professionals across a wide variety of disciplines. One of way of maintaining the talent pipeline is by sharing helpful content. Relationship valentines are little bits of relevant, helpful content you create or find online. You can find out write more about them here.

Relationship valentines are great ways for advertising agency recruiters to stay in touch with passive candidates. So that when the candidates get into change mode (and they will), you and your agency are top of mind.

Write a book

Seriously! Write something. It could be a book. Or it could simply be a series of how-to articles you publish online via something like LinkedIn. The articles could be discipline-specific, which might suggest the need for a subject matter expert. Or could be career advice and how-to.

This idea is lifted directly from the information interview idea from the Designing Your Life guys. They call it something more inspiring and sexier than an informational interview. (But that’s another post needing to be written by a distinguished gray-haired gentleman).

The DYL smarties advocate seeking someone’s story to better understand if this is something you want to pursue. This builds relationships and connections for the job hunter that lead to more offers and potential employer interest.

This writing idea is also a bit of tradecraft from one of the best rainmakers ever, Tony Wainwright. Unfortunately, Tony’s no longer with us. But he wrote an interesting book. And used it as an excuse to have a conversation with someone. He ended up speaking with lots of famous people. As a recruiter, your “get” isn’t quite as big. You’re interested in getting in front of people that are potential terrific hires for your agency.

This tactic is particularly useful if you’re looking to recruit agency leaders: people like CEOs, presidents and discipline heads. Many of these professionals — particularly people that are great hires — are only too happy to offer up some helpful advice. This builds your relationship and connection with these passive candidates.

AND the content and thinking it generates will be helpful to future leaders. Lots of wins here.

What, you say you’re not a writer? That’s something you can farm out. Or find a partner at your agency. Or, find professionals that have ALREADY published content. Strike a deal with them after you make sure their content resonates with you.

Build a like-minded community

All three of the above ideas help advertising agency recruiters build a group of professionals with a similar mind-set. They’re passionate, curious and smart folks that could be great fits for your agency. This community can help you identify hidden candidates so you can enlist their help with your searches.

Anywho, hope this writing gets you thinking about different ways to tap into the hidden job market.

Thanks for reading! Should you find value in this post, share it with your network.

Here’s some more thinking to help agency recruiters:

photo credit: Christian Collins icy stares via photopin (license)

 

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Why ad agency recruiters like a boomerang candidate

Hello, fellow advertising agency recruiter. I was just working on something that reminded me of boomerang candidates and how much I like them. When I take a look at someone’s resume and see they’ve been hired by one agency more than once, it suggests a potential good hire.

Why? They’re capable/proven, they might have a relationship-based personality, and you have a better sense for culture fit. Below are a few hundred words on professionals who are boomerangs at other agencies.

We’ll also take a look at creating a new boomerang, and discuss pros & cons of hiring someone who used to work at your agency.

First, let’s tackle a a candidate that another agency has hired twice.

They’re good at what they do and being a boomerang proves it

Being hired by the same agency more than once hired suggests a candidate that’s definitely worth further exploration. Because someone thought well enough of them to hire them again. So to this advertising agency recruiter, this proves not only a given skill set, but it suggests the candidate may work and play well with others, too.

This is important, because being a good human is also part of the hiring equation. Our business can be stressful and exhausting. It requires teams to spend lots of time with each other. Hire someone you think can make eating crab rangoon take-out at 7p a more enjoyable experience. Odds are good a boomerang won’t hog the sweet & sour sauce.

A returning staffer suggests a relationship-based personality

While I like boomerang candidates, I LOVE candidates who have relationship-based personalities. In many ways, a relationship-based professional is the opposite of Type A. Relationship-based personalities focus on connection. And they must feel comfortable and have trust established before they talk business. Bonds, teams and interpersonal connections are important to candidates with relationship-based personalities.

Suffice to say, if you’re recruiting for an agency that has some of these relationship-based qualities, a boomerang might be a good cultural fit for your shop. Which can help keep that professional around, thereby increasing agency staff retention, lowering your future recruiting costs and earning better fitting referrals.

These candidates better reflect their repeat agency’s culture

Some agencies have cultural pedigrees and reputations. They’re known for things. If you know what an agency is known for, and you see a candidate’s worked there a couple of times, you begin to get a sense for what spice that candidate can bring to your agency’s gumbo.

Maybe everyone likes what you’re serving up. Or maybe you need a little more cayenne pepper. Like the gumbo at that other agency.

But what about YOUR agency? Should you hire someone who’s previously worked at your shop?

Sure. Boomerangs can be known entities, easier to train, lower turnover, and yes, can provide competitive advantage. Odds are good the new role will be a more senior one for this proven professional. They’ll have picked up a skill or two since working at your agency. They may also have a professional contact or relationship that can help. All of which will help your hiring managers think you’re a good recruiter. Here’s a little bit of writing from the IT world that goes into hiring boomerangs.

Of course, there are cons, too, of course. Perhaps you might think twice about the candidate’s loyalty, or maybe the candidate has existing bad blood / experiences with current staffers. Totally understandable why you might hesitate with a potential boomerang. Your mileage will vary with a given situation.

What both the candidate and agency will be trying to do here is figure out if their respective needs match. Just like any situation. But the boomerang nature can help make that job easier due to shared culture, connections, understanding and perspective.

Be prepared to talk about what’s changed at the agency. What’s different in terms of the situation the candidate had back then versus what’s going on now. As an advertising agency recruiter, you may not know what those differences are, as this person may have worked at the shop before you were there. So, consider starting the conversation around their past at your shop. Ask those questions early so you can make those differences more clear.

If you want more boomerangs, think Bluto Blutarsky.

Think college. This writing reminded me of this idea. And as a new business guy, I’d also spend a few hours looking at college alumni marketing and fundraising programs.

I’d also look at how large law firms recruit talent and develop new business. Law firms have similar recruiting challenges, sailing on the billable sea of sameness. So why not borrow (read: steal) an idea or two from that category. There’s some brilliant thinking out there that can inspire on-brand and effective boomerang advertising agency recruiting programs.

So next time you run across a boomerang candidate, consider they might have built-in qualities. They could be proven performers, are relationship and trust-focused, and might reflect your agency’s culture.

Thanks for reading. Don’t know about you, but this article has made me hungry. And yearn for the open sea. Hope you’re not seasick or gluten-free!

Enjoy.

photo credit: Aboriginal Cultural Center Traditional Wooden Australian Boomerang via photopin (license)

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Recruiters, find agency talent through marketplace triggers

Howdy! The other day I wrote about how account changes and other marketplace triggers can help agency job-seekers find their next great gig. This should go without saying, but many of those same triggers apply to advertising agency recruiters as your shop looks for its next leader.

< head nod >

I know. That isn’t particularly brilliant, right, as it relates to filling your vacancies and lowering your time to fill. So, in my own humble attempt to help, here are three quick thoughts that dig a little deeper into triggers and go beyond recruiting basics…

Let’s take a look at just one common marketplace change: you read that a competitive agency has lost a piece of business. Recruiting 101 suggests you may want to target folks at that agency. However, there are a few nuances to that idea.

Leverage client-side staff change as an agency recruiter

Sure, you could be one of the recruiters that calls a staffer when they work at an agency that’s lost business. But there’s an opportunity to get ahead of that. By taking advantage of the step before the loss. A new CMO, VP or director of marketing usually means the agency who has that business will probably lose it in the future.

To me, this client-side change (a new CMO) is more valuable to an ad agency recruiter than reading on Adweek that an agency just lost something. Because it gives you more time to build relationships with great candidates and potential agency hires at the shop which currently has the business. You also gain the advantage of potentially being first to reach out to a candidate. Which can make your pitch stand out. You can also leverage that moment when a candidate moves from being passive to active.

Share the client side change with your own agency’s new business team

This is a great way for HR and talent recruiters to add value to an agency. While it’s easy to think your new business guys are on it, there’s a lot for them to keep track of. They might have missed this news. It’s also a smart way to help your agency.

It never hurts to have more people looking for more pitch opportunities. And if your agency is a good fit for the business…someone else will read in Adweek about YOUR shop winning something.

Target the talent the agency keeps after a layoff

Layoffs happen as a result of lost revenue. Unfortunately, we’ve all been there. Good people get put out on the street. But if the agency perceives that someone on their team is really exceptional, they’ll do everything they can to keep him or her. This means re-assignment to an existing business. Or perhaps a short stint in new business. Identifying these people is not easy. But with some savvy detective work using you and your agency’s network it can be done.

Send a candidate a “congratulations” note when they get a new job – even if it’s not with your agency

Huh? I do this all the time and it’s a terrific way to build your pipeline. A personalized, heartfelt congratulations and well-wishing can go a long way to building a connection and awareness of your agency.  And who knows, maybe even create a referral source.

Anywho, hope this gets you thinking about some ways to best take advantage of marketplace conditions. Thanks for reading. And if you’d like to chat, give me a shout. Thanks!

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