So you've decided to get into/ back into the job market.
The hunt begins! Job advertisements can be found online and in newpapers.
When going through advertisements, you will find 2 types of job advertisements:
1. those submitted by companies,
2. those submitted by agencies.
Some companies and recruitment agencies simply do not understand the differences between a marketing and a sales role. Therefore, you may see a "marketing assistant" position that reads like a sales job. If so, then it probably is a sales job regardless of the title.
Similarly, whilst some adverts may state "marketing assistant" they may typically be a secretarial position. If it looks like its a PA role, it probably is. (Hint: "Admin", "Office assistance" and "general office duties" are a good indication that this may be the case.)
If marketing is your preferred career, then neither of the above are the ideal place to start.
However...
The important thing in any career is to begin..
In any rafting trip you pack your dry bag carefully, then actually get into the boat. Career wise, you begin where you can, preferably in a reputable company within which there is room for lateral growth into the marketing role you wish to occupy, or in a company which you believe has a future.
Essentially,you must start somewhere, but you also need to consider what the future will be for your career if you apply and get a particular job. If the "marketing" role reads like a sales or secretarial position, then by all means do some research on the company offering the job- weigh up the non-marketing aspects of the role against the potential for movement into a marketing role in the company advertising. Research the company itself and decide if this is an environment you'd like to start in. You may want to join a small company in which you can grow while they grow, or you may opt to target only larger corporates. It all depends on your career goals.
It's harder to establish if you should apply for a position or not when the advert is an agency ad and you don't know the company in question, but don't just "tata ma chance" - call the agency and ask a few questions about the company for whom they are recruiting. (Know upfront that they are unlikely to give you the name of their client; but they will be able to tell you what the growth potential in that company is.)
-How big is the staff compliment in the company?
-Does the company have marketing and sales departments or just a sales compliment?
-(If the company has a marketing department) What is the medium term possibility of moving into a more marketing orientated role within the company?
-Does the company have an international presence?
-What industry is the company in?
From asking these questions you will have acheived two things;
Firstly, you will have made the recruitment agent stand up and take notice of you above other candidates. (Intelligent questions from a candidate who knows the value of their education and career choices always does.)
Secondly you will know if this is a company worth working at, even if the role is not perfect. If the role is perfect for your next career choice, you will know if the company is, too. The education choices we make usually come from looking within ourselves to establish what type of job we would be best suited for, so why should our choice of employer be any different? After all, every product has a value - know yours, be realistic, stay optimistic and aim for the best within your range of choices at any given time.
It makes sense to have a targetted, strategic approach to job-hunting, rather than a blanket "finding me a job" approach. A targetted approach builds a career. A the latter finds you work.
I've often said to entry level candidates "Life should be what happens when you're carving your career, not the other way around." After all, we spend more time at work and with fellow employees than we do with family or friends -so why not be selective?
It's understandable that many people in this current economy cannot afford to be too choosey, but then again I'm not suggesting you sit it out until the best thing comes along - what I'm saying is look at what's on offer at a particular point in time, then choose the best one or two out of your current options, based always on where you want to end up. You have to have an idea of your destination before you take to the water.
Let's take a step back from the job hunt process for a moment.
Consider the statement "Life should be what happens when you're carving your career". You should live while you carve, and you should carve your life whilst you live your work. When relationships fail, we get up and start again. We move on. We "get over" the emotional rubble in our own unique way and only we know what our baggage is. When a job fails, we can walk away, we can begin anew, but the past is recorded in your CV and it is referred back to by agencies as well as employers.The past impacts the present in both instances, and the present choices dictate the destination. This is why it is important to have career goals and let those dictate your choices alongside current employment opportunities.
When you enter a job blindly looking for employment rather than assessing where this particular choice may lead it's like what they call "going solo cat down high water" in white water rafting. (ie. getting into a one person cataraft with a double-bladed paddle in really deep rapids!) You could find yourself struggling down a totally different stream to your intended path, not to mention being toppled over by rapids you didn't expect! (This is where getting the job could be the worse thing that happens.)
Applying to a job you don't really want as part of your career can be tricky - it might be "just a place to start", but it might be a turning point - so choose carefully.
The point I make then, is that at the very beginning we all get to choose a raft among those available at a particular point in time. We all get to chose to either put on the dry suit and life vest, pack in our dry bag and GO or get stuck at the first river strainer and have to wade our way back to the beginning just because we didn't plan ahead.
Job hunting is very much like rafting - it is possible to live a career at the oars, or seated in the back at the stern, holding on and hoping for the best. But take a look at those individuals who have made things happen for themselves. There is one thing that remains constant; they had vision, (they had GOALS) and they kept their eye on the destination, whilst never forgetting the importance of checking the water flow however briefly each time their grabbed the oars a little tighter around a sharp turn.)
To move towards a goal takes drive. A career in marketing requires guts and perseverance as much as any great career. Anyone can get what's "on offer" but goals have to be worked on, strived towards; opportunities must be seized, and every step (and job opportunity) carefully assessed. Successful people, those pioneers or great names in any industry? They didn't just climb aboard with a "woo hoo" yelp and hope for the best - they took out their charting paper and pondered on their destination first, then they plotted their course; then they picked from the available opportunities at any given time; then they fought the rapids towards their destination of choice. They knew their goals were waiting on the shore - they knew the journey was going to be rough at times, trying, gruelling, and at times it would be scenic and restfull, but they focussed on the prize.
Whilst we can't all be pioneers, we can re-position ourselves if we've lost our career path (as long as we know where we want to end up.) A career is a living, breathing thing - you can't carve a career unless you have a destination in mind; the best you can hope for is a great ride.
It's as simple as this; "tata ma chance" at whatever sounds like something you could do for pay, and you leave your career in the hands of someone (company or agency) who may not share your best interests. Take your career in your hands and you have to assume responsibility not just for your cv and your duties in a specific role, but also for your choice of what jobs and companies you apply to. Luck is only part of it - whilst luck can determine your current opportunities, it is vision coupled with drive that will ultimately determine your destination.
If you started job hunting a while back and are reading this wondering where you went wrong, wishing you'd taken a different career path, it's not too late to re-assess your goals. You may be exactly where you wanted to be. If you aren't, then it's time to shift gears to get back on track with the river path that initially lit that internal fire of passion and dedication to your work.
To summarise:
1. Set yourself some goals (more in a future blog)
2. Read the job ads available daily/weekly for your particular career path
3. When an ad catches your attention, ask yourself if this will get you onto the next platfrom in your career
4. If you aren't sure, then do any job spec checks or company checks that you need to do
5. Call the agency if you aren't sure about applying to a specific vacancy
6. Submit your CV to the company/ agency (remember the well drafted email, subject line and adress)
7. Follow up with a phone call.
A follow-up call let's your adressee know that you are serious about being considered for a specific job opportunity.
- keep it professional- how was your weekend/how's work/howzit/ are not appropriate.
- keep it relevant - "I'm calling about the advert in "... -state the advert
- keep it short - say who you are, ask if they received your CV, thank them for their time and say you hope to hear from them soon.
Happy Job Hunting!
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