Looking for a job in digital marketing? Inside tips from a recruiter

Posted by: Krishna De | Posted on: January 14th, 2011 | 31 Comments | Posted in: Career, Digital Marketing, Ireland, Marketing online

Are you exploring new career opportunities in 2011? I thought it would be of interest to interview a recruiter in the area of digital marketing in Ireland to give us a sense of their perspective on the opportunities available and some tips if you are in the job market.

So here is an interview with Fiona Fagan, Media & Marketing Selection Manager or RightFit.ie which I hope you will find helpful.

Krishna: Tell us a little about your recruitment company and what you specialise in

Fiona: RightFit.ie is a Sales and Marketing Recruitment Agency with emphasis on the Media and Advertising industry.  One of our main areas of recruitment is within the Digital and Interactive sector.  We work with digital companies across media, production, design, social media and e-commerce.

Krishna: What is your assessment of the state of the market in terms of career opportunities in the digital marketing arena in 2011 in Ireland?

Fiona: Career opportunities within the digital marketing arena will continue to boom in 2011. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimate a 12% increase in online spend meaning a rise in the both the number and range of vacancies available. There is a definite dearth of experienced online professionals within Ireland.

Our clients hire us to source candidates not only with knowledge but actual practical work experience.  We have an explosion of digital graduates who will become an excellent addition to the workforce two years down the line, but at the moment there is a skills shortage making experienced online marketers extremely valuable to the industry.

Although there will continue to be a heavy demand across all digital disciplines, social media experts and web technologists will be hotly pursued.  As an example, at present RightFit.ie is looking to recruit 3 social media managers for a media agency, hotel group and FMCG company.  For the technical roles we are looking to speak to Web Developers, Web Programmers, and SEO Managers.  Mobile and online video is gaining momentum and we anticipate a strong demand in this sector in the latter half of 2011.

Krishna: In your work with heads of marketing what are they predicting in terms of changing needs and priorities in this arena?

Fiona: Marketing departments are gradually beginning to acknowledge how integral digital marketing is to the future success of their company. This awareness is more of a slow burner within companies where the traditional marketing model is deeply embedded within the company structure.  This is not applicable to all Irish companies, but there is a need for growth in understanding in many companies.  We find digital agencies play an educational role when dealing with clients entering or moving into the digital space.

Where online marketing manager roles are being established, these positions are often happening in industries adversely hit from the recession and the willingness to invest in digital is encouraging.

Krishna: You mentioned to me that you are finding it a challenge to fill the roles you have at the moment. Why is that the case?

Fiona: People currently employed in the digital sector are afraid to move on from their current employer due to the economic uncertainties in Ireland at present.  This sentiment is ill-founded as the demand for digital people is huge.  Salaries continue to rise irrespective of the media and marketing landscape in general.

Obviously the skills shortage is the main reason finding the correct candidate. Again experience over-rides just education so we need time to re-address the balance.

Krishna: What are 3 common mistakes people are making when applying for digital marketing roles in terms of their CV or resume?

Fiona: We always recommend you humanise your CV where relevant.  We want to meet digital people passionate about the industry.  The 3 main mistakes people make are

1. No profile or cover letter included. We want to get a sense of the type of personality you are and what singles you out from the other candidates.  Personality fit can be just as important to a potential employer as your experience.

2.  Spelling mistakes. It is frightening the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes we see on CVs on a daily basis.  It automatically sets candidates off on the wrong foot.

3. An overly-general CV. We want to see concise and relevant experience to the role advertised.

Krishna: What example can you give us of someone who really stood out in their application?

Fiona: I met with a candidate interested in moving from a marketing position within a State organisation to a more junior role within a social media agency.  The reason the candidate stood out is because she wrote a cover letter showing how she had researched the industry and outlined her transferable skills from the outset.

Another major reason she caught our attention was her ability to demonstrate her passion for social media.  The candidate was educating herself and gaining practical experience in her own time by volunteering to work for a non-profit and social media company. These factors will help her stand out from other candidates.

Krishna: At the interview stage can you share 3 tips for how candidates can showcase their capabilities?

Fiona: Examples, examples, examples. Making a statement such as “I am very organised” is not enough for us to believe you. We really need to hear an example of when you were organised or why you think this is a principal skill you possess.

When we are recruiting Business Development Managers we need examples of previous targets, conversion rates and connections.  In essence the best tip is to be prepared.  Be prepared to hear a recruiter or HR Manager ask you “why do you say that” several times throughout the interview. You need to be able to present yourself in the best light and demonstrate the achievements you have worked hard to accomplish.

Krishna: For those candidates who are new graduates looking for their first role in digital marketing, what two suggestions do you have for them?

Fiona: The best two tips I could give graduates is to continue to learn and gain work experience whenever and wherever you can. I will always ask graduates who they follow on Twitter or to talk about the latest trends in e-commerce, mobile advertising etc.  You need to keep yourself informed and on the cutting-edge so you are not overtaken by your peers.

Some agencies offer intern-ships to graduates which can often lead to full-time employment.

Networking through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is an effective way of tracking who is offering work placements.

Krishna: If people want to find out about the roles you are recruiting for how do they contact you?

Fiona: Our site is RightFit.ie features our jobs and you can also contact us at Facebook.

What has been your experience of finding a job in digital marketing in Ireland? What questions would you like us to cover in future articles to help you with your digital marketing career?

Photo credit Ecuaderno