Hiring Advice For Finding A Job In The Social Business Era

I’m hiring, and I’m learning a lot about the state of the (MarComms) job seeker marketplace in the process. I wrote this to applicants as a (hopefully) helpful poke and prod.

Hello.

We HEART You.

Firstly, thanks for applying for our job in the MarComms team. I appreciate it – the effort and hassle; the putting-yourself-out-there-ness.

Now, enough heart. Let’s share some thinking about how we roll at. In no particular order…

Some #FoodForThought

By now, I hope you have seen the video The Old-But-Not-Quite-Dead-To-Us Brian made for you. If not, it’s here, in all its moustachioed, ironic, hipster glory: http://bit.ly/1dYofmt
We’re hiring #TheNewBrian. Don’t know about where you are, but it’s trending on twitter in my household.
In #TheNewBrian video, we listed some of the social channels the team use in their lives. I encourage you to reach out to us, say hi, or least stalk our public personas, to get a vibe for who we are as “real people.” Here are some of the channels. There are others:
Jonathan Anthony, Director: http://twitter.com/ThisMuchWeKnow
Brian Shirlaw, Coordinator / Video Creator: http://twitter.com/Brian_RS
Priscilla Sharun, Manager: http://twitter.com/MsPrisilla
Lillian Chow, Intern: http://twitter.com/LillianChowz
Push comes to shove, email might work too.
You don’t need to create a riposte video or shout from the rooftops “I AM #THENEWBRIAN! (but please don’t tell my current employer).” But, if you want us to get you, to say “Yes!”, then you need to think about us as people, as recruiters, as professionals, as a team, as colleagues might. Make it easy for us to like you.
I know, I know: you’re not #TheNewBrian, you’re #TheORIGINALTheOneTheOnly_InsertNameHere. Good, we’ve been looking for you.
The hard truth: if you applied with no social channels under your belt except gmail, you are unlikely to get to interview. The application process gives you the chance to demonstrate your live social business chops. Doing is the new learning. If you ain’t doin’, then nor are we.
I wrote about the hiring process recently, and before that too. There might be a nugget or two of learning therein.
Or not.

And…Action!

The application deadline is tomorrow (we are up past 30 applications as of Friday). Thereafter, I will draw up a short-list of candidates to reach out to formally.
To those, we will give an interview, and a challenge.
The challenge will involve our social platform and channels, your analysis and awesomesauceness.
Of course, ultimately, only one will prevail. To that person: rich learning, professional and career development, and good times awaits. I hope.
To the other interviewees, equally I hope, a learning opportunity, and live practice at your craft. #CrumbOfComfort.

Word.

To those who reach the end of the road here, I will share some unasked for application / career advice. Ask yourself:

Is this a job I really want, or just a job?
- If the former, what will you do to ensure next time you move forward in the process? If the latter, I get it, we all need to work, but it is the “I really want” that will make me say the same thing about you.
- Did I read the job description critically, or just see “MarComms Coordinator” and think ‘that’s close enough’?
  - If the former then, probably, you were not critical enough in mapping what we need to what you can offer. If the latter, well, ‘that’s not close enough.’
  - How will I, starting today and ongoing every day, put my studies, knowledge, skills into practice so, at the drop of a hat, on demand, job description independent, I can exhibit many examples of communications, social media, content marketing, project management, and community management best practice?
    - It’s a long question, but (IMHO) critical to your long-term success.