Five to seven years of experience is the magic number. I recently spoke to the director of a mid-sized agency in Milwaukee at a BMA event.  He had a growing agency and needed to build his account service team. However, he had hit an impasse.  He could not find anyone with the 5 to 7 years experience he desired.  It is a conversation I have had with countless agency and corporate clients.  I thought I would share my thoughts on the topic here. I hope it is helpful in framing the issue and brainstorming potential solutions.

Here is my analysis in a not-so-small nut shell:

• Why 5-to-7’s have been the magic number
• Where did all the 5-to-7’s go?
• How this shortage negates the 5-to-7 magic
• Why these 5-to-7’s are even more magical
• Alternatives
• Light at the end of the tunnel
• Another tunnel after that
• Rethinking hiring

Why 5-to-7 is the magic number

For decades HR and hiring managers have gravitated to this candidate profile to build the bedrock of their teams.  5-to-7’s bring a mix of the positive aspects of both junior level go-getters and seasoned senior pros.  Here are just a few of the elements 5-to-7’s bring to the table.

• They are pre-trained with low ramp-up investment or time.

• They have been around the block (at least twice). They have real-world experience in the profession or industry.

• They have a level of business acumen and are able to navigate within systems.

• They have a track record that can help predict how they will produce in the future.

• They have started to develop a network of colleagues and resources.

• They are still open to learning.

• They are still climbing and striving to advance in their careers.

• They are entering a life phase (Marriage? Kids? Going back to school?) that would foster retention. They want stability and to grow with a company.

• They have held or could begin to take on management roles.

• There are generally lots of candidates within this experience range.

• And let’s not forget . . . 5 to 7’s salaries are generally lower than more senior level staff.

Sounds great, right?  It is. And it has been a very successful strategy.  But it isn’t working as well right now. Why?

Where did all the 5-to-7s go?

Like a scene out of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the answer is…5-to-7’s were never born.

Actually, they were born; they just couldn’t get a job in marketing or advertising.

Think back to 7 years ago.  If you graduated with a degree related to marketing, creative or communications in the year 2002, you were more likely to be a barista than a junior copywriter or marketing assistant.

Classically, each year has a big cohort of recent grads who are hired together. They learn the business from the bottom up. Some are weeded out. Some decide to try other careers. The ones that thrive will have paid their dues, learned the biz, and “apprenticed” under a solid structure of management. They are ready to take the next career step.

For this to work, you need a large “freshman class” of junior candidates.

After the dot.com bust and 9/11, the economy hit a wall. Marketing, creative and communications professions were hit disproportionately hard. Struggling to retain the staff they had, companies simply could not afford to hire new grads and invest the training and vetting time. They had to use the work horses they could count on (yep – the 5-to-7’s of the day).

So, smaller cohorts then mean a smaller pool of 5-to-7 year candidates now.

How this shortage negates the 5-7 magic

HR and hiring managers still want to follow the tried and true practices of the past. They want their 5-to-7’s and they want them now!

But no amount of protesting to Clarence the guardian angel will allow us to go back in time to boost the 2002-2004 cohort. Government 10 year employment stats

The total population of that group is smaller. We are competing for fewer people. But that is not all: the current 5-to-7’s are fundamentally different from the classic 5-to-7’s.

How this cohort is different:

• Not all 5 to 7 years are equal.  Some individuals with 5 to 7 years of professional experience did not have all 5-7 years within the related discipline.  They are not as seasoned in the role.

• Others are more advanced. Many of those that started in the early 2000’s were relied on to wear many hats and to take on responsibility earlier. Therefore, they are further along in their careers.

• The age/life stage sync is out of perfect alignment.  Many of these individuals had to delay their start in the profession. Therefore, they are older than the classic 5-to-7’s and at a different life stage.

• This group had to do more with less. Therefore, they tend to be strong generalists.

• Because they are in short supply and high demand, the current 5-to-7’s can command higher salaries.

Why these 5-to-7’s are even more magical

The 5-to-7’s who started their careers in 2002-2004 were able to gain solid experience. They worked in departments stretched to capacity. They were given opportunities well beyond those they would have had at other times. This may have included managerial experience, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and assisting with strategy. They also had a chance to simply do a lot of work at top speed to compensate for small staffs.

Therefore, when a company hires one of these 5-to-7’s, they are often getting a powerhouse of experience.

That company will also pay more for these super 5-to-7’s.

Alternatives

So, you are a hiring manager and you want to build a team. You want a 5-to-7 candidate. But you can’t find any that hit the mark. Their salaries are out of line with your budget. They have had either too much or not enough experience. They are unwilling to make a move from their current companies.  What do you do?

Think creatively. There is no reason to stay locked to this single strategy if it is not working for you.

• Hire a more experienced candidate.  Those with 10-15 years of experience may be a solid fit. They may also be more competitively “priced” with the 5-to-7’s.

• Hire multiple junior candidates and “grow your own” cohort.

• Hire individuals with experience outside of your niche.

• Restructure work to allow a different mix of workers, including freelance/contract specialists.

• Pony up the cash and adjust the pay grades to gain a superstar 5-to-7 employee.

Light at the end of the tunnel

After 2004, the marketing, creative and communications fields began to rebuild. That means we will have only a few years to wait for this trend to right itself.

The new group of 5-to-7’s is just around the corner.

Another tunnel after that

Looking ahead, we can see two trends looming in the future:

• The same issue will follow the 2002-2004 cohort throughout their career stages.  Therefore, HR and hiring managers will be wise to step up efforts to build succession planning for their mid- and senior-level manager positions within the next 10+ years.

• With the new economic woes of today, we can anticipate a potential reduction in the 2009-2011 entry level cohort, and therefore, a smaller 5-to-7 group starting in 2014.

Rethinking hiring

There are lessons to be learned from the upheavals in our profession over the last 10 years.

• Flexibility: Being able to veer from the tried and true path if it is not working for the organization

• Creativity: Making use of the talent and skills available

• Development: Fostering and retention of the talent we have in our teams and in the profession.

We get calls everyday from people who have abruptly found themselves hitting the streets. These people have many years of experience and are not the “rejects”. Some organizations have found themselves with a duplication of efforts internally either through corporate mergers, overstaffing and quite often over projections of budgets. The first thing many executives will do is “trim the fat”.

Unfortunately, the formula for trimming is not something any of us can project. It isn’t always the weakest performers or problem employees. Sometimes it is the most junior of employees who get the ax, while other times it is the most senior level salaries that seem to make the biggest bottomline impact.

My advice to all of you is the same as the Boy Scout motto- ” Be Prepared”. None of us are immune from a company’s reduction in staff. It is imperative to keep yourself job worthy at all times. With the average job tenure today of 2 years, the loyalty factor between Employers and Employees is almost non-existent. You have to make yourself valuable and keep improving your skills. Today’s marketplace is not the same as many of our parents. Back then, you developed a trade and it pretty much was consistent throughout your career. Now roles are changing on a daily basis. If you can’t keep up with the changes, you will be part of the “dead” industries from not so long ago (remember the Typehouse).

Part of all our preparation can be summed up as follows:

1- Know your marketplace (Know your potential industry and the companies who utilize your skills)

2- Stay current with training and technology (By keeping up with the most current releases of software and computer technology, you become the “company guru”. Staying ahead of the game puts you ahead of the competition. It also helps to keep your salary ahead also.

3- Keep your resume and/or portfolio up to date (Don’t let that dust collect. Keep everything current and in presentation format)

4- Keep an eye on job opportunities (Don’t necessarily jump at anything that comes along, but by watching hiring trends and salary ranges you are better prepared should anything happen)

5- Share the Responsibility of Your Performance Assessment with your Supervisor (Don’t wait for someone to come to you and tell you how your are doing. Your assumption may be totally different from their view. Make sure you know how others view your work. Ask for your annual review in writing. Take the initiative to write your own self-assessment. Document your successes for later reference).

6- Keep in contact with your Strong Business references (Protect those relationships. They can be the difference between a yes or no)

While the market today is somewhat unstable, it will get better. Things always go in cycles and those who can dig deep and survive the storm will be that much stronger in the end. Employers are much more likely to hang onto employees who are constantly working to improve their performance and skills. You are making yourself hard to replace.

I have always believed that every candidate we interview is a talent scout and an account manager for Paladin. I have found that referrals are my best source of candidates and new business historically. I believe that it is essential that we always ask every encounter, especially candidates that we have built a relationship with, for referrals of companies and other candidates for us to contact. I was reading this report from the H.R. Advisor today and came across this interesting article that reiterates this point.

Check out the full article for HR Daily Advisor:  Every Employee and Applicant is a Talent Scout.

Everyone has a different view of what to include in their own resume’. Screening candidates for over twenty years, I have a format that I recommend to my candidates that is clear, concise, and easy to follow.

First, a resume should be no longer than 2 pages, not including reference information. Resumes that are in excess of 2 pages, tend to give more information than required. Keep in mind, the purpose of a resume’ is to get a meeting, not to completely tell the viewer everything you have ever done.

The look of the resume is very important. It should be in a easy to read typeface that is universal for all readers. Extremely decorative fonts may be nice for the viewer, but difficult to read for the potential client. The format of the document should be suitable for copying or faxing. Avoid screens of color or ink, they don’t reproduce well and the viewer will not be able to see all of your work. Use at least 12 point type on all of the body copy. Headings should be bold and slightly larger for emphasis.

Here are the elements I look for in a good resume’: An Objective statement, Hardware/Software skills, Educational background, Work History, Awards & Honors, and References.

Objective
An objective statement should communicate to the viewer your intent for your next career move. Sometimes objectives are listed in a cover letter. This can be okay, but quite often a cover letter may become separated from the main document and the resume’ can be misconstrued. Usually a couple of sentences are enough. It should be direct enough to make your vision clear, but not so detailed as to the specifics of company, one goal position desired, or give any impression of inflexibility.

Hardware/Software
Everyone should list the types of computer systems they are familiar with as well as the specific software they have “hands-on” experience. The ideal list will be sorted from expert to least experience.

Educational Background
A complete listing of your professional training is essential. It is not necessary to list the actual year of completion, but it is critical to list the field of accomplishment or training. Continuing education is good if it is pertinent to your individual career path.

Work History
The work history is probably the most important area. The job history should be from current job back to previous jobs. There should be no gaps in the history. If you have freelanced in between positions, you should show that work history from the date it began to current. If a job lasted for 6 months or less it is not wise to list it. I would show the time as a contractual period for simplicity. Some people will truncate or shorten their work history to the last 10 years. I prefer to see all work history. You can keep the details brief, but it can be very misleading in an initial assessment if you do not include the complete picture. You may be considered for a more junior position due to an assumption formed by your resume’. Some people are concerned about being discriminated against due to their age. I personally see it as an asset, not a liability. I do find it deceptive if a candidate neglects to incorporate a large portion of their career in an attempt to compete with a younger crowd. The listings should show start date and completion date. Avoid listing every position change or promotion within a company, by the date it happened. It can lengthen the resume’ and it is excessive. Tell me about your rise to prominence in brief detail. You should list the position titles, but show the entire company history. In some cases it is important to list the reason for departure. This information, however, is usually addressed in a face-to-face interview.

Awards & Honors
Achievements are important to list. Keep in mind they are irrelevant if they do not apply to your career path.

References
It is okay to provide references as an attachment or at the time of an interview.