I read an article in the January issue of Marketing News, a publication of The American Marketing Association, that spoke to the 2009 marketing job market and what employers are looking for in marketing talent. To be noticed in today’s market one must be able to tailor their personal sales pitch to the potential employer’s needs. The article’s main point was how important it is to find out what makes you stand out among the many marketing candidates currently in the market for a new job. It is important to specialize rather than generalize. If you are someone that has over 10 years experience it is imperative that you update your specialty to focus on what current employers are looking for. There are three specialties that are in demand: digital marketing, multicultural marketing and viral marketing. Along with a specialized career, a good current market marketing candidate will have digital marketing experience along with a proven track record of helping employers make money in past recessions. Many employers in today’s market want marketing candidates to have direct sales and/or sale department collaboration experience.

Employers are not necessarily cutting salaries but they are cutting travel, perks and bonuses for employees. In this market be careful about having to high of expectations. To “STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD” in the 2009 marketing job market it is suggested that you:

· Demonstrate your knowledge of digital marketing

· Show you know how to do more with less in tough times

· Position yourself as a specialist, not a generalist

· Be flexible when it comes to salary and benefits

· Stay positive. No one likes to hire negative people.

Frank, John N. (2009, January). Stand Out From The Crowd:
Landing a marketing job today means touting your specialty and staying positive. Marketing News, A publication of The American Marketing Association p.22.

Like many of you, in the past few days I have taken the opportunity to look back on the last year and reflect.

In 2008, I made a big transition.

After working as an Account Manager at Paladin for a little over a year, I took the plunge and started graduate school, completely changing my career path - I am now a first-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. At Paladin, we see many candidates who are in the process of a career change, and regardless of whether you are making a minor shift (say, from working in an agency to pursuing a career client-side) or a more drastic career overhaul, there are some common principles that apply. After finishing my first semester successfully, I wanted to share some of the insights that helped me along the way, in the hopes that they might also help others to smooth this scary transition. Here’s some of what I learned:

Demonstrate Your Interest and Commitment

One of the biggest hurdles we career-changers face is that we don’t always have much direct experience in our field of interest. It can feel at times that we can never catch up to those who have been doing our desired work longer than we have, and it can be difficult to get a foot in the door. Experience may be important, but so is passion, interest, and commitment. As you prepare to make a career transition, it helps to reflect thoughtfully on your own motivations: what has led you to the decision you’ve made? The first step to making a successful transition is being able to clearly articulate your motivation and passion to others (especially those with the ability to help you move toward your goal). If you have done volunteer work or had unique experiences that contributed to your interest in your new career, highlight these things consistently in your communications with others (admissions counselors, recruiters, hiring managers, etc.). Volunteering or getting involved with professional organizations in your desired field is a great way to gain some valuable experience, begin networking, and most importantly, demonstrate your commitment to the change you are making.

Know What Your Transferable Skills Are (and Aren’t)

Once you understand your motivation for making a career change and can clearly articulate it to others, the next challenge is to make the case for how you are qualified to do the kind of work you are seeking. A critical evaluation of your skills, strengths, and weaknesses is called for here. This might require a little thinking outside the box, as you analyze what you do and what you are good at, and try to creatively imagine those things in a different context. Be sure you do solid research on the field or industry you wish to enter, so you know the skills they need and can best match your abilities to those needs.

Understanding your transferable skills is important, but it is arguably more important to know what they are not. One of the biggest mistakes made by individuals trying to change careers is to overstate or ignore the limitations of their experience and skills. At the time I was applying to clinical psychology graduate programs, I had no work experience whatsoever in a clinical or health care setting, compared to many applicants who had interned at hospitals, volunteered for crisis lines, or worked as techs in psychometrics labs. However, I had evaluated my own experience, and realized that the many interviews I had conducted in my career as a recruiter demonstrated an important transferable skill: the ability to talk to people one-on-one, listen to their concerns, and synthesize information to help them find a solution (i.e. a great job opportunity or the perfect candidate).

When I interviewed for graduate school, I talked about the ways in which my experience could be seen as applicable, but I never said anything that implied that interviewing in employment is just like clinical interviewing or therapy. To do so would only have demonstrated that I lacked a clear understanding of the role I was trying to transition into, and would have backfired against me. This is equally true in a job interview. Articulating your transferable skills should be your opportunity to demonstrate to a hiring manager that even though you may lack direct experience in your new field, you have a firm understanding of what it entails and what you can bring to the table. Overstating the case for transferability, however, will have the opposite effect. It’s a fine line to walk, but it can be done successfully if you take the time to do your research about the types of positions and companies you are trying to transition into.

Work Your Network and Utilize Your Support System

The most successful transitions are a well-supported team effort. Once you have come to a decision about where you would like your career to go, and are able to confidently articulate your motivation, your commitment, and your transferable skills, it is time to start reaching out! While recruitment firms like Paladin can be a great resource during your transition, perhaps the best way to get your foot in the door is by talking to the people who already know you well: trusted colleagues, friends, and family. If you are confident and passionate about where you’d like to go next, your enthusiasm will transfer to those around you, and they will be more inclined to reach out in turn to their own networks, helping you find the opportunities that will put you on your path. In applying to grad school, I reached out to friends who had studied psychology and were familiar with programs in the area, which significantly helped me make decisions about where to apply and where to attend. Paladin also played a role in my transition - I was (and am) lucky to have strong relationships with my managers, who offered me the opportunity to keep working with Paladin on a part-time basis while I attend school. I get the best of both worlds - to extend and deepen my relationship with a company I love working for, while being supported in pursuing my next career.

Finally, I want to mention something that might seem obvious, but isn’t always acknowledged: Transitions are stressful! Even when you feel very confident that you are headed in the right direction, making a big change is scary. Many people are hesitant to admit that they feel fear of change. However, being willing to do so, and being able to rely on a support system of people who love you, can make the transition a whole lot easier. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it!

To all of you out there contemplating big changes in 2009, I wish you the best of luck, and Happy New Year!

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.