Marketing & Creative Jobs in Canada Blog - Part 61

Inside Jobs: The Job of A Community Manager

The Community Manager has existed since the advent of newsgroups, but it is only in recent years that this position has exploded in popularity.  Today, the Community Manager is the most popular role among social media teams.  Businesses want to hire Community Managers.  Job-seekers want to be Community Managers.

What is a Community Manager?

The Community Manager’s specific day to day responsibilities vary greatly between demographics, geography, and type of organization, among many other factors.  But the crux of the position rests on one important skill – communication.  The Community Manager constantly communicates with customers, users, potential users, and the organization’s internal team.

As a full-time Community Manager the average salary as surveyed in January 2012 here was $51,647

The Community Manager is a people person.  Though the tools of today have largely moved these positions behind a computer sending out blog posts, Twitter conversations and Facebook discussions, the fact remains that it is a position that requires people skills.  The most successful Community Managers know that they are communicating with people, not anonymous computer users.

The Community Manager’s role is focused on three main areas. Continue reading →

Happy New Year 2013 From FreshGigs.ca

Happy new year! We hope that 2013 will be a year filled with health,
happiness and success for you.

To get the year started right, here are five of our most popular articles from 2012:

New Canadian Design & Creative Jobs – December 17th to 21st

Marketing and Communications Coordinator with Fletcher Wright Associates Inc
Mississauga, ON

Senior Web Site Designer with Nulayer Inc
Toronto, ON

Marketing Communications Coordinator with Elmwood Spa
Downtown Toronto, ON

Marketing Coordinator with Qtrade Financial Group
Vancouver, BC

Web Optimization Design Specialist with Build Direct
Vancouver, BC

Associate Creative Director with The Marketing Den
Saskatoon, SK

Web Designer with Iovate Health Sciences International
Oakville, ON

Marketing and Sales Coordinator with Celayix Software
Vancouver, BC

Will Social Media Help You Get Hired?

Akin to online dating sites and their impact on relationships, social media is becoming an increasingly viable option for job seekers looking to get hired. Ten years ago ‘social media’ was a barely recognizable term.  Today, social media networks are visited by 2/3 of the global internet population, growing at a rate of 3x the rate of the internet itself, and is now more popular than email.

Ladies and Gentlemen, social media is here, big time.

What is social media?

But first, some clarity.  Social media is an ambiguous term.  Definitions of social media are as broad as the networks themselves.  For the purposes of this article, however, social media will generally mean the big three social networks – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The Social Job Seeker

The job seeker has become very social in recent years.  From newspaper classifieds to internet job boards and now to social media networks, the workforce has largely moved their job hunt online.

Don’t be that stereotypical job seeker that blasts out 100 cookie-cutter resumes and then lamenting on your less than stellar results.

From 2010 to 2012, growth in social network use has increased for each of the big three social media sites.  Facebook is the most dominant among job seekers, with 85% having a Facebook profile.  Despite Facebook’s massive lead, growth in social network use of both LinkedIn and Twitter, from 2010 to 2012, is ahead of Facebook by 31% and 40%, respectively.

Clearly use of all three networks is becoming more mainstream every day.  The job seeker, however, spends most of their time on Facebook, with Twitter and LinkedIn trailing behind.  Internet job boards still remain a strong area of focus for job seekers – and rightly so, as the effectiveness of, and sheer volume of jobs posted on internet job boards make them very attractive. Continue reading →

11 Tips For Landing Your Dream Job

I’ve heard career counsellors say you shouldn’t spend more than 20% of your job search time responding to jobs on online job boards.

Truth be told, I landed most of my jobs by responding to job alerts and ads.

In addition to having a great resume, preparing targeted cover letters, personal branding, networking and following up, I’d like to present some additional steps that will help you stand out and land a position that fits your skill set and interests.

Practice your 60-second elevator pitch and use it when you meet new people. Have business cards handy.

Continuing applying for jobs through online job boards such as Freshgigs.ca, Workopolis, Monster and others. Whenever possible, set up job alerts and you’ll automatically receive an email when new jobs are posted.

Follow hiring managers, recruitment staff and key people in the companies where you want to work on Twitter. Jobs are sometimes posted on Twitter before appearing on a corporate website or a job board.

If you belong to a professional association check their job board. If you don’t belong to a professional association, consider joining one. You’ll have access to their job board and get valuable opportunities to network with people in your industry.

Complete or update any online profiles you have and build your network. In addition to reviewing your resume, covering letter and references, hiring organizations will access your LinkedIn page. Make sure any online profile you have is complete, up-to-date and accurate. Explain your skills in a clear and concise manner and highlight your accomplishments. If you’re a writer, designer or artist, make sure to showcase your portfolio with your work samples and add it to your profile.

Social media is a powerful way to meet people and build networks, however, to land a job you need to get in front of people who make the hiring decisions.

Find and work with a recruiter. Many recruiters (also known affectionately as head hunters) have direct access to hiring managers. They may also know about positions that are not posted on jobs boards. They can be especially helpful if you have specialized or in-demand skills or experience.

Increase your social media presence and profile. Consider starting a blog. You don’t have to write about your industry, simply choose a topic that you have knowledge in or are passionate about. Contribute regularly (once a week is fine), include photos and break up your writing into easy-to-scan digestible chunks. The key to writing a blog is to make it personal. Write like you talk – make it personal and clearly present your point of view.

Don’t forget to publicize your blog. (Is a blog still a blog if nobody reads it?) Tell your friends about your blog and include a link to it on any of your online profiles. Tweet to announce your blog and each time after you publish a new entry. You can even include a link to your blog in your email signature.

Follow and comment on tweets and posts from key influencers. If, for example, your blog is all about movies, search for a few well-known movie critics on Twitter and follow them. Comment on their tweets and blogs (and re-tweet their tweets). You’ll find that some of them will  start to follow you and read your blog. And you never know who they know. Plus, when someone in HR checks you out, they’ll see that you have a strong social following – which can help.

Join a Meet Up group and network (in person). Visit meetup.com and look for groups in your industry, field or activities and topics that you find interesting. Meeting new people is a great way to network. Practice your 60-second elevator pitch and use it when you meet new people. Have business cards handy. If you’re not working, print out cards that list your expertise and include your contact information, Twitter handle and blog address.

Social media is a powerful way to meet people and build networks, however, to land a job you need to get in front of people who make the hiring decisions.

Your 11-step program for landing a job

  1. Apply for jobs on FreshGigs.ca and online job boards
  2. Join a professional association
  3. Access their job boards
  4. Complete and/or update your online profile(s)
  5. Stay positive and be happy. Fit is as important as skills and experience. (See Employers Hire People They Want To Be Friends With, Study Finds.)
  6. Increase your social media presence
  7. Tweet about topics that demonstrate your brand and personality
  8. Start a blog and promote it
  9. Follow people in your industry on Twitter.
  10. Comment and re-tweet when you find articles from your key influencers
  11. Attend professional networking events. Social media can open the door however, you need to get in front of real people to land a job.

If you are searching for a job at an ad agency, check out 10 Tips To Get A Job At An Ad Agency.

About the author:
Brian Moran has written communications for the financial and fundraising sectors for 12 years. He enjoys music, film, staying active and urban life. As a long-term volunteer, he has ushered many Hollywood A-listers along the TIFF red carpet.

Canadian Marketing & Creative Jobs Outlook

Despite sluggish economy and shifting life cycles, employment outlook in marketing remains strong.

Here at FreshGigs.ca, we see job postings in marketing, communications and creative industries come through every day! So we remain confident that abundant employment opportunities will be ongoing in our industry.

New opportunities in digital marketing (Internet, mobile, etc.) expected to be the main drivers of job growth and spending in marketing over the next five years.

But we understand how easy it is for job seekers to get sidetracked with doubt.

“Canada’s economy is muddling through the second half of 2012 and into 2013. The weakness has been relatively broad-based across industries, as the struggles of the global economy have hit home,” said Marie-Christine Bernard, Associate Director of Provincial Outlook at the Conference Board of Canada. Continue reading →