Marketing & Creative Jobs in Canada Blog - Part 64

Roundup: 10 Bits of Career Advice from Around the Web

Career ImageHere is a roundup of 10 posts from around the web that cover a gamut of ideas to help with your career or job search.

– The 10 professions that need coffee most.

– Most Common Reasons People Quite a Job.

– How to pick a career you’ll like.

– Crafting a Personal Strategic Career Plan.

– How to Thrive After a Demotion.

– The secret to empowerment at work.

– Conquering Your Jabberwocky.

– When and How To Follow Your Career Aspirations.

– Sample thank you letter after a job interview.

– 10 Ways to Keep Your Positive Attitude During Your Job Search.

Fresh Canadian Creative & Marketing Jobs Sept 28th, 20112

Lots of fresh new Canadian jobs in marketing, online business, design, and more!

Executive Director, Reputation and Brand Management in London, ON
with Fanshawe College

CRM and eCommerce Specialist in Ajax, ON
with VW Credit Canada, Inc.

Marketing Communications Specialist in Ajax, ON
with VW Credit Canada, Inc.

Information Architect in Victoria, BC
with Number 41 Media

SEO & Social Media Savvy Account Manager in Burnaby, BC
with Kinetix Media Communications

Online Marketing Specialist in Burnaby, BC
with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Media Strategist in Burnaby, BC
with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Marketing Coordinator in Burnaby, BC
with SMARTT Consultancy

Marketing Director in Halifax, NS or Kelowna, BC
with the Centre for Arts and Technology

Director of Web Marketing at Absolute Software with Don Macaulay

Don Macaulay lives in Vancouver where he is the Director of Web Marketing at Absolute Software. Prior to working at Absolute Don was the Web CMS Program Manager at SAP. You can learn more about Don on his website www.macaulaymedia.com

Don, you’re the Director of Web Marketing at Absolute Software. What does a ‘Director of Web Marketing’ do and what does a typical day look like for you?
My job as the Director of Web Marketing involves managing a small team, maintenance of our systems, day-to-day requests and developing a web strategy for Absolute.com.

What would you say is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job at Absolute Software is managing all the requests that we receive from our different departments and locations around the world. For many groups, the web is a big part of their go-to-market strategy, and juggling requests based on priorities can be a real challenge.

I think one of the most important personal skills or attributes is a real interest the web, technology and learning.

Your degrees are in Graphic and Industrial Design…not the typical background you would expect to see a Web Marketer have…how did you get into marketing?
After completing my degree at Emily Carr in Industrial Design (ID), I realized that I enjoyed media and graphic communications more than ID. So, after graduation I decided to focus on these job opportunities. My first job was working for Seagate Software, for a team called launch services. I was responsible for developing web and multimedia tools and training materials. I remember learning Flash 3.0 and being one of the first to use it in the company. This job was in the product management department and after about a year, it was phased out and I was moved into the corporate communications team within marketing. With the exception of a short time working for sales operations, I’ve worked in marketing ever since.

One of the biggest challenges in my career was knowing when it was the right time to move on to a new opportunity.

For others out there that would like a career in web marketing, what are the core skills you recommend they have?
Other than all the typical technical skills, I think one of the most important personal skills or attributes is a real interest the web, technology and learning. There is a real geek factor that I think is important. You need to have a desire to continuously learn about new and innovative technologies, and the constantly changing standards that make-up the web. For some people, this is not for them – they need to turn off at the end of the workday. But, for someone who wants to excel in a web career, you really need to be ‘on’ all the time – learning, reading, participating and having fun.

After several years of moving up the corporate ladder, even to the point you were a manager, you went back to get more education with Project Management Certificate. What was the motivation for that?
I wanted to push myself in a direction where I didn’t have formal training. After considering doing an Executive MBA, I decided a shorter 3 month program in project management would give me the immediate skills I needed in my job. Continue reading

New Canadian Marketing and Creative Jobs: September 20th, 2012

Well Canada September is more than half way done already, hard to believe isn’t it? The back to work season is in full effect and here is a list of some of the hottest marketing and creative jobs from around the country at this moment!

Email Marketing Strategist in Burnaby, BC with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Social Media Specialist
in Toronto with an international luxury fashion designer
Marketing Coordinator
in Vancouver with Granville Entertainment Group
Senior Art Director & Designer in North Vancouver with Porcaro Communications
Associate Creative Director in Vancouver with Resonance Consultancy Ltd.
Senior Marketing Officer in Ottawa with the National Arts Centre
Digital Account Manager / Director in Calgary with Accrue Performance Marketing Inc.

Explore Careers in Advertising and Media at NABS West

NABS West is bringing you a great opportunity to meet some of the leading experts in the advertising and media fields.

On September 27, 2012, Speed Mentoring by NABS will be held at Bar None in Vancouver from 5:30 to 8:30pm. The event offers attendees a chance to ask any question they have to each expert mentor in attendance. Questions can be on careers in advertising and media, professional development, and anything else you might imagine.

Take a look at these 2 videos for better insight into ‘good’ vs. ‘bad’ questions… Continue reading

Social Media, Work, Life, Business Challenges And More With Jan Reischek

Jan Reischek is a deeply driven, Canadian creative professional with a successful 8-year track record in the social media industry working as vice president of client services for ICUC, an iProspect company. Jan is relied upon by some of the largest brands in the world to provide moderation, monitoring and community management services to protect and develop online communities.  You can connect with Jan @JReischek

Jan, you started working at ICUC while going to University, what got you interested in joining the company?
I was looking for part-time work to help pay the bills while I attended university, and when I heard about ICUC and what the team did, I was hooked. The idea of being able to work from home had great appeal to me, and the job required quick and accurate decision-making, which kept me on my toes and kept me stimulated.

Relentless communication and over-the-top customer service is the key to making it work. It’s really that simple.

What does your typical day look like?
Anyone who knows me at all, knows I am NOT a morning person 😉 My days are typically filled with client and team meetings, and creating customized solutions for client needs. I am fortunate that I am able to work with a lot of truly great people each day, both within the ICUC family, but also with our great group of clients and partners.

Most of the ICUC staff work remotely, yet you work with Fortune 500 clients around the world, what is the key to making this work?
Relentless communication and over-the-top customer service is the key to making it work. It’s really that simple.

You work for a company based in Winnipeg. What’s the scene like there for young professionals?
Winnipeg
is a very creative community – which might surprise a lot of people, but you really just need to know where to look. Young entrepreneurs and professionals are extremely welcoming and collaborative, and there is a huge desire for communication.

The social media industry continues to evolve, and many in the Winnipeg business community are adopting social as a big part of their business. Continue reading

Director of Marketing and Communications at the Alzheimer Society of BC, Ruby Ng

Ruby Ng is the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Alzheimer Society of BC. A generalist over the past 14 years, Ruby’s previous experience took her from working at one of the big banks, to a university and then to produce a TV show. Most recently Ruby began a Master’s in Leadership degree program at Royal Roads University.

Ruby, before joining the Alzheimer Society you worked at HSBC. Was it a difficult transition to go from working at bank to a non-profit?
I would say that in the past there may have been a bigger difference between corporate culture and non-profit culture. That is changing however simply because it is becoming increasingly competitive in the non-profit sector whether it is in fundraising, sponsorships or awareness campaigns. There is a way for business and non-profit principles to co-exist.

I believe non-profit organizations provide a ripe learning and professional development environment simply because there is so much to accomplish and often resources are limited

Do you need to take a different approach to marketing when working at a non-profit compared to a for-profit company?
Being resourceful takes a high priority in the non-profit sector not only because there are often financial constraints but because non-profits need to be accountable for how they are using donations. Making every dollar stretch and getting best value is definitely priority considerations on our team.

For people considering working at a non-profit can you talk a little about some of the benefits as well as the challenges that go along with it?
Professionally, I believe non-profit organizations provide a ripe learning and professional development environment simply because there is so much to accomplish and often resources are limited. For example, that could mean opportunities to take on projects that allow someone early in their career to develop new skills or for seasoned professionals to informally mentor and coach.

Speaking personally about the benefits of working in a non-profit, I would say there are two key highlights: 1/ there is a sense of fulfillment in knowing you are making a difference through your work and 2/ you get to work with people (employees, volunteers, donors, etc.) who are committed to and passionate about the cause. Continue reading

FreelanceCamp Vancouver Fast Approaching

Photo from FreelanceCamp Vancouver

If you’re going to be around the Greater Vancouver area on September 15th I suggest you consider joining the FreelanceCamp.

Organized by The Network Hub, the camp is geared towards freelancers, consultants and independent professionals…though any professional interested in improving their productivity, sharpening their skills and improving business would be well served by taking a look at this event.

This unconference style event is a great place to network, share knowledge and have some fun with other professionals.

Some possible topics for the day include:

• Task and Time Management tools
• Marketing and Social Media tools
• Coworking
• Working remotely
• Negotiating contracts
• Business Ethics
• Intellectual Property
How to set up a Consultancy

Check out photos from last year’s FreelanceCamp and learn more about this great 1 day event here: http://www.thenetworkhub.ca/freelancecamp/

New Canadian Marketing, Creative, Design Jobs – August 29th, 2012

Hey there Canada! Hope your Summer is wrapping up nicely and you’re ready to hit September running! We’ve rounded up some of the hottest creative jobs from around Canada below:

Senior Marketing Manager in Richmond with Cogent Industrial Technologies Ltd.

Manager of Media Planning and Buying in Burnaby at Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Intermediate Web Designer/Developer in Vancouver at Path Marketing

Strategic Advisor (Account Director) in either Toronto or Vancouver with Harvey McKinnon Associates

Online Marketing Manager in Vancouver with custom clothing company INDOCHINO

Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator Contract in Calgary with Hopewell Residential Communities

Marketing Manager in Delta, BC with big brand Century Group

Grow Conference Grow Talks: Tips From 10 Entrepreneurs

I just got back from attending the GROWtalks at the Vancouver Convention Centre and thought readers here might enjoy a summary of the highlights from the day. The event, organized by Dealmaker Media, brought some of the leading and up-and-coming entrepreneurs under one roof.

Each of the 10 entrepreneurs had 30-40mins to share a presentation on an area of their expertise…all with the focus of ‘growing business’. It was interesting to see that 80 to 90% of the presenters came from the US. Plus, a large portion of the attendees flew or came in from places like San Fran, Portland, Calgary, Toronto and all over BC.

The day started off with Debbie Landa, organizer of the event, giving a welcome to the crowd. GROWtalks will be going to other cities and Debbie encouraged everyone to suggest where they want to see the next talk.

Next up was Rebecca Lovell, the head honcho over at Geekwire…who did a great job of MCing and introducing all of the speakers throughout the day.

Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits
Brant is the author of The Lean Entrepreneur and Patrick is the CMO of Drumbi.
Key points:

    • Get your product out to the market and let them decide.
    • No one is REALLY a visionary.
    • Launchrock = meaningless ?
    • Take the niche-to-win strategy.
    • Focus on small group of core users first.
    • Can use Net Promoter score as indication of when to move forward.
    • Showed a great case study on Appfog.

    Continue reading