To answer the first question, yes; the according to a great career management blog, hiring managers tend to give job offers to those whom they get along with…this is all other things being equal. When you think about it, the proposition is logical as the potential boss is going to have to manage that particular employee meaning they are going to be spending a lot of time around each other and people simply work well together when they have some personal cohesion.
When writing a cover letter, there are certain things that need to be included in the document to secure the interview. Here are just a few variables as well as a sample cover letter.
As the intern of a New York recruitment agency, I can tell you that job interviews are the perfect opportunities for you to demonstrate to employers your strengths and qualifications for the position you seek. How you present yourself in an interview can mean the difference between the dream job you deserve and another day of looking for work.
The best companies to work for are not determined by their size, they are not determined by the amounts of money that they are paying the job applicants, they are not even determined by the industry that they are in nor can we gauge whether a company is good or bad to work for by its product(s) or service(s).
Rather, as job seekers, we should actively seek out companies that:
– The best companies have strong leadership. The best companies have individuals working there who can grow the job seeker, who can teach them and who is going to look out for their best interests.
– The best companies have a vision. Great companies have a vision as to where they are today and where they want to be in the future. To the job seeker, that vision makes sense and he or she can fully buy into that vision as well as embrace it as their own upon taking the job.
– The best companies are resilient. The best companies are the companies that can survive the downs of business and fully exploit the good times. When they have downs, they take responsibility for their employees and when they enjoy the ups, they reward those who work for them accordingly.
– The best companies have a purpose. The best companies are not all about profit. Rather, they are more concerned with providing a great product or service that is actively needed by the market and, in some way makes the life more fulfilling (of course, to varying extents) of those who buy it.
The best companies to work for know why they exist and they understand that the reason for doing business is not solely for profit. For this reason, these companies tend to be the most profitable and have the most future for those who take jobs at the firm.
– The best companies give their employees a voice. The best organizations to work for are the companies that give employees a voice. When employees are allowed to speak their mind, not only is the business more progressive and successful, but it is a happier more fulfilling place to work.
In the End
While all companies are different and all have their positives and negatives, we should carefully analyze certain facets of the potential hiring organizations that are either conducive to us being happy or can potentially stifle our ability to be successful.
Don’t take a job simply because of the money. As a matter of fact, money should be in the middle when listing your priorities for taking a position. Rather, position yourself at a company that makes a difference, work diligently and the money will come.
About
Ken Sundheim is the CEO of KAS Placement sales recruiting and is a known leader in the executive search world. When it comes to sales and marketing recruiting, sources like WSJ, NYTimes, Fox Business News, AOL, MSN, Chicago Tribune, BusinessInsider, About.com, CBS MoneyWatch, MTV, San Francisco Chronicle, Monster.com and many more look to Ken Sundheim for job search advice. Ken also helps recent college graduates find marketing jobs as a consulting function through KAS.
In today’s abysmal job market, there is little room for error. This is especially true for recent college graduates, who are at an immediate disadvantage due to the high saturation of the market. As such, recent grads need to give themselves every advantage possible if they hope to stand out to employers. Here’s 8 online marketing terms that all job-seekers should make themselves familiar with to give them the edge over their competition.
1.)Bounce Rate – Simply getting people to visit your page is not enough to help a website rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs). A Bounce Rate is a measurement, usually presented as a percentage or ratio, of a site’s visitors that either leave soon after or remain idle long enough to assume that they aren’t really viewing the page. A low Bounce Rate means that a websites homepage, or entry page, is effective in making visitors interested in staying and viewing the content, while a high Bounce Rate means that the entry page is not effective in retaining visitors.
2.) Anchor Text – The term Anchor Text refers to the part of a hyperlink’s HTML that determines what the link itself says. For example, if a web designer puts a hyperlink on their page with HTML that determines ‘Follow me on Twitter’ as the link’s Anchor Text, then the link will show up as such rather then the actual address. Anchor Text is important in two facets: 1.) It is more aesthetically acceptable for a website in terms of usability, and 2.) it helps not only visitors determine what exactly the link is directing them to, but it is believed that having the proper words in your Anchor Text will produce higher SERP rankings.
3.)Search Engine Algorithm – Throughout the years of the internet age, the methods that search engines have used to sort and rank the pages in their results pages have changed in an attempt to counteract websites using underhanded methods to improve their SERP rankings. A Search Engine Algorithm is a complex formula that search engines use to rank the relevance of sites in regards to the search criteria. These formulas are kept secret by the top search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.) and take into account a multitude of factors, including inbound links and keyword density, so as to rank the websites accurately and without outside influence.
4.) Backlinks – One of the main factors taken into consideration for the algorithms used by many search engines is the number of Backlinks, or inbound links, that a website has. Put simply, a Backlink is is a hyperlink to a website that is located on another website. They are not counted both ways between the two websites involved, however. For example, if Website A has a backlink that leads to Website B, then Website B would likely have a higher SERP ranking.
5.) SEO – The term Search Engine Optimization refers to the overall process of a website attempting to increase its position in SERPs. Some commonly used tactics include cross-linking with other sites to increase backlinks and having a high density of regularly searched words. Search engines have recognized that websites place a high value on a high ranking in their SERPs. and as such have determined what they believe to be acceptable methods of increasing rankings as well as unacceptable methods. These are known as white hat techniques and black hat techniques, respectively.
6.) SEM – Whereas SEO is the process of increasing your position in SERPs, Search Engine Marketing, or SEM, is the process of turning that higher position on SERPs into increased website traffic. SEM also refers to gaining more traffic through advertisements on search engines, determined by the search criteria as well as past searches. An increasingly important dimension of SEM also includes social media marketing, where companies use popular social media engines to further increase the value of their product, service, or brand.
7.) PPC – Website owners trying to move up in SERPs aren’t the only ones who see money to be made through SEM. Pay Per Click, or PPC, is a type of advertising where the advertiser pays the website that their ad is published on every time it gets clicked. Though not obligatory on websites with algorithms that produce natural results such as Google, having a PPC agreement with a website can be advantageous; the website wants your ad to be clicked so they get paid, increasing the chances it will be put in an ideal and visible location.
8.) Digital Marketing – The term Digital Marketing is the most broad of this entire article, encompassing all of the aforementioned terms. Digital Marketing refers to marketing and advertising through the use of any device with the ability to connect to the internet, be it computer, phone, tablet, etc.
It is almost comical to think that at one point many business owners considered the internet and e-commerce era to be a fad that would pass. Today, society puts such a high emphasis on the importance of technology that if a business does not take advantage of Digital Marketing in some facet, be it anything from a company website to social media handles, chances are that they are going to be left in the dust for someone more willing to adapt and survive.
Miles Thomas is interning at KAS sales and marketing recruiting firm specializing in staffing top marketing job seekers throughout the United States. CEO Ken Sundheim also does entry-level marketing job consulting.
Are you a recent college graduate and want to write for this blog; Please apply through KAS Placement’s corporate LinkedIn page.
Rejection is hard; it can kill our #2 ally which is only 2nd to a good resume. Running a sales and marketing executive search firm, I can tell you that the biggest difference between the job seekers who make a very successful run at interviewing and the ones who consistently struggle is belief in themselves.
With that being said, how does someone gain self confidence even when rejection is rampant? Here are just a few ways on how to better believe in yourself and, thus increase the odds of being recruited for the marketing job that you want:
1. Know that the majority of us are insecure, it’s not only you. As a headhunter running an headhunter firm I come across job seekers who have this problem all the time. They are less apt to get a job.
2. Stop being so hard on yourself. Many times, we call ourselves negative names and even blame ourselves for things that are not really our fault. While it takes practice, we must stop this habit and realize that many things are not because of our negative actions.
3. Live in the Moment – A lot of the times, when we are doing joyful actives or are even at work, we are thinking about the negative aspects of our life and are worry about things that probably won’t even happen.
As human beings, negative thinkers tend to take every problem and make it seem much worse than it actually is. This ruins our self-image…not to mention much of our leisure time.
In the End
You must believe in yourself or don’t expect others to. Even in the toughest of times, keep your head up, sometimes it’s all we have.
About
Ken Sundheim is the CEO of KAS Placement marketing headhunting, a marketing recruiting firm specializing in recruiting employees of all levels. Sundheim started the recruiting company at age 25.
Although our sales and marketing recruiting company deals with job seekers of all sizes and backgrounds, there are still some things that the individuals can do better to heighten their odds of success when working with a recruiter:
1. Have Your Resume and Cover Letter Complete – you would be amazed by the number of applicants who submit questions rather than resumes. This is highly ineffective and many headhunters really don’t end up responding to these inquiries.
2. Know the Executive Search Firm’s Specialty – if you are looking for an accounting job that is in the executive level, don’t waste your time applying to sales management recruiting firms hoping that something will stick. Time can better be used elsewhere.
Ken Sundheim gives a lecture to graduates of New York University on Entrepreneurship as a Career Choice.
3. Be Selective Regarding the Recruiters You Work With – it’s simply not logical to trust your career to anyone and that includes headhunting agencies.
4. Think Positively – if you work with headhunters in a manner that displays you are a positive, upbeat person, recruiters and employers are much more likely to respond positively to working with and eventually hiring you.
5. Headhunters Want to Fill Their Jobs – when working with any staffing agency know that a recruiter will always prioritize (or in most instances) resumes that are relevant to today’s searches. Now, this is not a 100% rule because the best headhunters anticipate and contact, but it’s best that the job seeker contact them with a specific job or two in mind.
6. Know How Recruiters Work – if you are not a recruiter, that still does not mean that you don’t have to know the business. The most successful job applicants can decipher how each headhunter works and adjust their submission and strategy accordingly.
As an entrepreneur running KAS Placement, an executive search firm based out of New York City, I have made entrepreneurship a career choice.
Contents of Video:
Preparing for the Ups and Downs of Business – every business including my recruiting firm has had its ups and downs. In the segment, the importance of handling the swings of entrepreneurship is very important.
Discussed is Ken Sundheim’s experiences having both ups and downs while being an entrepreneur during a recessionary period.
Choosing Which Business to Start – as an entrepreneur, whether you start a marketing headhunting firm or sell widgets, you must love what you do. I always say that entrepreneurship is a marriage of sorts and the business owner will be spending significant time with their company so they better love it.
Ken Sundheim is the CEO of KAS Placement executive recruiting. Ken has been featured across the media with articles in the NYTimes, AOL, Business Insider and many more.
Ken Sundheim gives a lecture to graduates of New York University on Entrepreneurship as a Career Choice.
Toward the end of the interview process comes the reference check. There are a few key things to keep in mind when deciding who to provide as your references. The most helpful references should be three things: the Three R’s.
Relevant – This one can be tough the earlier on you are in your career, but if possible, provide references who can paint a picture of your ability to handle similar tasks to those you’ll be asked to do at this potential job.
Even if you started your career as an accountant and interviewing for a business development position, a former manager is likely able to talk about your detail-oriented nature, or your ability to roll with the punches when things go wrong. Give your reference an idea of the job you’re interviewing for, to get them started in the right direction.
Responsive – Nothing looks worse (except of a reference tearing you apart) than references who never get back to the hiring party or the recruiter you’re working with.
If you know one of your references is notoriously non-communicative, or they’ll be out of town for a certain period of time, it’s your responsibility to make sure they keep an eye out for your potential employer – and that they get back to that person.
Reliable – Above all, be as sure as you can that you’re giving out the names and numbers of people who will say good (but honest) things about you. If you have even a hint that your potential reference has negative feelings for you, find someone else.
You don’t have to rely on them to say only glowing things about you. In fact, an artificially positive reference sticks out like a sore thumb. But you should provide contact info of people you know to be thoughtful, fair, and ethical.
Finally, a few general do’s and don’t’s:
DO ask first: Always get permission each time you share a reference’s contact information. If they give you a blanket okay, great, but at least give them a heads up each time.
DO give options: Offer an email and a phone number; offer three names if asked for two. This will speed up the process and underline your enthusiasm for the job.
DON’T share with everyone: I never fail to be amazed by the lack of courtesy reflected by people who share their references’ contact information right on their publicly visible resumes. It must not occur to them that thousands of people now have access to that information.
Recent College Graduates for Marketing Jobs 