Several OCA members, over the past couple months, have landed jobs:
- Marci Kearney landed a full-time job at Microsoft, after contracting there for a while through Kelly Resources. She's now Marketing/Visual Merchandising Manager for Microsoft's worldwide Retail Services group.
- Jacque Coe, after 6 and a half years as Communications Director with Washington's Lottery, is now Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the Bellevue School District.
- Deanne Krauter followed her passion for wanting to work with a well-established outdoor brand, is now working in Denver, Colorado as an Art Director for Cabela's.
- Asako Yoshimura, who had worked for Adobe Systems for 13 years, is now a Sr. Product Manager with T-Mobile.
- Lastly, I, Kelly Evans, just started a contract job with Venture Arts, an interactive design and communications company. I'm helping them with project and account management, managing several web design projects for a handful of clients, including Microsoft and WorldVision.
While OCA has seen some members become alumni, we also welcome several new members:
- Jinhyung Pak, has just gotten out of the Navy, after a career that included managing nuclear reactors. He's exploring his options and is highly interested in the complexities of Marketing.
- Kerry Alexander, an experienced marketing communications and PR professional, was most recently with Colliers International.
- Donna Duncanson was VP of Marketing at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, where she was employed for 20+ years. After taking some time off from the business world, she's back and is now a marketing consultant.
Showing posts with label New Members. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Members. Show all posts
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Notes from 7/30/2010 - Applying Brand Techniques to the Job Search
The words "Brand" and "Branding" are tossed around quite a bit in the advertising and marketing arenas. But how many people truly understand their essence, and more importantly, how many know how to help their clients create strategies for managing them? And how can we apply what we do know to the job search?
At our 7/30 OCA meeting, our guest speaker, Jessie Lernmark - Sr Strategist with MODO Group, does know 'brand' - and gave a fantastic presentation on the topic. Jessie, whose background includes sales, marketing, advertising and an MBA, has been working within the branding realm for over 4 years, the last two of which have been with MODO. Her group, which is small but has folks working in Asia and Europe, consults such companies as Grupo Modelo (Corona, Pacifico), Microsoft, Sony Ericsson, and Starbucks - helping them with a wide variety of brand services.
MODO's client services include everything from researching Insights and Trends, creating Brand and Marketing strategies, to developing Tools (such as brand books and guidelines) and analyzing Metrics. They are brought in to help a company wade through the complexities of managing product brands, and in many cases, to help the company figure out their own brand.
"Fundamental to any business is understanding the customer and their evolving needs." Starting with qualitative and quantitative research, MODO looks to uncover the needs and motivations of its clients' customers - both the emotional (heart-based) side and the rational (head-based) side. They look to understand the motivation that a consumer has that leads them from awareness and trial through purchase to advocacy of a particular product or company.
"Brand Strategy is more than a logo."
Brand = our identity (how we view ourselves) + our reputation (how others view us).
Brand Strategy = managing any variance between the two, looking to match our reputation in the eyes of the consumer with our own view of ourselves.
To position a brand then, you need to understand your target, your category, your consumers' needs, and most importantly, your point of difference. What is it that makes your product or service different in the marketplace that will satisfy your consumer's need.
It's no different when searching for a job. Jessie suggested that anyone looking for work needs to do the same thing. We all know that if you are pursuing a position with a particular company, you need to understand as much about that company as you possibly can. Use informational interviews and resources, such as LinkedIn, to research 'the target.' Secondly, study the category. If it's a marketing position you're going after, know about the latest trends and happenings. What brands are making an impact?
Third, understand what a company needs. Here, again, utilize research to see what issues a company may be looking to solve, what their competitors are doing, and any pain points the hiring manager may be experiencing. Develop a point of view with regard to how you'd tackle those needs.
Lastly, what is your point of difference? What are your key strengths and benefits that you can provide a hiring company? What makes you distinct and unique? As fellow OCA member, Duane Hobbs, has stated: "Each of us is the unique answer to one exacting question. What's your question?"
At our 7/30 OCA meeting, our guest speaker, Jessie Lernmark - Sr Strategist with MODO Group, does know 'brand' - and gave a fantastic presentation on the topic. Jessie, whose background includes sales, marketing, advertising and an MBA, has been working within the branding realm for over 4 years, the last two of which have been with MODO. Her group, which is small but has folks working in Asia and Europe, consults such companies as Grupo Modelo (Corona, Pacifico), Microsoft, Sony Ericsson, and Starbucks - helping them with a wide variety of brand services.
MODO's client services include everything from researching Insights and Trends, creating Brand and Marketing strategies, to developing Tools (such as brand books and guidelines) and analyzing Metrics. They are brought in to help a company wade through the complexities of managing product brands, and in many cases, to help the company figure out their own brand.
"Fundamental to any business is understanding the customer and their evolving needs." Starting with qualitative and quantitative research, MODO looks to uncover the needs and motivations of its clients' customers - both the emotional (heart-based) side and the rational (head-based) side. They look to understand the motivation that a consumer has that leads them from awareness and trial through purchase to advocacy of a particular product or company.
"Brand Strategy is more than a logo."
Brand = our identity (how we view ourselves) + our reputation (how others view us).
Brand Strategy = managing any variance between the two, looking to match our reputation in the eyes of the consumer with our own view of ourselves.
To position a brand then, you need to understand your target, your category, your consumers' needs, and most importantly, your point of difference. What is it that makes your product or service different in the marketplace that will satisfy your consumer's need.
It's no different when searching for a job. Jessie suggested that anyone looking for work needs to do the same thing. We all know that if you are pursuing a position with a particular company, you need to understand as much about that company as you possibly can. Use informational interviews and resources, such as LinkedIn, to research 'the target.' Secondly, study the category. If it's a marketing position you're going after, know about the latest trends and happenings. What brands are making an impact?
Third, understand what a company needs. Here, again, utilize research to see what issues a company may be looking to solve, what their competitors are doing, and any pain points the hiring manager may be experiencing. Develop a point of view with regard to how you'd tackle those needs.
Lastly, what is your point of difference? What are your key strengths and benefits that you can provide a hiring company? What makes you distinct and unique? As fellow OCA member, Duane Hobbs, has stated: "Each of us is the unique answer to one exacting question. What's your question?"
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Notes from 6/18-7/16 - Catching Up
In the past 5 weeks, we've had four OCA meetings, only taking time out for the 4th of July holiday weekend. At most of these recent meetings, we've focused on helping each other, working on our own "personal brands." We've reviewed and critiqued resumes and portfolios and delved further into how to position ourselves with perspective hiring companies.
We've discussed the conundrum of "finding a job to get buy" vs. "finding a job that is right for me AND the hiring company. A recent conversation also brought about the notion of being "Overqualified" - and you could see the exasperation on the faces of those who had heard that word before, a word that can, unfortunately, sometimes keep you from making your case with a hiring manager. It's a label tossed around by recruiters that can mean one of several notions:
- "You're a flight risk." As soon as the economy starts to really turn around, you'll leave for a better job.
- "You'll be bored." Someone with your experience and expertise would not be happy operating at this position's level. See notion #1.
- "We can't afford you." We can't pay what you're worth or expecting to make. See notion #1.
Ask anyone who's been looking for a job for a while if they'd be OK taking a lower salary than they'd previously made. While you're at it, ask them if they'd be bored working for a new company, learning the culture, and absorbing information about new products and services. Regarding flight risk, someone yesterday said, "Are you kidding me? After looking for this long, a company would have to push me out the door before I'd consider leaving."
Welcome to new OCA member:
- Cary Seely, previous Sustainability Account Exec/Business Development at Grays Harbor Paper.
We've discussed the conundrum of "finding a job to get buy" vs. "finding a job that is right for me AND the hiring company. A recent conversation also brought about the notion of being "Overqualified" - and you could see the exasperation on the faces of those who had heard that word before, a word that can, unfortunately, sometimes keep you from making your case with a hiring manager. It's a label tossed around by recruiters that can mean one of several notions:
- "You're a flight risk." As soon as the economy starts to really turn around, you'll leave for a better job.
- "You'll be bored." Someone with your experience and expertise would not be happy operating at this position's level. See notion #1.
- "We can't afford you." We can't pay what you're worth or expecting to make. See notion #1.
Ask anyone who's been looking for a job for a while if they'd be OK taking a lower salary than they'd previously made. While you're at it, ask them if they'd be bored working for a new company, learning the culture, and absorbing information about new products and services. Regarding flight risk, someone yesterday said, "Are you kidding me? After looking for this long, a company would have to push me out the door before I'd consider leaving."
Welcome to new OCA member:
- Cary Seely, previous Sustainability Account Exec/Business Development at Grays Harbor Paper.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Notes from 4/9/2010 OCA Meeting, Job News
ONE NEW MEMBER joined us Friday:
- Dianne Stiefel has more than 20 years of sales experience, most recently in the mortgage banking industry.
THIS PAST WEEK, we broke into smaller groups to further network on a more intimate basis. We also discussed issues that we're encountering during our job searches with the idea of looking to address them through OCA and possible guest speakers.
Items we talked about:
Social Media - The advent of this area has been exponential, and there are many jobs in the market looking for experience at various levels. Razorfish, for example, currently has an opening for a Director of Social Media. Curator PR is interviewing candidates for a Social Media Strategist. A quick survey of Craigslist shows 64 positions posted in the past 30 days looking for some form of Social Media experience.
Action Item:
- Identify and contact a Social Media expert (or group) to come in and provide a primer and to discuss where this area is going with relation to marketing. Last July, Spring Creek Group did a guest appearance with OCA. I'll see if we can get them back in. Another resource might be Ben Straley, CEO of Meteor Solutions.
Building Tactical Relationships - It's one thing to work a room at a networking event, gathering cards and asking how you can help other people. But it's another with taking those 5 to 10-minute relationships to the next level, and really getting to know people. How can we build tactical relationships that we can leverage during the job search?
Action Item:
- Reach out to Sandy Jones-Kaminski, networking guru, to see if she can visit us and impart her wisdom.
Age Discrimination / Being Overqualified - Call it what you will, it's something many of us have encountered. We've got years of experience, but maybe more experience than the job description calls for. Or, we're pursuing a new area of interest, something we do not have as much actual experience with. And despite being very willing to take a lower- or entry-level job, we're still deemed as 'too expensive' or labeled a 'flight risk.'
Changing Directions - For several OCA members, the job search has taken us down a new career path. Graphic Designers are pursuing the web. Marketing professionals are exploring Social Media. How can we best position ourselves to employers (and to those with whom we are networking) to demonstrate the new direction we're taking?
Action Item:
- Contact trusted recruiters and HR reps at the companies we're targeting, to see if we can get a panel discussion lined up to tackle the two points above.
Job Search Tips - What has worked for others, for those who have been successful at landing full-time or contract positions? What did they learn from the career coaches, the job consultants? Did they spend time concentrating on networking or honing multiple copies of their resume to fit the job description?
Action Item:
- Contact OCA alums to see about setting up a "Reunion Show" to discuss what they've done to land their current positions.
JOB NEWS:
Donna Sellers is now Director, Brand Marketing at Parallels.
Congrats, Donna!
- Dianne Stiefel has more than 20 years of sales experience, most recently in the mortgage banking industry.
THIS PAST WEEK, we broke into smaller groups to further network on a more intimate basis. We also discussed issues that we're encountering during our job searches with the idea of looking to address them through OCA and possible guest speakers.
Items we talked about:
Social Media - The advent of this area has been exponential, and there are many jobs in the market looking for experience at various levels. Razorfish, for example, currently has an opening for a Director of Social Media. Curator PR is interviewing candidates for a Social Media Strategist. A quick survey of Craigslist shows 64 positions posted in the past 30 days looking for some form of Social Media experience.
Action Item:
- Identify and contact a Social Media expert (or group) to come in and provide a primer and to discuss where this area is going with relation to marketing. Last July, Spring Creek Group did a guest appearance with OCA. I'll see if we can get them back in. Another resource might be Ben Straley, CEO of Meteor Solutions.
Building Tactical Relationships - It's one thing to work a room at a networking event, gathering cards and asking how you can help other people. But it's another with taking those 5 to 10-minute relationships to the next level, and really getting to know people. How can we build tactical relationships that we can leverage during the job search?
Action Item:
- Reach out to Sandy Jones-Kaminski, networking guru, to see if she can visit us and impart her wisdom.
Age Discrimination / Being Overqualified - Call it what you will, it's something many of us have encountered. We've got years of experience, but maybe more experience than the job description calls for. Or, we're pursuing a new area of interest, something we do not have as much actual experience with. And despite being very willing to take a lower- or entry-level job, we're still deemed as 'too expensive' or labeled a 'flight risk.'
Changing Directions - For several OCA members, the job search has taken us down a new career path. Graphic Designers are pursuing the web. Marketing professionals are exploring Social Media. How can we best position ourselves to employers (and to those with whom we are networking) to demonstrate the new direction we're taking?
Action Item:
- Contact trusted recruiters and HR reps at the companies we're targeting, to see if we can get a panel discussion lined up to tackle the two points above.
Job Search Tips - What has worked for others, for those who have been successful at landing full-time or contract positions? What did they learn from the career coaches, the job consultants? Did they spend time concentrating on networking or honing multiple copies of their resume to fit the job description?
Action Item:
- Contact OCA alums to see about setting up a "Reunion Show" to discuss what they've done to land their current positions.
JOB NEWS:
Donna Sellers is now Director, Brand Marketing at Parallels.
Congrats, Donna!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Notes from 4/2/2010 OCA Meeting; Job News!
Four new people joined us at the 4/2 OCA meeting:
- Karen Holum, most recently the creative director for One World 2011, has over 20 years of creative services and design experience.
- Jill Schultz, a graphic design and marketing specialist, actually just took a role as Proposal Coordinator in the Energy, Environment, and Transportation group of ICF International, a global consulting firm.
- Zrinka Sliskovic was most recently a print/web designer with United Reprographics and has done freelance work for the Linden Tree Retreat Center.
- Doug Sutherland, a graphic designer, was most recently with the Hacker Group.
Kirsten Thompson and Sara Westerlund, recruiters from Creative Circle, were our guest speakers this past Friday. They introduced the staffing agency and provided tips on how to best work with them.
With 7 offices around the country, Creative Circle focuses on (obviously) the creative side of things. They primarily work with agencies and marketing groups, staffing candidates into 1 of 3 types of placements: 1) freelance, 2) freelance to full-time, or 3) full-time. Typical roles include: account management, art/design/creative, marketing, and media buying / planning.
Recent trends. They've had a significant uptick in placements, which they refer to as "starts." The number of starts per month has nearly doubled since last summer. And they are also seeing more full-time placements, as clients are beginning to feel a bit more secure in their hiring.
What is the best way to work with them? Make it easy. When applying for a particular job opportunity, highlight in your cover letter the skills that are applicable, so the recruiter can more easily match your experience with the job requirements. This will also let them respond quicker to their client. "Speed counts." They are paid for quickly gathering and positioning the best candidates for a position, and for a recent posting, they had over 400 responses within 2 hours. And speaking of cover letters, don't attach a separate Word doc. Bullet list out your key qualifications in the body of your e-mail.
Keep in touch. Creative Circle makes a point to meet with every candidate, to get the best sense for what candidates are looking for and what they have to offer. Considering you're part of a large talent pool, make sure you touch base with them on a regular basis, so that you're top of mind. They recommend at least once a month. Another rule of thumb could also be to reach out every time you update your resume, letting them know of the change and that you're still available.
Be mindful that recruiters are an extension of the hiring company. How you work with a recruiter is also a good indication of how you may work at a client site. Seems obvious, but key components to consider: "preparation, reliability, and flexibility."
Another interesting point that Sara and Kirsten made was to "Have a visual component that you can use to help sell yourself," regardless of position. Have a portfolio that you can point to and show off your work. If you're just starting out or changing directions, as many people are in the digital spectrum, put together comp work to demonstrate what you can do.
Contact info:
Kirsten Thompson - kthompson@creativecircle.com
Sara Westerlund - swesterlund@creativecircle.com
Job News!
Jenna Swalin has accepted a contract position as a Communications Assistant with the Initiative for Global Development.
- Karen Holum, most recently the creative director for One World 2011, has over 20 years of creative services and design experience.
- Jill Schultz, a graphic design and marketing specialist, actually just took a role as Proposal Coordinator in the Energy, Environment, and Transportation group of ICF International, a global consulting firm.
- Zrinka Sliskovic was most recently a print/web designer with United Reprographics and has done freelance work for the Linden Tree Retreat Center.
- Doug Sutherland, a graphic designer, was most recently with the Hacker Group.
Kirsten Thompson and Sara Westerlund, recruiters from Creative Circle, were our guest speakers this past Friday. They introduced the staffing agency and provided tips on how to best work with them.
With 7 offices around the country, Creative Circle focuses on (obviously) the creative side of things. They primarily work with agencies and marketing groups, staffing candidates into 1 of 3 types of placements: 1) freelance, 2) freelance to full-time, or 3) full-time. Typical roles include: account management, art/design/creative, marketing, and media buying / planning.
Recent trends. They've had a significant uptick in placements, which they refer to as "starts." The number of starts per month has nearly doubled since last summer. And they are also seeing more full-time placements, as clients are beginning to feel a bit more secure in their hiring.
What is the best way to work with them? Make it easy. When applying for a particular job opportunity, highlight in your cover letter the skills that are applicable, so the recruiter can more easily match your experience with the job requirements. This will also let them respond quicker to their client. "Speed counts." They are paid for quickly gathering and positioning the best candidates for a position, and for a recent posting, they had over 400 responses within 2 hours. And speaking of cover letters, don't attach a separate Word doc. Bullet list out your key qualifications in the body of your e-mail.
Keep in touch. Creative Circle makes a point to meet with every candidate, to get the best sense for what candidates are looking for and what they have to offer. Considering you're part of a large talent pool, make sure you touch base with them on a regular basis, so that you're top of mind. They recommend at least once a month. Another rule of thumb could also be to reach out every time you update your resume, letting them know of the change and that you're still available.
Be mindful that recruiters are an extension of the hiring company. How you work with a recruiter is also a good indication of how you may work at a client site. Seems obvious, but key components to consider: "preparation, reliability, and flexibility."
Another interesting point that Sara and Kirsten made was to "Have a visual component that you can use to help sell yourself," regardless of position. Have a portfolio that you can point to and show off your work. If you're just starting out or changing directions, as many people are in the digital spectrum, put together comp work to demonstrate what you can do.
Contact info:
Kirsten Thompson - kthompson@creativecircle.com
Sara Westerlund - swesterlund@creativecircle.com
Job News!
Jenna Swalin has accepted a contract position as a Communications Assistant with the Initiative for Global Development.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Notes from 3/5/2010 OCA Meeting
Last week's meeting had six new faces.
- Marina Babic was most recently a pre-press tech at C2 Media and has nearly 4 years of printing experience.
- Lane Buechet, owner at S&L Lending, has 15+ years of sales management experience in the banking industry.
- Mark Farmer, former marketing director for the Condominium Law Group, PLLC, has one of the most interesting backgrounds within OCA... social work (he's a lawyer), police officer, and social-network Internet entrepreneur.
- Teresa Lizotte, most recently a senior graphic consultant with Stella Color, has over 17 years of experience in the printing industry.
- Tim Rose, creative/art director, was most recently with the Sterling-Rice Group out of Boulder, Colorado. Tim has close to 20 years of art direction experience, 6 of which were spent living and working in Europe.
- Marcella Van Oel, content manager at start-up Jobfully.com (a site that hosts career management tools and resources), is a web production consultant and strategist.
Rick Peterson, president of Hydrogen Advertising, was our guest speaker at OCA's 3/5 meeting and provided a wealth of information about a wide variety of topics.
- Rick's company, which he has guided since 2001, has seen the worst that the Great Recession has thrown their way - and has survived to have one of its best months ever. They are busy on a number of fronts, developing projects for clients in multiple media venues, including web, broadcast, and print.
- Lean times over the past 18 months have led to a lean, effective, efficient, and partially outsourced staff for Hydrogen. Rick and the group spoke of today's need for virtual staff members and a freelance model which is not entirely new to the advertising world. As expected, some things can be more easily outsourced, such as creative talent. On the flipside, account management, which is often key to the client relationship, should be a steady force within the agency.
- The economy's effects have also made clients much more fiscally frugal, squeezing budgets and expecting more with less. Clients are asking for lower rates and often wanting work done in less time. Given the three-legged stool of money, time, and resources, you can see how the latter is often what is impacted most. And because good business can result in repeat business, it also means that Rick's team needs to blow away his clients with every piece of creative work.
- We discussed an interesting parallel between the cost of responding to RFPs and the job search. In both cases, both can be extremely time-consuming (and costly), so it's extremely beneficial to be networked and to get in the door before a search (for an agency or an employee) goes the official route.
- Regarding today's job search market, Rick feels everyone should have a portfolio. "Can you show your stuff? Can you sell? How can you describe what you've done in the past?" Utilize case studies to concisely explain your work, regardless of role. And when asked about the current job seeker's dilemma of being 'overqualified,' Rick understands hiring managers' fears, but said he would much rather have the experience.
- In talking about Hydrogen's own needs, Rick discussed what he would look for in a job candidate: someone who is enterprising, a problem solver, and multifaceted. Hardworking. "Are you a person who is interesting and interested - in Hydrogen and their problems?" Do you have an insatiable curiosity? And, last but not least, "No Assholes" need apply.
And did I mention they're hiring? Click here for details.
- Marina Babic was most recently a pre-press tech at C2 Media and has nearly 4 years of printing experience.
- Lane Buechet, owner at S&L Lending, has 15+ years of sales management experience in the banking industry.
- Mark Farmer, former marketing director for the Condominium Law Group, PLLC, has one of the most interesting backgrounds within OCA... social work (he's a lawyer), police officer, and social-network Internet entrepreneur.
- Teresa Lizotte, most recently a senior graphic consultant with Stella Color, has over 17 years of experience in the printing industry.
- Tim Rose, creative/art director, was most recently with the Sterling-Rice Group out of Boulder, Colorado. Tim has close to 20 years of art direction experience, 6 of which were spent living and working in Europe.
- Marcella Van Oel, content manager at start-up Jobfully.com (a site that hosts career management tools and resources), is a web production consultant and strategist.
Rick Peterson, president of Hydrogen Advertising, was our guest speaker at OCA's 3/5 meeting and provided a wealth of information about a wide variety of topics.
- Rick's company, which he has guided since 2001, has seen the worst that the Great Recession has thrown their way - and has survived to have one of its best months ever. They are busy on a number of fronts, developing projects for clients in multiple media venues, including web, broadcast, and print.
- Lean times over the past 18 months have led to a lean, effective, efficient, and partially outsourced staff for Hydrogen. Rick and the group spoke of today's need for virtual staff members and a freelance model which is not entirely new to the advertising world. As expected, some things can be more easily outsourced, such as creative talent. On the flipside, account management, which is often key to the client relationship, should be a steady force within the agency.
- The economy's effects have also made clients much more fiscally frugal, squeezing budgets and expecting more with less. Clients are asking for lower rates and often wanting work done in less time. Given the three-legged stool of money, time, and resources, you can see how the latter is often what is impacted most. And because good business can result in repeat business, it also means that Rick's team needs to blow away his clients with every piece of creative work.
- We discussed an interesting parallel between the cost of responding to RFPs and the job search. In both cases, both can be extremely time-consuming (and costly), so it's extremely beneficial to be networked and to get in the door before a search (for an agency or an employee) goes the official route.
- Regarding today's job search market, Rick feels everyone should have a portfolio. "Can you show your stuff? Can you sell? How can you describe what you've done in the past?" Utilize case studies to concisely explain your work, regardless of role. And when asked about the current job seeker's dilemma of being 'overqualified,' Rick understands hiring managers' fears, but said he would much rather have the experience.
- In talking about Hydrogen's own needs, Rick discussed what he would look for in a job candidate: someone who is enterprising, a problem solver, and multifaceted. Hardworking. "Are you a person who is interesting and interested - in Hydrogen and their problems?" Do you have an insatiable curiosity? And, last but not least, "No Assholes" need apply.
And did I mention they're hiring? Click here for details.
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