Looking to level up your PR or Social Media career in 2023?
Whether you’re facing redundancy or just ready for your next step in your career, please don’t worry - the PR & social agency job market is as busy as ever. With news of the recession, it’s easy to feel like everything’s doom and gloom - many candidates have been shocked to hear about the volume of jobs we’ve had on so far this year! We’ve only seen small pockets of redundancies and those who have faced them have often been snapped up in a matter of weeks, which is brilliant to see.
Whatever the reason, a job search can be time consuming and often pretty daunting. Whilst some of these points may seem obvious, hopefully these 3 top tips can help you break the process down!
Tailor your CV & LinkedIn profile –
With the growth of LinkedIn job applications, recruiters and hiring managers are receiving a huge quantity of CVs for each role. However, a large proportion of these applicants are either completely irrelevant or don’t have the level of experience required for the job. If you’re planning on applying for roles via LinkedIn, make sure that your profile is up to date and free of typos (particularly if you’re applying for PR or social roles where this would often be a red flag). Before even looking at your CV, the first thing a hiring manager will see is your profile, so if they’re working through a small mountain of applications, there’s a chance they may not even open your CV if your profile doesn’t seem relevant or has some major red flags!
When it comes to your CV, keep it clear and concise. Huge blocks of text can really put people off and your CV could end up at the bottom of the pile. I’d recommend about 6 bullet points on your responsibilities for each (relevant) role, and if possible, a couple of key achievements from your time there. Make sure that your CV clearly highlights the key skills and experience requested in the job advert, so even at a first glance, you’re ticking all the boxes and they know they need to speak to you as soon as possible! I’m always happy to provide free advice on CVs, so if you’d like me to take a look, feel free to send it through to sarah.robson@nextlevelrecruitment.co.uk.
Prep, prep, prep!
Finding the time to prepare for an interview when you’re working full-time and interviewing with other companies can be tricky – but most interviewers have tons of experience and can tell if you decide to ‘wing it’! Just because agency-side PR & social media candidates are in high demand, it doesn’t mean agencies that are hiring will be willing to drop their standards. There are three key areas I’d recommend preparing for any first interview.
Firstly, understand the company you’re interviewing with – try and find at least three of the top reasons you were attracted to them and feel you’d be a great fit. This can be anything from their company culture and values to the types of clients they work with, awards they’ve won, exciting campaigns they’ve worked on etc.
Secondly, prepare how you’d like to present your experience. You may be thinking ‘I know if off by heart – I do it every day’. However, it can be beneficial to keep it concise and to the point – reeling off all your experience which mirrors the job description along with one example of how you demonstrated each skill in practice e.g. the results of a successful social campaign and the coverage you managed to secure. This also shows you’ve taken the time to fully understand the role, which will definitely be appreciated.
Finally, prepare at least 2-3 questions which you’d like to find out from them. An interview is a two-way process and asking well thought out and engaging questions will both impress the interviewer and benefit you, giving you a brilliant insight into the company and role from someone who has experienced it first-hand!
One of the many benefits of using a recruiter, is that we know our clients and roles inside and out, so we’re more than happy to meet with you before the interview and run through all of this prep to make sure you’ll really WOW them.
Leave a positive lasting impression on your interviewers…
If you’re looking for a new role, you’ll most likely be interviewing at several companies at any one time – particularly in the current market. Over the past year, we’ve seen a significant increase in candidates withdrawing from interview processes, due to counter offers from their current employers or offers from other companies they’re interviewing with. Whilst you may not feel the remaining agencies are the best fit for you right now and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a new role, it’s important to think about the long-term too. The Midlands agency-side scene is relatively small and it’s impressive how much people remember! That Account Director who interviewed you today, may well go on to set up a multi-award-winning agency that’s just up your street in a few years’ time. So, if you feel you have a better option, please don’t be tempted to ghost the agency or your recruiter to avoid an awkward conversation. Send them or ask your recruiter to pass on a nice message, thanking them for their time and even noting that you’d love to keep in touch. Keep as many doors open for the future as possible!
If you’re thinking about your next career move and would like any more advise, to find out how the market is looking, or to discuss some of the fab PR & Social Media roles I’m working on, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!