As we wrap up this three part series based on our talk at Pierce College, we are diving into the things we look for in possible candidates to join our team. If you are interested in the field of marketing, or even actively looking for a job or internship, we have a “cheat sheet” for you of what we look for in new hires, and what we think will set you apart regardless of who you want to work for! (Find part one of the series here, and part two here.)
Watch the video below or read on for more.
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What Do We Look for in New Hires?
#1: How motivated are they?
Cold calls are welcome! Many employers prefer not to receive cold calls from potential candidates, but we actually love it, as it shows that you’re motivated. Some of our most successful past colleagues have found us through cold calling.
#2: How likely are they to keep a job longer than a year?
Something we often notice in the job market is that many applicants’ resumes exclude jobs they’ve had that they feel are not relevant to what they’re applying for, jobs like retail or restaurant service. But we think track record for those types of jobs matters a lot! If you’re able to hold any job for longer than a year, that’s a great sign because it shows that you can stick with something you’ve committed to.
#3: Do they pay attention to details?
This is where thoroughness in the application process is key. When we post job openings, we usually include four or five questions that we ask applicants to answer. The amount of time and care taken to answer these questions is always evident, and indicates to us whether the candidate will be likely to take time and care in their work with us.
#4: What do they know about us?
Many times, this is the first question we ask when interviewing a candidate, and you might be surprised how many people say they don’t know anything! It seems like a pretty obvious thing to do some research about the company you’re applying to before an interview, but there are still a lot of people who don’t, in our experience! Just doing that little bit of research about the company you want to work for will likely go a long way in setting you apart as an applicant.
#5: What type of related work experience do they have?
We’re also interested in volunteer and internship experience.
#6: What education do they have?
College degrees are a bonus, but not a hard requirement.
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Those first four questions are actually more important to us than relevant work experience or education, though we do care about those things, too. We’ve found that most of the practical work we do as marketers can be taught to someone even with little to no experience, but “soft skills” like attention to detail and motivation are much harder, or even impossible, to teach.
Hopefully this “cheat sheet” was helpful for you if you are looking for, or even just somewhat interested in a career in marketing! If you have questions about anything you’ve read here, or you’re looking for some help with marketing, or even if you’re looking for a job, give us a call or email [email protected].