Erika Weinstein, CEO and Founder, eTeam Executive Search

Opportunities and Executive Tips for Employment

Ms. Weinstein has over 16 years of Executive Search experience, and is passionate about building her clients’ business. “It’s not about a placement; it’s about finding the best candidate who fits your corporate culture.” This mind-set has earned Erika Weinstein a superb track record and reputation as a trusted counselor for clients and candidates alike. These relationships give eTeam Executive Search valuable insights into the job market and the specific needs of their clients.

Social Media and content marketing have been the big buzz in 2013, and are expected to continue to be among the CMO’s top priorities into 2014. However, image marketers such as Pintrest and Tumblr are gaining momentum and may outperform words for engagement metrics and of course hash tags, which are becoming an important leading search tool. Although we’ve been hearing this for years, mobile marketing is gaining validity in the marketing and advertising marketplace and is becoming an essential aspect of all business strategies.

According to Steven R. Van Hook, PhD President and CEO of Educare Research Inc., and
the founder of Worldwide Media Relations, “The good news is the demand for skilled marketers and related jobs in advertising, PR and sales is expected to grow at a rate of 13%…powered by the expending number of goods and services for sale in the global marketplace.”

So what are companies looking for in today’s marketing executives?

Successful marketers usually have the following attributes: maturity, creatively, self-motivation, flexibility, decisiveness and the ability to cope with high levels of stress. There is a need to adapt marketing strategies in real time, and consistently demonstrate tangible results with increased accountability and solid reporting metrics using often multiple tools and platforms. Candidates often need to be experts in strategic planning, SEO, content, creative and be informed by multiple real-time analytics. And to add a layer of polish, successful marketing leaders need to be tactful, have good judgment and have the ability to interact effectively with colleagues and clients.

The hottest jobs in today’s marketplace:

Chief Revenue Officer
In short, the CRO is responsible for all activities that generate revenue. In many companies, the CRO is tasked with primary or shared responsibility for operations, sales, corporate development, marketing, pricing and revenue management. In our experience CRO executives with a solid track record are hard to find. Outstanding CROs must have a track record of successfully using education, technology and communication to align the company and management with growth goals. Typically, the successful CROs must have a strong, healthy ego—a confidence to excel that permeates the entire organization. They must possess the character and intuition to hire the strongest and smartest people, as well as be resilient and have emotional intelligence.

Chief Content Officer
Many organizations view the Chief Content Officer as one of the hottest new. Companies are literally creating departments around content marketing. Joe Chernov, the Vice President of content marketing for Eloqua says it best in his blog: “I define content marketing as what your company produces when it stops looking at the world through its own lens and instead begins to see through the eyes of its audience”; Chernov states that “marketing isn’t about format; it’s about a shift in perspective.”

Digital Analytics Specialist
Given today’s minute to minute technology changes in Real Time Analytics, the average marketing manager can’t possibly keep up on advancements and customizations delivered by products like Google Analytics and Adobe Omniture Site Catalyst. With the rising importance of targeting and relevancy (not to mention results), companies really need someone whose full-time job is to track down opportunity and feed information and insight to other functional marketing roles so they might optimize customer communication and brand touches.

Chief Marketing Technologist
The Chief Marketing Technologist’s job is the lead decision-maker where technology decisions and marketing strategy become intertwined. Armed with the marketing vision, technical experience, and all-encompassing business knowledge, the CMT brings together strengths from three areas critical to leading digital marketing: operations, sales and marketing and must include nimble methodologies. Expect to see more CMT positions and requirements for agile-trained marketers in the years ahead.

Social Media Manager
The growth of social media as a marketing tactic over the course of the past three years has created this marketing function and although it is not a new position, companies are now building entire teams beneath it. Additionally, digital marketing agencies are creating departments dedicated to social media communications.

Executive Interviewing Tips:

Whether you’re a seasoned C-Level executive or at the manager level, here’s advice that we give to all candidates who are building their careers:

1. Your resume is simply your calling card. It should be brief and not filled with the language of your particular company, but rather a simple read that clearly outlines your accomplishments. It should not be a laundry list of your job duties.We usually recommend that you have a brief summary and job objective on your resume provided it’s pithy, states your skills and makes you stand out. An example would be: “I’ve lead sales teams responsible for incrementally adding 23% to the company’s profits for the past three years; usually we all had to jump in and get ‘dirty’.”
2. Create a job-search strategy. Focus on three things: who you can network; what’s your expertise and what companies you admire and want to work for. If you have a well-maintained alumni network it can work to your advantage; contact your alumni for an up-to-date directory. Use the directory to find people who can help you network at the companies you are interested in working. Remember, there is a difference in finding a job than building your career.
3. Homework means researching people, companies and the competitive landscape. Take the time to understand the company and go beyond just looking at the website. Also, meet with people who have held similar roles or work at the firm. Knowing about the firm and the position can help you be less stressed during the interview.
4. Pay attention to the details. Anything from misspelling the interviewer’s name in a post-interview follow up note, to coming in a few minutes late for an interview can cost you a job. To avoid misadventures, be sure to give extra attention to all of your dealings with potential employers.
5. Keep e-mails formal, but short and to the point. Even if you’re simply confirming the meeting time to your interview, it’s important to put your best foot forward. We recommend that you include part of the interview conversation in your follow up note. It’s a good way to let them know you were listening and understand their objectives.
6. Be honest. Check the dates of past employment, job title and accomplishments. Don’t exaggerate. Again, the facts speak for themselves.

There is no doubt the digital marketing world is increasingly complex. Marketing today is driven by shifts in media consumption and the explosion of marketing data has profoundly impacted the marketing mix and the challenges faced by marketers. As the tools have outpaced the availability of cross-channel talent, ascription solutions and changes in demand, we are seeing new paradigms in how marketing decisions are made and campaigns executed. In 2014 marketers spending will most probably continue to shift. Trends that will drive the media and marketing mix including data, content and audience targeting and marketer’s will continued to be challenged in integrated marketing strategies.