Shortly after posting the copy, The TempPositions Group of Companies content marketing team received a dozen applications.
Walter PrestowskiThe marketing director said he expected more than 100 within a week.
“Many of these applicants appear to be very qualified, with years of experience producing large amounts of content. It’s hard to choose to talk to only a few,” he said.
As an employer, the dilemma Vought faces is even more challenging on the other side of the process—with hundreds (or more) candidates vying for the same position.
In CMI’s upcoming Content Marketing Career and Salary Survey (September 2024), more than half of marketers (68%) say finding professional work in marketing is more challenging today than five years ago.
So how do job seekers stand out in a crowded and challenging market? What do people who hire content marketers want to see? What mistakes should you avoid?
Some marketers on the front lines of recruiting share their processes and what they want candidates to do (and not do).
Should you write a cover letter?
Discussions about cover letters abound on LinkedIn and in professional groups. Many job seekers say that if needed, they could just use a generative AI tool to create it. Others say they never send cover letters.
Watt said he won’t ask for a cover letter, but if someone takes the time to write one, he will read it. “A generic cover letter that praises us blindly without any substance is not going to be very helpful,” he said.
“The most compelling thing to me is if this person has done specific research about our company, read our content, and has thoughtful insights into the direction they would take if they were presented with an opportunity.”
HiredSupport is another company that doesn’t put a lot of emphasis in their cover letters. “I would rather ask Candidate questionslike why I should hire them or what sets them apart from other candidates,” said Joel Wolfefounder and president of the company.
My preference? I find that cover letters are especially effective when applying for writing-related jobs. A good cover letter showcases the applicant’s writing and business skills (or at least shows that they don’t have those skills). When you can write a few paragraphs about why you’re the best choice to help a business achieve its goals, you can also demonstrate that you can get the employer’s target audience to take action through persuasive writing. (If no one reads it, don’t worry. You just drafted your in-person sales pitch for the job.)
What should a resume include?
Maria Obezinski DonStamets, assistant vice president of content marketing, said she wants to see candidates show growth.
“This can be accomplished in a variety of ways—career advancement, increased responsibility, completing tasks outside of your comfort zone, and reporting on personal/professional gains,” she says.
Most importantly, candidates should show that they care about their job and not just say “I’m good; I’m good.” Hire me.
But how to demonstrate this growth? How do you show you care about the job?
Maria recommends adding a “What I learned” subtitle to your resume to grab the attention of future employers. Emphasize those responsibilities that are out of scope or challenging tasks. “This gives you a natural opportunity to narrate rather than just list responsibilities,” she explains.
Additionally, tailor your resume to the context of the job description. “Your resume should show that you met or exceeded the qualifications, not just that you had a series of content or content-related roles,” Maria says.
It is also important to see strategic adjustments Laura GoldstoneSenior Director of Communications Strategy and Head of Brand at AdDaptive Intelligence.
In fact, candidates become her first choice when they demonstrate they can think and act strategically, connect the dots from strategy to execution, and care about understanding and elevating the brand’s content strategy.
“You don’t have to have one-on-one experience. I just have to trust that you can do the job based on skills and wisdom “You’ve been trained,” Laura said.
How do you prove this? Explain the skills used in earlier situations and how those skills will help your new employer or the lessons you learned can be applied to a new role.
At TempPositions, Walter wanted to see a track record of someone who could think strategically about how to align content with business goals. For example, for copywriter openings, candidates further along in the process will quantify their track record of producing large amounts of copy. SEO optimized content.
A brief stint or two isn’t a red flag in terms of a candidate’s employment timeline, but a year here, six months there, etc., is problematic, Walter said. “It’s hard to believe they would spend so much time with my team. The green flag represents career progression at the previous company, especially over a short period of time,” he explains.
How was the interview?
Before you interview with a hiring manager, take a few extra steps to prepare.
At HiredSupport, candidates submit an application and then take a pre-screening test—a series of technical questions only professionals would know.
Walter at TempPositions used to interview anyone he thought could do the job, taking two to three weeks to screen, interview and pitch the candidates to the CEO. But this was beyond his day-to-day responsibilities, so the internal HR team knew his recruiting preferences and created a shortlist for him.
Mariah said that at Stamats, she interviews about 10 to 30 percent of applicants based on the skill level required for the position and the number of applications. Instead of writing an assessment test, she asked applicants to come up with a piece of work they were proud of and describe the writing, research, editing, distribution process, etc.
“This is a strong indication that they are Content structure and strategyrather than just writing in a controlled environment,” Maria said.
AdDaptive Intelligence’s Laura says she likes to ask situational and behavioral questions to inspire candidates to tell their stories. For example, instead of asking candidates what marketing technology stack they use, she asks them to tell her about a time they had to learn how to use a tool, emphasizing the process as well as the results.
Her other storytelling question tips include:
- Tell me about an aspect of your growth over the past year.
- Tell me about a time when you had to work cross-functionally, highlighting what you did to make the collaboration successful.
- How to build trust in up-and-down relationships?
“The candidates who had detailed stories were able to answer my questions and show me how they could be better in the position,” she said.
Laura also listens during the interview process, assessing not only the hard skills a candidate possesses, but also their soft skills. She wants to understand how they communicate, the culture they thrive best at, their organizational capabilities, their priorities, and their goals. best effort conditions. “These intangibles are very important to me as I build a diverse yet tight-knit team,” she said.
Penny GralewskiThe Rimo3 VP of Marketing advises candidates to come prepared with a challenge-action-results story. Rehearse the business problem that generated the content requirement. Explain how you work with other teams involved in researching, writing, and producing content. Then, brag about business results.
“When content marketers provide work samples, stories about content creation, and metrics about its impact, recruiting managers learn a lot about talent, teamwork and business thinking,” she says.
take time to think
What mistakes do these recruiting marketers see candidates making? They all boiled down the answer to two words: bullshit response.
“The candidates were quick to respond to the questions I asked them. They didn’t read my requirements and gave me a bland response that lacked technical knowledge,” Joel said.
Instead, he said, candidates should calm down and respond from their laptops to avoid the notification bombardment and distractions that occur on their phones.
Laura says she often gets generic answers to these questions: What makes you happy at work? Where does your motivation come from? What is it about this character that intrigues you and inspires your response?
“I tend to get general statements or vague responses that don’t tell me anything about the person,” she said. “If someone could answer these questions with something enlightening, actionable, and unique, my ears would perk up.”
For any job seeker in content and marketing, having a recruiting manager’s ears prick up is the greatest achievement. But to do this, you’d better use your content skills to tell a story about how your career story will help further the recruiting company’s story.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
