Let me start out by saying I’m not a recruiter, I did not go to school for human resources, and before I became a project coordinator the only experience I had “interviewing” people consisted of awkward dates and networking events. That being said, spending some time recruiting for several programs has taught me what to do and what not to do to get hired in the experiential marketing world. Here is what I discovered about what it takes to get hired in event marketing.
First of all, there are more than a few companies out there that either do event marketing or help staff brand ambassador positions for marketing events. Each company is different and when you apply for a job with these various companies the application process will be different. Whether you find the job posting on craigslist, the company’s website, or various event marketing job forums, make sure you read the ENTIRE post and follow the instructions exactly. If you are submitting your info in an email and you are instructed to include the position and location in the subject line, make sure you include that info in the subject line! I received countless emails from people responding to various postings that didn’t indicate the position they were applying for or their location. Odds are the companies posting positions have multiple jobs posts out there. If you don’t tell them what you’re interested in, how is the recruiter supposed to know what experience they should be looking for in your resume?
Secondly, be creative! If you are applying for a job with a company that does creative marketing events and has case studies showcasing all the awesome promotions they’ve done, why would you send them a boring application or email? When we do recruiting we almost always ask for the top 5 or 10 reasons we should hire the applicant. It’s disappointing when I get one word boring answers like “I’m fun and creative.” Instead show me how fun and creative you are! After browsing countless emails and applications I would jump for joy when I received top 10 reasons that were creative and took up more than 5 lines in an email. I did some recruiting for a recent tour that included driving an F250 truck that would tow a 10’ trailer. Several candidates had no similar driving experience but said they would be willing to learn. If they gave 10 awesome and creative reasons why I should hire them, I absolutely added them to my list of people to consider. Experience is important but it isn’t always the final determining factor. My training team can teach anyone how to drive a truck and trailer but having the creativity to work in the experiential marketing world is something that can’t be taught. Don’t just send in a great resume if you can’t back up great experience with a great personality that shines through, even in an email.
Here is what you should take away from this blog. Read the entire post before you apply. When you apply, follow directions! If you can’t follow simple application instructions, how do I know you’ll be able to follow directions in the field? Stand out. If you want to catch the recruiter’s eye, you need to get creative and send them something that will force them to pay attention to your email or application. Stay tuned for my next blog on how to rock an interview for an event marketing gig.