I have this friend who's graduating from college soon and is seeking a Marketing Coordinator position... I just wanted to know what's the best way to find these types of position, and how did you manage to find your job?

If I may, I would recommend telling your friend to keep an open mind when applying for jobs.  Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be working in the poultry industry - and loving it!  As young graduates pursuing marketing, we all hope that we'll work for a prestigious firm somewhere, make the BIG money, and be "important".  One of the things I've learned is not to despise small beginnings... they build the character needed to survive and succeed in this industry.  The other thing I've learned is title isn't everything - I'm a Marketing Coordinator that runs growerplanTM, a national loyalty program... a job usually held by managers or directors, not a coordinator.

Now, everyone's experience is different - some people apply for a job and get hired right away, others pound the pavement.  None is better or worse - some people get hired out of the company's desperation to fill a position, while others companies can have a very specific type of candidate they are looking for. It can be disappointing and frustrating, however each interview makes you stronger for the next - it's good practice.

 

The Interview:

As you know - interviews convey your "voice" (who you are, what you are about, what you know, and where you want to go).  Conveying the passion for marketing can sometimes be hard, mostly because everyone has their own idea about what marketing is.  Tony asked me in my interview "What do you think marketing is?"  My answer was to keep it simple (the 4 Ps I naturally thought) - his answer was "yes, in a perfect world".  This tells me, text book answers are not always correct, there has to be substance underneath that attracts an employer to a qualified candidate.

 

When "Experience" is against you:

The projects I worked on in school were tools that I used in interviews (ie. the objective of this project was to... here is what I did... this is how it benefited the company).  It's VERY important to convey to the interviewer that while you may not have 5 years experience you are still a valuable asset - even if that means "I'm moldable, I don't come in with pre-conceived ideas as to what needs to be done around here.  I'm hard working, a fast learner and am excited to embark on new adventures".  The biggest fear of an employers is that they will have to hold your hand and teach you everything - show initiative on projects that you've worked on, even volunteer work.  The steep learning curve that came with the growerplanTM responsibility was tremendous!  I had to learn a whole national loyalty program in 3 days!  The Program Coordinator had given his notice and I had to pick up where he left off... and manage the program!  I would not have been given this huge responsibility if I didn't show initiative in current and past projects and the ability to work hard and be a fast learner.

 

How to demonstrate "Experience":

We all have pre-conceived ideas as to what marketing will look like for us - I wanted to be in Marketing Communications when I started school, work in a creative house.  However, I was accepted into the Marketing Tourism program, transferred after my first year to Marketing Entrepreneurship and built my career from there.  The projects I worked on in school where for small companies and large corporations: Maximizer (the CRM Company), Honeydrop (clothing company), and B'Wireless (a branch of Telus). When I graduated I was disappointed and fearful that what I had done with the past 2 years of school would not take me where I wanted to go in life.  Wrong thinking!  I utilized what I had, and brought these projects with me to EVERY interview to show what I was capable of doing.

 

Sometimes you have to "put in your time":

Straight out of school, I had interviews for great companies in Vancouver, Kelowna, etc.  All of which I wanted... none I got.  My first job out of school was here in Edmonton, working as a Sales Associate.  It wasn't a perfect fit to what I wanted to do, however the experience was essential.  After nearly a year, I applied for other jobs - EVERYWHERE!  I had interviews for non-profit (AB Cancer Foundation), small companies, and large corporations.  I also applied for jobs outside of Edmonton.  I can tell you that I had many interviews, and numerous times made it to the second round of interviews.   But the experience I had from my first job, helped me in my second.

 

Hit the books one last time:

While I was working fulltime as a Sales and Marketing Associate, I was taking evening classes at Grant MacEwan in Graphic and Web Design.  I initially took these classes as something fun to do - I've always liked web and graphic design.  Little did I know that taking these classes would open the door for me at Lilydale.  Lilydale was looking for a specific candidate - someone who was educated in marketing, and someone who was able to update and manage the corporate websites.  I was awarded the position over the contracted coordinator that current held this position because of the web and graphic design classes.

My favorite prof is school once told me:  Your first job you'll hate, your second you like, and your third you'll LOVE.  Sounds depressing - but this is how it works: your first job is the building blocks; there is tons of hard work, long hours, little pay and little recognition. After you've shown you abilities, your second job will bring a little more pay, still a lot of work, long hours, and a little recognition. But your third job is your fit - you now know what you like and don't like, what works and what doesn't - you are EXPERIENCED and you have the knowledge to be successful.

I would tell your friend to apply everywhere... and don't stop trying!

 

Where did your job leads come from?

My job leads came from everywhere - I utilized job banks, a company's website, the newspaper, friends and family.  To be honest, I don't really remember how I applied to Lilydale.  I was sending numerous emails and resumes mostly through online job banks... I think it was through the Edmonton Journal, either that or some marketing association's career section on their website.

 

Emailing resumes:

More and more now, people are emailing resumes - No one really delivers a resume in person.  The reason being is that sometimes the Manager or Director doesn't have time to meet or greet you.  It's almost presumptuous to think that he/she can stop what they are doing (which is usually important, and their time is valuable) to meet the "oh-so-excited" you.  Some Professors may say to go and give your first impression face to face.  My prof told our class "Obviously you need to sell yourself to an employer - but if your resume doesn't sell you - what makes you think your face can?  It's about content and quality."

There's no recipe of success when it comes to finding the right job - it's about attitude, diligence and persistence.  The "right" job is what you make it to be.  You could have the title, the money, the prestige - and still not have the right fit and not be happy.

The best course of action, in my opinion, is to exhibit passion, convey a positive attitude, and demonstrate confidence (know what you are talking about - there is nothing worse than sounding like an idiot during an interview.  You give the employer the opportunity to question if the "light is really on" - does this person really get it).

I went to interviews that I knew walking in to that I didn't want to work there - I went for the experience of an interview