Colleen on Careers

On October 16, 2006, The Poynter Institute launched Poynter Career Center. For all my experience hiring and managing in the industry, I had not anticipated the number of layoffs and mergers that occurred over the next 12 months. 

We've gained some insight into the state of recruiting and hiring in the journalism industry -- what employers are looking for, what job seekers are concerned about, and of course what kind of jobs, and how many, are out there.  And yes, there still are jobs out there.  

Adjusting During the First Year of the Career Center

We at the Career Center want to fill the gap for both the employer and the job seeker. We want to help job seekers know what to improve, how to go about their search and how to handle feedback. We want to help employers hire quality candidates, create captivating ads, screen top candidates and ask the questions that will discover the truth and the best value in the candidate.

We've made some changes to the Career Center based on feedback from employers and candidates. For instance, we dropped our price from $75 to $50 for a basic job posting and from $175 to $100 for a premium posting.  We added the ability for job seekers to post a video resume.  We have added "Colleen on Careers" to offer tips on hiring and to share other information we hope will be helpful in times like these.

A Challenging Time

In spite of layoffs, downsizing and job freezes, job seekers are finding work and employers are finding workers. But it's a tough market. The industry is changing, and with change comes the need for new skills. Those who can learn on the fly are valuable. Employers look for candidates who:

• Are flexible
• Are skilled in multimedia
• Can manage change
• Are interested in working on teams
• Demonstrate innovation in how they do their jobs.

The process of job hunting tests these qualities and can serve as a testimonial to job seekers' strengths.  They should plan to spend a minimum of six to 12 months looking for a new position. Patience and perseverance are key assets, along with follow-through on networking. It also helps to have thick skin to endure the silence that too often is the response to their applications.

RELATED

We can help you hire for your news organization by tailoring the tips in these columns to your situation. For more information, e-mail Colleen at ceddy@poynter.org or call her at 727-553-4711. Background on Poynter Career Center Sign up to receive Colleen on Careers by e-mail.

That silence is more and more prevalent. Employers, struggling with cost-cutting, are hiring for selected openings only. Sometimes they post a job and have to freeze it. Budgets restrict employers from reaching out to many job seekers, and they have little room for extra recruiting incentives. Relocation packages, signing bonuses and salary ranges are tight, with little flexibility unless the open position is extremely valuable to the company -- and the applicant is rare.

In the meantime, job seekers have little to go on as they try to maintain confidence and present their value. Without constructive feedback, they are left to wonder, "What's wrong with me?" when the problem is often the state of the industry and not the candidate's qualities.

Improving Your Place in the Market

Given these job market challenges, it is so important for job seekers to clearly define their unique value, strengths and accomplishments. Resumes, phone scripts, interviews and cover letters are all key elements to promoting one's worth.

In this environment, how do employers, with little time to recruit, match up with applicants, who are frustrated with the time it takes to find a job and the lack of feedback? It's most likely to happen when the employer is responsive and the candidate is persistent.

Employers can help their recruiting by writing compelling ads, telling candidates how long they expect it will take to fill the job and giving job seekers a sense of how often they can check in with the recruiter.

I've seen the struggle to recruit firsthand. Employers want the best candidates but don't have the time to write effective ad copy. If the ad does not spur the right candidates to action, it only increases the work of hiring managers, who must wade through all the candidates to find the qualified ones.

Many employers are looking for the same positions -- page designers, copy editors and Web developers. When ad copy states only what the employer wants and not what makes their job unique among all the other companies with similar openings, there is little to make the most qualified candidates apply. At Poynter Career Center, we have worked with employers to revise ad copy to highlight benefits to employees.  Each time we did that, the response improved.

Limited recruiting by employers pushes the responsibility to connect to the job seeker. Candidates must learn to be persistent, polite and patient. The most important asset for job seekers is confidence, and in this shaky market, confidence is hard to sustain.

Painful as it may be, job seekers want honest feedback. They want to know what skills they need to improve and how long they will be looking for a job. They fear that they will be seen as a nuisance when they follow up. They want to know why your company is better than the competitor and why they should work for you.

THANK YOU!

We are grateful to our registered employers who use Poynter Career Center. And we thank the thousands of job seekers who have come to the site in search of employment and career advice.

As we move into the Career Center's second year, we want to continue to connect job seekers and employers and to discuss hiring issues. You can help us on both accounts. Tell me what you'd like to see at Poynter Career Center and in this column. We are here for you.  My direct number is 727 553-4711.