eCommerce Jobs, Advertising Agency Jobs how The Candidate can help you.

Daisy Vollans, our eCommerce recruitment executive at The Candidate in Manchester talks about what digital marketing candidates should be considering when looking at new roles and jobs in the New Year across Manchester and the Northwest. Whether you're looking for a step up or maybe a move from an advertising agency role, have a read of this and maybe drop us a line for some marketing jobs advice.

So it's the New Year and we've all made our resolutions to be better people by looking at new jobs and considering a step up in your digital marketing career.. This often means the re-evaluation of our current marketing employment status and online roles. If we look back over the years a pattern soon occurs. January rolls round, incredible digital marketing jobs go live and superb marketing candidates realise that actually now may be the time to take that next step. The question is 'what is out there amongst all those eCommerce jobs and advertising agency jobs to make us move and how do you be the best possible candidate for employers to snap up?' Here at The Candidate in Manchester, it is our recruitment team's aim to ensure that our candidates are up to date with the latest opportunities and our clients are aware of the strongest talent actively looking in the North. We specialise in marketing recruitment for eCommerce jobs and advertising agency jobs and could be the recruitment agency to help you!

Let's start with asking the million dollar question - how do you know if something is actually the 'ideal' next role for you?

In eCommerce businesses their structure tends not to be as clear-cut as it is within an agency. A Digital Marketing Manager client side may have a completely different role remit to a Digital Marketing Manager agency side, the key is looking at the focus of the role, where your transferable strengths lie and whether it is a brand you can invest in. However, before you even look at potential roles, there are a couple of details you must ensure you are clear on.

First, what salary are you looking for? This is important. You don't want to price yourself out for a position, which believe me is possible, but you also do not want to undersell yourself. The things to take into consideration for salary are:

1. How much experience do you have and how confident are you in what you do?
2. Location; what is a reasonable commute for you to do cost wise?
3. Are you willing to take a side step for a similar salary but with the opportunity to progress, develop your skill and for a brand you believe in?
4. Are you serious about moving? This last point may seem ridiculous but there are candidates out there who look, apply then 'umm and ahh' and to be honest this is a frustration for clients and therefore ourselves. Our clients are looking for someone who is experienced and looking for a new challenge, someone who they are confident to invest in. If you pull out of interviews and mess people around, quite frankly, it will be remembered and later down the line this could bite you in the… well you get the gist. It's a small world!

On this last point, if you are unsure about whether you are definitely looking to move, be honest when you are speaking with us about opportunities. We are more than happy to grab a coffee and have a chat around what opportunities are out there, assess your CV and talk about what the next steps would be best for you and FYI we will be brutally honest here. If it is not the right time for you to move we will say (and have done in the past), equally if we believe we have an amazing opportunity for you we will shout it from the roof tops (figuratively of course!)

What does the next role look like?

Secondly, what are you looking for? This sounds vague but when it comes down to it and the discussions are in place, you will soon know. On the whole, a key thing for candidates, believe it or not, is the title of their next role. Everyone wants to see that they are progressing and are gaining responsibility and respect, often this primarily lies in what a title suggests. A title however can be something of a debate within e-commerce Digital Marketing. As mentioned previously titles can be the same in one company as the other but salary and responsibilities can be dramatically different. What I am saying here is have an idea of what you believe is your next step, let us know, and we will ensure positions of that level will be the ones we discuss with you. It is just important here to understand that if we come to you with a digital marketing exec position and a digital marketing coordinator position that these will be on the same level as what you are asking just within that particular companies their team titles may differ. This is particularly evident with varying sized companies.

So, why could you look at e-commerce roles in comparison to agency side and find them beneficial?

1. Investment in you as a candidate to train you in e-commerce marketing, client side.
2. A brand you can invest in and develop your skill set, learn more beyond just the advertising agency remit for clients.
3. Progression opportunities with the company, the sector and therefore competitors.
4. A 'Family' like culture can exist client side. Everyone is focussed on delivering for that brand, you all have the same goal, to make the company the best it possibly can be!
5. Great company benefits. Obviously this is a generalisation but every company I have worked with recently have some fantastic benefits whether that be discounts, sample sales or group beers on a Friday afternoon!

Speak to us, be clear on what you are looking for but also be open to suggestions. Job specs aren't always as black and white as they seem there is often more flexibility in a position and companies will always want to play on your best strengths whether that be social media, blogging, PPC, SEO or any other skill. Also, it is always okay to ask questions, we will always answer them the best we can and if we can't we will find out the answers for you, it is what we are here for! We will help you in any way we can and all we ask of you is honesty and transparency. Tell us if you have had an offer or other interviews that may clash and be honest with us about your interest levels in the position and any concerns you may have.

On that note, I look forward to working with you in the New Year!