Our North York Sales & Marketing office works with clients to source talent for their Business Development, Marketing & Communications, Creative, and Supply Chain roles. Sara Gregory, Partner with Recruiting in Motion, is sharing her top tips for both candidates and clients specializing in these industries:
Candidates
- Always put your best foot forward
Sara says the candidates her team places are serious about their career trajectory, and how they present themselves to others can help exemplify that path.
“This means everything from arriving on time, to dressing professionally, and even having a solid handshake,” Sara says. “If you are interviewing with an agency, remember they are representing the future employer.”
Recruiting in Motion typically takes a brief video at the end of the interview, which enables a candidate to show that they are well put together and articulate. It also allows a candidate to showcase their presentation skills, which Sara identifies as a particularly important skill for client facing roles like sales or marketing.
- Tailor your resume to your position
Sara identifies that when a company or agency first reviews your resume, they usually have two or three key needs in mind.
“For example, a National Account Manager role might require experience with a specific retailer, fluency in French, and a willingness to travel 50% of the time,” Sara explains.
When you are applying to a job, it’s important to tailor your resume so the key requirements jump out at hiring manager.
Sara recommends incorporating them in to your highlights section at the top of your resume, while also making sure each role listed under your work experience touches upon these key needs.
“If your standard bullet reads, ‘work in harmony with retail merchants and planning department to identify niche opportunities,’ you might tweak it to read ‘work in both French and English with retail merchants across Canada, including Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and Costco, to identify niche opportunities’,” Sara explains.
Clients
- Identify three things the successful candidate will bring to the table
Prior to starting the interview process, Sara recommends identifying the three key characteristics or skills the successful candidate must possess.
“Ask every single candidate the same three questions and document their answers,” Sara says. “This will help you avoid the tendency to trust your gut.”
Candidates in sales and marketing tend to be very good at presentation and persuasion. It’s important to minimize that influence so you are making a clear and rational decision.
You can contact the Recruiting in Motion – North York Sales & Marketing office via email: [email protected] or [email protected]
