Advice about battling age discrimination abounds. Interview coaches advise job candidates to not wear a watch to interviews since it dates them, to carry a Smartphone since it makes them look young, and never, ever, utter the words, “When I was your age.”

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has seen a 40% increase in age discrimination complaints since 2006, and the AARP reports that: “Once unemployed, older workers are, on average, out of work longer than their younger counterparts… Average duration of unemployment for jobseekers aged 55 and over was 52.4 weeks… This compares to 35.6 weeks for the younger unemployed” (excerpt from June 2011 AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet).

It can be tempting to concede to the discouraging tone of statistics, but in reality what helps anyone – regardless of age – keep or find a job in today’s market is understanding technology. Even print materials now seamless cross into the digital world, appearing electronically and leveraged by social media.

It is crucial that job candidates understand the power and uses of social media and blogging. The digital world is infused into every aspect of business expertise, and is changing everything about how business is done. It is changing market research. It is changing direct marketing. It is changing branding.

Is it changing your approach to work or finding work? It should.

What also must change is the way you present yourself. How do you present yourself?  If you have true genuine energy, enthusiasm, focus in the interview process, that comes through.  If you come through as frustrated and feeling like the deck is stacked against you because you do feel like you’re being discriminated against based on your age, that cynicism will show through as well.  Your mental attitude is incredibly important.

There are excellent resources available to help prepare for an interview. Use them in conjunction with updating Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and taking whatever classes are needed to get up-to-speed on technology (or just sit down and talk with your teenager). Then take off your watch (just in case), pick up your Smartphone, and get into the groove – the digital world awaits you.

About MarketPro:

MarketPro is the leading interim marketing executive and marketing executive search firm in the USA. Whether your need is interim / contract or direct placement, we provide top companies with talent that exceeds expectations both functionally and culturally. Our recruiters know the best marketing talent, because they are experienced marketers. MarketPro places talent in all marketing related disciplines and does so in less time with a higher success ratio than anyone else in the industry.

MarketPro, a WBENC certified business, opens office in Philadelphia to serve customers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.

We are excited to add this location to our current offices in Atlanta and Detroit.

MarketPro – Philadelphia

12^th Floor- East Tower

1500 Market Street,

Philadelphia, PA 19102

About MarketPro:

MarketPro is the leading marketing staffing and marketing recruitment firm in the USA.  Whether your need is interim / contract or direct placement, we provide top companies with talent that exceeds expectations both functionally and culturally.  Our recruiters know the best marketing talent, because they are experienced marketers.  MarketPro places talent all marketing related disciplines and does so in less time with a higher success ratio than anyone else in the industry

Effective marketing is one of the most vital components to getting a startup off the ground. The problem, however, is that most venture-based startups don’t really have the capital to put a seasoned marketing executive in place. Instead, Venture Capitalist-backed startups typically bring in someone with often significantly less experience – and more fiscally palatable salary demands, of course – and throw them directly into the fire.

More often than not,  junior-level professionals simply  can’t develop the   marketing strategy needed for a significant start-up to be successful.   The practical ideas they generate are often very good, but less effective without the benefit of an senior-level perspective for the marketing direction of the company.

So how does a start-up get past these hurdles? Outsourcing the work to agencies or an independent consultant are often more costly than hiring a full-time executive. A much better option is to bring in someone on an interim basis, typically six to nine months, to work with the company’s chief officers in drafting a comprehensive marketing strategy. You get the benefit of having an experienced professional on your team at a crucial time in the company’s development without having to swallow the steep salary that an individual of that caliber would demand over the long haul.

It’s the same general principle as bringing in an experienced software architect at the beginning to help design the entire system. Once everything is in place, you have the flexibility to bring in lower-level employees to implement the ideas. Software development companies don’t have to pay coders anywhere near what they would have to shell out to keep a high-level software architect on the payroll. Marketing is no different. The junior-level employees have an important role to fill, but they are much more valuable to a startup because of their ability to put a plan into action.

About MarketPro:

MarketPro is the leading interim marketing executive and marketing executive search firm in the USA.  Whether your need is interim / contract or direct placement, we provide top companies with talent that exceeds expectations both functionally and culturally.  Our recruiters know the best marketing talent, because they are experienced marketers.  MarketPro places talent in all marketing related disciplines and does so in less time with a higher success ratio than anyone else in the industry.

Marketing Sherpa recently conducted a survey of 1700 BtoB marketers to discover their specific blocks to success. What was their number one obstacle?  62% of all marketers surveyed identify lack of resources in staffing, budgeting or time as the greatest barrier to their marketing success.

The historical solution to that age-old problem was to hire a consultant. But put the word “consultant” at the end of anything, and it quickly gets expensive. Yet on-demand marketing expertise is exactly what Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies need in order to set the pace in today’s ever-changing marketplace. How do the successful ones do it with today’s restricted budgets?  They do it on their own terms – with Interim Marketing Executives.

Companies outsource manufacturing and tech support to work faster, better, cheaper. Finance departments have used interim executives for years. Entire R&D efforts are purchased as companies identify new markets. Ad hoc marketing expertise is  now essential is all competitive business models – Interim Marketing Executives are moving in for brief periods of time, and getting results for  smart companies.

An Interim Marketing Executive is a highly skilled, independent mid- to executive-level professional, hired as needed to quickly integrate into a company and perform a specific task, project, or transition. They are especially effective when a new and impartial perspective is desired, marketing strategy is to be developed or revamped, or when a specific skill set is needed only for  a few months, or years.

In light of this creative solution, smart companies have found a way to take advantage of new, competitive landscapes they would not have been able to in years past.

For example, MarketPro, a national placement firm, helped a multi-billion dollar publicly-held company accomplish just this task. By hiring just one of MarketPro’s Interim Marketing Executives, they were able to launch one of its most successful brands in China. Directly following the strategic development and launch of the brand, MarketPro’s Interim Marketing Executive quickly and seamlessly transferred this strategy and knowledge to the existing staff. The value of the Interim Executive’s service to the long-term business sustainability is unquantifiable in its magnitude.

A nimble workforce has been the goal for a decade. All decision makers have visions of highly qualified personnel switching gears on a moment’s notice and redirecting efforts to new projects seamlessly. What is just now being understood, however, is that these changes need to happen from the top down, and realistically, the best way to achieve this level of flexibility is with interim partners, perfectly paired to a businesses’ needs, and with an unrivaled depth of expertise.

Interim Marketing Executives are the way for businesses  to get the talent they need when they need it, and at a price far more competitive than consulting firms. Free of internal politics, Interim Marketing Executives are utilizing their proven abilities to take savvy companies to the forefront of a new competitive edge.

About MarketPro:

MarketPro is the leading interim marketing executive and marketing executive search firm in the USA.  Whether your need is interim / contract or direct placement, we provide top companies with talent that exceeds expectations both functionally and culturally.  Our recruiters know the best marketing talent, because they are experienced marketers.  MarketPro places talent in all marketing related disciplines and does so in less time with a higher success ratio than anyone else in the industry.

Each year the WBENC has its major conference.  This year MarketPro will be there in full force.  Check out our print ad that will be in the directory handed out to all attendees.  We look forward to seeing you in Vegas.

About MarketPro:

A WBENC certified business, MarketPro is the leading marketing staffing and marketing recruitment firm in the US.  Whether your need is interim / contract or direct placement, we provide top companies with talent that exceeds expectations both functionally and culturally.  Our recruiters know the best marketing talent, because they are experienced marketers.  MarketPro places talent all marketing related disciplines, including creative, digital, communications, market research, brand / product management and direct response.

by Bob Van Rossum

As a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the AMA Executive Advisory Board, I was able to participate in creating a whitepaper on future of marketing. 

On the advisory board are 20 of the brightest marketing minds in Atlanta, including executives from AT&T, Google, Cox Communications, Kodak, Coca-Cola and Arby’s. 

Ken Bernhardt, a panelist and marketing professor at Georgia State University did a great job of summarizing the whitepaper in recent column in the Atlanta Business Chronicle. 

In the whitepaper you will find great information on:

• The changing relationship between brands and consumers.
• Increased demand for personalization.
• The changing role of marketing and the change is skillsets necessary to have a successful marketing career.
• Words of Marketing Advice for 2020.

By Bob Van Rossum

This seems like such a basic part of the job search process, however I am finding more candidates confused about this today than I have seen in during the 12 years I have be in recruiting.

Ultimately you need to send a thank you note to everyone you have interviewed with.  In today’s world the preferred method for such communication is e-mail.

Each letter to needs to be personalized to the recipient and can be used to highlight a point you made in the interview that you believe was important.  Please notice I said to highlight a point, not to create an entirely new line of thought.  This is not the time for I forgot telling them all the things you forgot to bring up during the interviews.

Be humble and grateful, yet confident in your ability to exceed their expectations.  Ultimately people want to work with people who are excited about working with them and for the company.  Please address in your why you are excited about being part of the team.

Timing is also important, if you send the note from your smartphone when you get to the car, you are stalking.  Best time is that evening when you are done with you work day.  If you wait too long it will be hard to convince them you are really excited about the role and company.

Also check out:

Win-Win Salary Negotiation

How to Prepare for an Interview

Career Success Triangle

Our Current Jobs

By Bob Van Rossum

Calling it win-win makes this a cliché and while I hate using cliché’s, unfortunately this is the best description.  Too often in the process, both sides get too focused on themselves and as a result too rigid.  A great deal for company and candidate can easily fall apart by focusing on things that are of little importance. 

If the hiring company gives a little is that better than going to the candidate who is second best?

If the candidate gives a little is that better than staying in a job that has no opportunities for career advancement?

Candidate

For the candidate it is important to remember that you only want to negotiate “go” or “no go” items.  Too often candidates confuse questions with negotiation points.  For example, healthcare is not a negotiable item, so you only need that information to help you make a great decision.  Ask for benefits related information in a separate conversation from you salary negotiation.  Keep the salary negotiation focused and simple. 

Company

Take a second to realize that while this is just business for you, it is very personal for the candidate.  You are working to fit the best candidate into you salary range and have internal equity, the candidate really wants to feed their kids.