Ask Gill

Welcome to Ask Gill - ask us a career question and we will endeavour to answer it.

If you have a question or career quandary, you can 'Ask Gill' by emailing chantelle.kolistasi@seldongill.com

Q & As

Q. I am about to start looking for another job, and want to engage a recruiter to help me, but I have never used one before.  How should I prepare? 

 A. I am glad you have felt able to ask this question, as we often take our relationship with candidates for granted, assuming that they know how the process works and what is expected of them.  The prime thing that you should consider is which agency you want to represent you, research the agency and make sure it understands your industry, and then approach them and have an honest and open dialogue with them as to what you are ideally looking for.

Embarking on a job search can be stressful, but this stress can be limited if you focus on exactly what it is you are looking for and that you have considered things such as job location, job description, salary level and type of firm you want to work with.

You should also make sure that you have prepared a fully up to date resume, that is well presented, easy to read and in a logical order.  You would be surprised by how many cv's we receive that have spelling mistakes, unreadable fonts and poor grammar (not a great selling document for a career in professional services!)

Above all, you need to develop a relationship with your recruiter that is based on a mutual respect and trust that a) they know the market; and where you should position yourself within it, and b) they understand your experience and are clear about what you want.

For more information about this subject visit the Careers Toolkit section on our website to read about how to put together a winning CV and to listen to our podcast 'Working with your Recruiter"

Q. Are personal interests, activities and voluntary work good for my CV - not just my soul? 

A. We don't need to tell you but professional services marketers are some of the most highly motivated, self-starting, team-playing, robust, empathetic and active people we know! Many have great interests and outstanding achievements to their name - not to mention big hearts when it comes to giving back. So when it comes to writing your CV, these extra-curricular activities are useful for giving future employers a practical way of seeing your other motivations and what drives you. However obscure you might think some of your activities are, employers can get a real indication of your people skills, how you might fit into their team and what a well-rounded individual you are.

Not surprisingly, not-for-profit and voluntary work go a long way as activities you can include on your CV. A philanthropic mindset is a good indicator of your self-motivation, mentoring capabilities and cultural fit with a firm - you might even demonstrate an alignment with your firm's values. All in all, there are definite social, mental and professional benefits from being involved in the greater good! So be proud to include what you get up to outside work (within reason of course..!).

Q. I am currently preparing for a first interview for a marketing executive role. I have prepared for the types of questions I expect to be asked, but what should I be asking them?

A. Congratulations on securing an interview, this is a great achievement in the current competitive climate.  We all know preparing for any interview, be it your first or final, is important and it requires quite a bit of time and dedication. In your haste to learn about the firm and thinking about relevant examples that demonstrate your skills and experience, it is also important to give some time to considering what you might ask them.

Asking questions provides you with an opportunity to find out more about the firm and its culture, as well as more detail about the role and their expectations of the incumbent at different time periods, e.g. key objectives for the first 3, 6 and 12 months. It also allows you to ask about priorities and the challenges facing the role. Importantly, you can also use your questions to highlight what you can bring to the role, for example, if you have great online skills, ask how much time the role will focus on the web because IT experience is something you can offer.

Remember, there are lots of good questions to ask but they should demonstrate that you have put some thought into them.    

For more information about this subject, visit the Careers Toolkit section on our website to read more interview tips and how best to prepare. Good luck!

Q. I have just been appointed Marketing Manager. I know I am hired for my marketing expertise but I find it hard to stay creative in what sometimes feels like a very uncreative environment. What can I do to ignite my creativity once again?

A. We often hear from candidates who find that after the day-to-day runnings of their professional services workplace - with deadlines that were yesterday and partner needs to attend to - their marketing and creative genius can fall by the wayside. Being creative is generally one of the great assets a marketer has and, though some fantastic ideas are there, sometimes you just need a good kick-start to bring them to the fore.

Firstly, it is important that you take the time to THINK, THINK, THINK! Marketing people tend to be run off their feet and never take the time to sit and have some proper time-out to think. All ideas should be welcomed initially; so don't be negative and limit yourself. Quality does yield, and good ideas do evolve. It might be a case of you keeping a journal or ideas book - so what you can't do now, you have record for later (or an ok thought today might spin-off to a genius idea tomorrow!). Take rip-outs from magazines - graphics and phrases could be the stimulus you need; and putting pen to paper with brainstorms and mind-mapping are always good places to start. Above all, keeping happy and healthy are great ways to keep your mind open to new ideas and concepts!