Katy Hetherington’s Post

I am overwhelmed by the incredible engagement on my recent post about transferable skills. It’s received more than 650,000 impressions, over 2,000 reactions, 100 comments, and 78 reposts in about a week. When I wrote it, I wanted to remind myself that I can add a lot of value in business and that I'm more than just my job title. I honestly didn't realise the topic would resonate with so many of you. On LinkedIn, the gold really is in the comments, and I’ve learned a lot. There were some great insights and perspectives, and it's my intention to lift these up. Special shoutouts to: Frank Tingle for highlighting the importance of competencies over experiences in education. Mick Flaherty CV Writer, CPRW, FIoL for sharing how ex-military personnel can leverage their skills. Komal Parekh,RPR,CRS,CIS for a fantastic example of transitioning from teaching to a new career. I’ll be writing some follow-up posts with these perspectives in mind in the coming weeks to keep the conversation going. There's many of you who I'd love to connect with also. It'll take me some time to reach out, so I appreciate your patience! #transferableskills #decisonmaking #jobsearch #communications

Skills in various industries are transferable and are, arguably, an advantage.

People of PR: what questions do you ask when you're interviewing entry-level staff? For more senior roles, it's fairly straightforward, as you chat a lot about experience, what they feel they excel at, how they approached things, etc., etc. But for entry-level staff, it's a little bit harder. What we tend to look for is an understanding of PR, what news is, and the basics of how to write. Beyond that, if they're organised and enthusiastic, we can teach them. So we ask: 🤔 Why do you want to work in PR? 🤔 What is your understanding of the difference between PR and advertising? 🤔 How does a PR agency serve its clients? 🤔 What makes a good news story? 🤔 What are your strengths and weaknesses? 🤔 What types of clients do you want to work with? They're a bit ronseal, but they do a job. What do you ask? Am I missing any killer questions? #publicrelations #internjobs #jobs

In today's competitive job market, landing your dream job in the marketing field can be challenging. With countless applicants vying for limited positions, standing out from the crowd is essential. Whether you're a recent graduate or a seasoned professional looking to advance your career, these five tips will help you navigate the hiring process and secure your next role in the dynamic world of marketing. Visit our website to read the blog.

I've been through a few rounds of recruiting people now and it never really gets easier. So Dean Connelly’s advice on CVs makes a lot of sense to me. (https://lnkd.in/eH6RsxAN; PRmoment) The recruitment process is often pressurised and recruiters/hiring managers/company owners are sifting through A LOT of CVs in a short amount of time. Here are a few of my own tips to supplement the useful article above: ✨ Be concise: hiring managers know exactly what they are looking for, so having clear job titles and key words that are relevant to the role are crucial. ✨Be really targeted: some aspects of your CV may not be relevant to the role you’re applying to, so tailor it to match the requirements and experience needed for the role. You don't need a detailed description of a 2-week internship you did five years ago, for instance. ✨Be ready to explain yourself: if your credentials don't quite fit the role, be prepared and willing to explain why your skillset makes you the right person for the job. More resources on our website: 💡 How to get a job in marketing https://lnkd.in/eAZ--bMx 💡 What do you need to be a marketer? https://lnkd.in/e4nHsuHa #prjobs #jobs #recruitment #CV

A degree in communications can open doors to a diverse range of career #opportunities, offering a blend of #creativity, strategic thinking, and interpersonal #skills. As the landscape of media, marketing, and #technology evolves, the value of communication expertise continues to grow, #leading to a variety of high-paying job prospects. A degree in #communications offers a pathway to numerous high-paying #careers across various industries. From public relations and #marketing to media planning and digital #content strategy, the skills acquired in a communications program are highly valued in today’s #job market. By leveraging their expertise in messaging, #media relations, and strategic thinking, communications #graduates can secure lucrative roles that offer both financial rewards and #professional fulfillment. #MassComm #DigitalMedia

A quick skim through any job ads for communications roles and you'll undoubtedly see: 'High-level written and verbal communication skills.' To which I say... Duh. In fact, most of the skills listed in these ads are just tactical skills that can be taught. They don't reflect the *real* skills strategic communicators need that can't be taught, they can only be developed with the help of great mentors and experience, and a learning mindset. For example: - Business acumen (I cannot stress enough how important this is if you want to be taken seriously as a strategic advisor) - Relationship building - The ability to adapt quickly, and often, sometimes multiple times a day! - Influencing and negotiating to get the outcomes you need - Making the complex simple (a skill that takes a lot of time to master) ... and more. So my call to hiring managers and recruiters is this - think about the strategic skills that will add value to your team, not just the tactical stuff, if you really want that role to make a difference. Have I missed anything from this list? Let me know! [Image description: A list of the skills people think we need as comms professionals, vs what we actually need. The 'think we need' list includes tactical, low-level skills like creating campaigns and managing channels. The 'actually need' includes interpersonal and strategic skills, like business acumen and relationship building.] #jobs #communications #career

I couldn’t agree more with Mel Loy perspective here. As a recruiter, I see firsthand how job matching goes far beyond the list of technical skills that many job ads focus on. While it’s true that skills like writing and verbal communication are essential, they are just the tip of the iceberg for a truly effective communications professional. Focus on the strategic, interpersonal qualities that will help your new hire truly add value, lead change, and thrive in a dynamic environment. That's how you’ll find someone who will truly make a difference. #JobMatching #Communications #StrategicComms #Hiring #Career

I left my job role at the beginning of June and I've applied for over 300 jobs, as you can imagine not everyone has got back to me. I had an interview for job role and I never got it due to them presuming I wouldn't do well in a role of a national brand (may I add I've worked with international brands for over 10 years!) I am passionate, hardworking and I will live and breathe any brand I work with, what do people want from me!? 🤯 I've applied for social media manager roles, digital marketing roles, events manager, social media assistant and I get the same response of your either not qualified enough which shows they haven't read my CV or my portfolio or they aren't moving forward. I've redone my CV 3 times with assistance and I've added to my portfolio. So if you read this and you want someone with over 10 years experience in the social media world, can offer remote and want someone passionate then please give me a chance because honestly I don't know what else I can do. In return I will provide great conversation (I love a good chat), hardworking, talk about how much I love my kids and just learn from you because even with all my experience the learning never ever ends and there's no shame in saying that. I've babbled on enough, I'm frustrated with the jobs market and just want that change because I'm lost! #recruitment #jobsearch #marketing #socialmediamanger

Assumptions I Had About the Communications Industry Before I Started Working 1. I thought communication jobs were fun. This has proven to be true, it is a lot of hard work, but it is work that I enjoy. Our work allows us to be creative and do tasks that are outside of “traditional” work duties. Some of our tasks involve writing, which I love, conceptualising and implementing marketing campaigns, taking pictures, designing product packages and logos, planning events, social media management, media liaison, and crafting catchy messaging amongst other tasks. All these tasks need to be strategically aligned with the organisation's goals. 2. I thought communications was all glitz and glam. This is not true, yes when you work for certain organisations you get to organise and attend glamorous events. But you are usually not enjoying the flashing lights, but rather responsible for ensuring that the lights do flash when they need to. You are responsible for ensuring that the venue is branded accordingly, in some organisations this means carrying heavy material and branding items to do the actual setting up. You are responsible for ensuring the program runs smoothly and all the speakers are lined up as should be. Not so glamourous after all, but very rewarding when you see an event you have planned for weeks or months come together beautifully. 3. I thought career progression would be quicker. This has proven to be harder than imagined, as an experienced communications professional I now know that you need to work very hard to get ahead. Even hard work does not guarantee growth, you need to either study further, network with people who have influence, do a short course, or any other avenue that will help you set yourself apart from other candidates. The reality is that our industry is saturated, we are all trying to progress in our careers, and competition is tight. What assumptions did you make about your industry before you entered the job market? #LessonsFromMyCareerJourney #CorporateCommunicationsProfessional