Recent FAQs
Since a lot of people that we speak with each day tend to ask similar questions, I thought I would start up a new series on our blog to address some of the common threads and issues that we face every so often. Here are a few that we have been asked pretty often lately:
Question:Â How is the job market?
Answer: Spotty. In general, web analytics and search marketing (our primary areas of expertise) are both beating the heck out of the rest of the economy. There are certainly good people in these communities that are not working, but fewer than in the vast majority of disciplines and for shorter periods.
The contract market is still pretty hot, with a high volume of full-time and part-time positions being filled across verticals.
Question:    I have education and/or experience that is related to web analytics, but I am having a hard time breaking into the field. What can I do to bridge the gap?
Answer: There are really three things that we recommend that can bolster your credentials:
- Training. There are some nice options available, either vendor-sponsored training (Google, Omniture, Webtrends, Coremetrics, etc.) or independent entities. We usually recommend the UBC certificate program that is sponsored by the Web Analytics Association.  The major conferences also host a couple of days of hard-core training. eMetrics training is always pretty widely attended and praised. The training at X Change conference is also awesome – you do hands-on analysis projects with some of the top professionals in the field…
- Certification. HR people and hiring managers love credentialing. The Web Analytics Association has started offering tests that allow you to call yourself CERTIFIED.  The word gives a hiring manager a warm, cozy feeling.
- Experience. If you can’t get hired, volunteer. Find non-profits and small companies that don’t have the budget for web analytics professionals and offer your services. Eric Peterson (web analytics demystified) recently launched a service to the web analytics community called the Analysis Exchange for this very purpose… connecting newbie’s to organizations in need. It is a win win.
Question: I keep sending my resume to companies for jobs that I KNOW I am qualified for, but I am getting no response. What am I doing wrong?
Answer: Stop doing that.
When you find a position that looks interesting and relevant to your skills and experience, you MUST network to a stakeholder within the company. Shooting your resume through the website or through a job site and waiting for HR to call is a very low percentage play.
Use your social media and real world connections to get your resume onto the desk of the hiring manager or a likely influencer in the process. NETWORK.
Those are just a few of the more common questions. We will post more shortly…
Is the job seeker assured of getting a job?
You mentioned that waiting for HR to call is not the way to look for a job. HR looks for a number of things.
People are using the social media more and more. However, some (in one or two countries) question the authenticity of information available in the social media as a way of obtaining referrals for jobs.
So, what is the best option available to job seekers these days?
Those who have no work experience face something like a “double jeopardy.” They are “punished” for not being employed. Moreover, when employed in a job that is not truly connected to their academic qualification, they are again “punished” for not having the skills needed to do the job well.
There are a few different questions here. No, the job seeker is not assured of getting a job. Working in a hot field like web analytics or search marketing guarantees you nothing. The best option for job seekers is to honestly assess their skills, experience and motivation and then network themselves to analytics and marketing executives in companies that are likely to value their profile. You can do this via recruiters that have deep networks in your professional community and/or through social media.
I don’t think that people with no experience are “punished”. They are simply not valuable. If they want to break into a new field they need to obtain training, credentialing/certification and experience. Many are volunteering their newfound skills to small and non-profit organizations to gain experience. They act resourcefully.