Posts Tagged “comms jobs”
If you are interested in finding government communications jobs in NSW, you need to target the right agencies. Here’s a good place to start…
Everything the public service does is governed by strict protocols and guidelines, including the way that it recruits for government communications jobs. For comms jobs seekers interested in finding a public service position one of the best places to start is to register with one of the authorised recruitment agencies used by the NSW government HR people for comms jobs.
Government communications jobs – like many public service positions – are sought after. They are well paid, the working environments are generally comfortable, they have reasonable job security and offer a real work life balance. People want to work in government, so targeting the right agencis can be a good way to get your head start in finding your next government communications job before the competition gets it first.
For government communications job in New South Wales, the list of relevant recruitment agencies is short. The following companies are preferred recruitment agencies for the NSW Government dealing with recruitment of areas of expertise which (roughly) incorporate communications:
As is often the case with recruitment companies, none of these agencies specifically list communications or public relations categories. But they do have loosely relevant fields and they are certainly the agencies that NSW government recruiters use, particularly for short-term contracts which are not advertised on the larger job boards like Seek or Mycareer.
It is worth sending through your CV to each of these agencies (and follow up with them if you don’t hear back from them) and checking their websites regularly for listings.
Like with all recruitment companies it is not just about whether they have the right jobs on their books, it is also about whether you are on their radar. Recruiters sell job placements. They are dependent on successful placements and on turnover. As a result, they are busy filling one position while working on getting the next one in place. And they deal in volume. So, if you are not on their radar then it won’t make a difference that you may be the perfect person for the job.
Marjorie Solomon is the founder and editor of Talking Comms Jobs. She has 15 years communications experience and is probably still a job seeker.
This week Mashable ran a story about strange interview questions based on survey results compiled by US-based jobs site Glassdoor. Here’s a sample of the questions:
“How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday?” — Asked at Google, Vendor Relations Manager candidate
“If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” — Asked at Hewlett-Packard, Product Marketing Manager candidate
“How would you cure world hunger?” — Asked at Amazon.com, Software Developer candidate
Some of these questions are so absurd that if I had been facing them it would have taken a great deal for me not to want to call an interview quits immediately and run, fearing that I was being interviewed by either a bunch of pretentious fools or lunatics. (I mean, really, are these the sort of people you want to work for?)
Obviously, these companies are considered to be employers of choice and most potential candidates would probably expect their interviewing process to be a little out of the ordinary. Fortunately, most employers don’t have such reputations for extraordinariness to uphold and, in most instances, our interview experiences are a little more reliable and run-of-the-mill.
But we still need to be as prepared and ready as we can be for the experience. If we can assume that we won’t have to field questions like those above, what sort of questions should we expect?
Glassdoor has a list of 50 common interview questions that are worth glancing at in advance of an interview. It also gives you a chance to think about who you are professionally and what you are expecting to bring to the job, as well as what you are hoping to get from the company and the position.
I quite enjoy interviews and have had a reasonable strike rate over the years. My approach tends to be:
- Research the company thoroughly; read through its website; Google any news or chat about the company. And, of course, we are talking about jobs in communications, so research the big issues affecting it, its business and its reputation.
- Keep in sight who you are and what you have done to get to this moment; refresh your familiarity with your CV, remember what experience you have… your achievements, your skills, what things you would do differently etc. I know it seems crazy that you might have to swot up on your own professional history, but if you are anything like me, sometimes it’s easy to forget the details.
- Re-read the job ad and your application letter.
- Know your own story. Determine the image you want to project – as a professional persona and in terms of your career trajectory. Be prepared for questions about your plans for the future (although I must admit I have never had to field such a question).
- Be prepared to engage. You may well be asked if you have any questions: have a number that demonstrate your understanding of the company, its issues and perhaps how well you know your job.
It is also extremely important is to be relaxed, yourself and as charming and/or amusing as the occasion and your nerves will allow (I know this is often easier said than done). I find a shared moment of amusement goes a long way towards scoring a second interview or a job offer.
I welcome any thoughts you may have.
Best of luck!
Marjorie Solomon is the founder and editor of Talking Comms Jobs. She has 15 years communications experience and is probably still a job seeker.
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