Can’t Find an Advertising Job? Get Noticed by Improving Your Online Presence

The job market is a tough one these days. Competition is at an all-time high and the creative fields are experiencing something of a renaissance as they offer a plethora of advantages and align more closely with the trends of what society values in life. One of the keys to snagging a coveted career in Advertising is proving your skills before you get the job. How do you do that? By getting noticed through your online presence or at least making sure that what hiring managers can find about you and your work is impressive.

That’s right, hiring managers are also using unconventional measures to screen candidates and when it comes down to a few top choices, you better believe that they research on the Internet – your social media, your website, any membership organizations, even your public Yelp reviews might give them an idea of the person you are and if you’d fit into their company culture.

Let’s explore some of the way to not only improve but also enhance your online presence so all that your efforts match you output.

A Simple Guide to Improving Your Online Presence

1. Know your Added Value 

Simply put, don’t advertise something you can’t or don’t want to be doing. For example, if you love to illustrate but you don’t like composing layouts; highlight the work you want to get hired for instead of the work you’ve done that you no longer want to do. This will inevitably be the most value you provide to a company – when your passion aligns with work effort.

2. Use Multiple Platforms 

You can’t simply be on Behance and expect recruiters to come calling. When you’re looking for a job, no platform is off limits to promote yourself and get noticed – you never know where that lucky break will come from. Tailor your approach for each platform, keeping in mind the audiences that use it, and then present your work or at least a link to your work where they can find more.

3. Network with others in your industry, especially influencers

Being a student of your trade is highly undervalued. If you want to work in the advertising field, you must see what others are doing, not for competition, but for inspiration and collaboration. Even professionals who are higher up in their field are more accessible through social media than ever. Engaging with them in a small, consistent way is how you network online, so get started today.

4. Share Content from those in your industry, especially leaders

In tandem with the former point, sharing their work will be much appreciated and serves the dual purpose of featuring what you are all about as well. If you share an image that clearly has a strong message, that shows you recognize powerful marketing. If you share the latest campaign from a famous agency, it shows you paying attention to your industry.

5. Use Free Publicity

In essences, all social media is free publicity. Many other websites might have pay-to-play features but usually, allow you to sign up and partake with certain limitations. Use all of them. As stated in a previous point, you could be present on that platform even if it’s just to share a link to your website or portfolio.

6. Create Content

When you are an authority on a subject matter, it makes you a desirable candidate for a position within that same realm. Create something that you share for free to your followers and the Advertising community at large. From a simple PDF with a resource guide to a graphic banner can be a subtle way to advertise your skills, connect with your community at large, and get noticed.

7. Become an Authority

Another benefit that comes from creating free content and adding value online is that it promotes you as an authority on that subject. Companies notice those who take this kind of initiative to engage and see it as that most important soft skill – self-starting. It’s within your control, so hustle hard to create, share, and network.

8. Be Authentic and Approachable

All this said, it’s easy to think you can take a weekend and be an overnight success with these pieces of advice. The truth is, it takes time to build genuine relationships with online communities and to gain traction for the work you put out there either in the form of likes, reposts, shares, or comments. Enjoy the process and be yourself throughout – recruiters can tell the difference.

With this list of ideas for getting noticed online, you might think it’s distracting from the actual job-hunting process. In no way is today’s job search similar to what it was even 5 years ago. Take the time to improve your existing online presence and then enhance with these simple steps.

Want to Improve Your Advertising Skills?

At Florida International University, our Global Strategic Communications master’s program helps you gain the skills to be confident in all your endeavors and especially aims to prepare students for the global marketplace. Contact Grizelle De Los Reyes, Director of the FIU-MAS Creative Track Program by filling out our contact form to learn more.

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