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How I Got the Job: Joel Crampton, 30
The job: Marketing manager.
The employer: The Cartwright Cos. is a 76-year-old, family run company headquartered in Grandview. It provides freight forwarding, shipping and household-goods moving services. Cartwright also specializes in moving people employed by the military, government agencies or corporations. Additional services include a custom cut wood box and crate building company, shipping claims servicing and imported goods document filing.
My role: Before I came onboard, most of the marketing activities were sourced to outside consultants. My position was created to take over some of the consultants’ responsibilities as well as to ramp up the marketing campaigns and bring a professional marketing presence to the company’s activities. In the midst of change, I serve as a “quarterback” to spearhead all the campaigns and manage the marketing activities. I was hired because of my experience as a “one-man marketing machine” and my history of working in small-business environments. My key responsibilities include website maintenance and collateral creation, and I handle public relations, advertising, search engine optimization/search engine marketing, communications and marketing strategy.
How long have you been in this position?
I started Sept. 27.
How did you find your job?
I found the position at www.craigslist.org, which is the only place the position was advertised. After I applied, the human resources manager called and scheduled a time for a 30-minute screening interview. I was called back a couple of weeks later and an in-person interview with the hiring manager was scheduled.
A week or so after that, I had an in-person panel interview with the hiring manager, one of the business consultants and the human resources manager. I was asked to present a 30-60-90 day marketing plan at that last interview. I ended up having to try to reschedule that last interview because of an out-of-town funeral I needed to attend. I was afraid I’d miss the opportunity because of that.
I wanted to give the panel an “out,” so I told the interviewers that I’d e-mail them my marketing plan and if they still liked what they saw, asked whether they would reschedule that interview. We were able to reschedule, and I was called the day after it and offered the position.
Is there anything that helped set you apart during the interview?
I think I had good questions; was ready for the interview. There wasn’t much research I could do since it’s a private company, but I was ready in every other way.
What helped the most in the job search?
I did not overwhelm myself by applying for every job that was remotely associated with the type of work I was seeking. Instead, I was strategic in my resume submissions and didn’t compromise on the future career path I was creating for myself.
Did you reach a low point in this process?
I was concerned about finding the right job, but I had the good fortune of being steadily employed throughout my job search. The position I had did not have much room for professional growth, so I would periodically check the job boards at www.careerbuilder.com and www.craigslist.org for positions that appealed to me. I interviewed with more than a few companies, reaching the final interview stages with several of them. However, in each instance, I wasn’t selected for a variety of reasons – the position ended up being filled internally, another candidate had more experience unique to that employer or some other unknown reason. I just kept plugging away, knowing eventually I would find a position that was a good fit for both parties.
What is your best advice for others in the job search?
Don’t limit yourself to a certain industry, especially if you are in marketing. Marketing is marketing. Be willing to take a little risk for the hope of a larger reward. Look for smaller companies who are in a growth phase, and get in on the ground floor of major initiatives. However, any time you switch jobs, you risk being placed at the bottom of the tenure totem pole, so be mindful of that aspect. This is a family-run company in a growth mode, so I feel more secure here than I would have somewhere else.
What is your educational and work experience?
I have a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Missouri (2002) in Columbia and an MBA in marketing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (2008). Previously, I worked in marketing within the insurance and investment industries before making an industry switch to commercial real estate. Again, marketing is marketing. The methodology of targeting customers remains essentially unchanged.
Is there anything else you would like to share related to the job search?
Keep your contacts and references up-to-date. Establish a LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) profile to stay connected to previous employers, vendors and other business.
Sue Babson, Special to The Star
To view the original article, click here.
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