Good, Is Not Good Enough…
Have you ever heard someone say: “I can’t believe they didn’t give me the job, I have all the experience they want, I could have done it standing on my head”? Working in recruitment for the last ten years, I’ve heard this statement an awful lot. What many job seekers fail to realize is that having the experience to do the job is never a guarantee of getting a job offer or even progressing to a second interview. The fact you can do the job isn’t really that useful.
Standing Out in Interviews
I believe that on average, a company will interview at least six candidates for a single vacancy, and in pretty much every instance, all of the candidates interviewed will be able to do the job. A company decides to interview a candidate because they see the person has the required experience on paper. They then choose to interview multiple candidates to find the ‘best person’ for the job, not just someone who can do it.
Going to an interview and simply demonstrating that you can do the job is not going to get you a job offer. You need to prove, in just 60 minutes, why you’re the best person for the job, better than anyone else they might interview that same day or week. So, are you sure you’re the best person for the job, and what steps are you taking to ensure this will always be the case?
Understanding Industry Best Practices
One way to ensure you’re the best person for the job is by knowing more about industry ‘best practice’ than anyone else the company is likely to interview. Most companies want to hire an internal comms professional who understands best practice and can discuss the internal comms industry, not just their own experience. When asked about best practice, nine out of ten internal comms professionals will talk about their current or last role. However, discussing your own role does not demonstrate best practice unless you can compare and contrast your personal experience with the broader comms market.
When was the last time you read a book on Communications, Social Media, or Employee Engagement? When was the last time you attended an industry conference and listened to the thoughts, ideas, and experiences of others? When was the last time you picked up an industry magazine or engaged in a best practice conversation on LinkedIn?
Learning from Others
I interviewed an internal comms professional a few weeks ago who told me about the three books he had read since the start of the year, all covering the latest thinking on communications, engagement, and social media in the workplace. He also shared insights from a recent industry event he attended, highlighting the thinking of other high-profile comms leaders. This candidate stood out because he could discuss industry best practices and approaches employed in other companies outside of his own.
Sometimes, to be the best at what you do, you need to look beyond your own experience and organization. Benchmark yourself against industry best practices and take action to fill in personal development gaps where they exist.
Benchmarking and Networking
I often challenge internal comms job seekers with a simple question: “Tell me about three market-leading companies (not including any previous employers) and their approach to internal communications.” The ability to answer this question with interesting, relevant, and succinct responses often marks a good versus great candidate.
If you’re unsure you can talk about best practices outside of your own employer, it might be time to look outside your organization, research, review, and embrace the thinking of others and the market more broadly. There are several ways to benchmark yourself or your team against others. VMAGROUP has developed a specific industry event to help you do just this.
The VMA IC Showcase
The VMA IC Showcase is a unique peer-to-peer internal communications event for organizations across the UK. Open to Internal Communications teams of all shapes and sizes, now in its fifth year, the IC Showcase gives your whole team the opportunity to share your proudest accomplishments with your peers in Internal Communications. Present your biggest success story from the last 12 months, swap tips with other IC professionals, and return to the office with fresh, new ideas that could work for you.
The event provides an opportunity to network with other internal communications professionals over drinks and dinner, and at the end of the night, we celebrate the best presentations with our unique, peer-voted awards. There’s no better way to get a view of best practice in the internal communications sector. It’s like reading a book on best practice, in just one day!
By Andrew Harvey, Head of Internal Communications Practice
If you are interested in finding out how we can help you develop your career in internal communications, please call one of our experienced consultants today: Sara Tehrani for permanent opportunities, or Matt Gibbs for interim opportunities. Read more about our internal communications practice here.
