I normally don’t even bother responding to generic emails that indicate a person is looking for a job when they are too lazy to spend enough time on my website to learn my name and at least a rough idea of what the company does. However, every once in a while I get in one of those moods where I want to take a stand on the soapbox and spread the word to the people. Here is an email conversation I just had to that effect (this is me leveraging existing content).
— Job Seeker First Email —
(Name)
— My Reply —
Mass-emailed resumes are not appreciated.
— Job Seeker Reply —
My submission was NOT a “mass email”. I do apologize if you were offended. I live in (town) and am interested in getting my ‘foot’ in the door of a marketing firm and I wasn’t sure how to contact your company.
You have a good day just the same.
(Name)
— My Reply —
Generic then at best – you didn’t even take the time to put a subject in the email or address it to anyone at the company. You didn’t do anything to express any knowledge of or interest in what our firm does.
In fact, it looks like you found our site in MSN and then only viewed the first page you were on for a few seconds before clicking directly on the “contact” page. Had you taken 5 minutes to look around the site you would clearly see my name and then could email me personally, which I would have been much more receptive to.
I normally just delete these b/c I get dozens each week looking for a job, but every once in a while I take a stand on the soapbox and try and help people out. My advice is to focus on quality rather than quantity. If someone sends me a personal email that shows they spent a little time learning about my firm, and can address me personally than I’m more likely to give them a few minutes of my attention and consider what they have to say. If you want to get your foot in the door with a marketing firm, as you said, I suggest you begin to understand that effective marketing is about targeting and reaching your market in a way they are receptive to. If you fail to do this and instead think the best way is to spend 30 seconds on 100 sites, just long enough to get their contact info and then send then a non-personalized email than believe me – you won’t have much luck. That’s the essence of marketing – reaching your market. If a business owner or hiring manager of a marketing firm is your market, than you’d better prove your ability as a marketer and reach them via something more than a generic email.
— Job Seeker Reply —
I have to say… I’m glad this didn’t work out.
— My Reply —
The most basic element is being able to market one’s self. If someone makes a weak generic pitch to me for a job, I’m certainly not going to consider hiring them. If they can’t market themselves how are they going to market clients?
Anyhow, best of luck in all of your endeavors. I was merely trying to provide a little advice. Take it however you may.
— End —
Sometimes I just get in funny moods, especially when it comes to solicitations – sales people, job seekers, spam emailers, etc. 🙂
Jon,
Your email replies are certainly well put, however after finding your job advertisement on Craigslist it does beg the question as to what type of talent you expect to hire when the right resume does come along.
You specifically request you want someone on site at your location and you offer to pay this part time position an hourly wage of $10 to $12 per hour. Frankly the person who emailed you about a job will likely make a similar wage at the Gap this holiday season, even though the skills you request include:
HTML coding
CSS and table-less design
Familiarity with javascript
Knowledge of contact forms
Intermediate to Advanced experience with DreamWeaver
Experience designing and/or managing website content
I’ll be impressed if someone with those skillsets is willing to drive to your office for such a wage, especially when your own firm’s rates (http://www.ephricon.com/services/pricing/) appear plausibly steep as well.
Thanks for your comments Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous. Allow me to respond:
1) This original post from back in May (about 6 months ago) was me venting after a little frustration. I admit much of the content of this original post was probably “a bit much”.
2) The job posting I have now on Craigslist for the Web Designer / SEO position is a new position not related to this particular post, though the positions involved were similar.
3) The position is a part-time position that is also advertised as an internship. I am looking for someone with some experience, yet that experience does not necessarily need to be professional. It can be hobby sites, etc.
I graduated from college (undergrad) only a couple of years ago myself, and at the time $10-12 an hour for most of my classmates was seen as a pretty good rate for an internship. Many internships are not paid at all. The general notion is that the student is gaining some work experience and college credit for the position, and as such the compensation should not be equated to what an experienced professional would make in a similiar position.
4) The $10-12 per hour rate I posted is DOE – depending upon experience. Should I find someone with some programming skills and/or some graphics or skills in addition to all of the above I can go higher than $12/hour. I find its best to underpromise and overdeliver. If I post the job as $15-20 per hour than I have no flex room to pay $10-12 should I find someone I like but who has little experience and limited skills and cannot justify the higher rate. By putting a rate I know I am okay with paying I leave myself some flex room should someone who brings alot to the table require a higher rate.
5) I believe that for just the skillset listed above with no graphics or programming aptitude to speak of that the $10-12 is a fair rate. I researched a few similar internships and part-time positions and this seemed to fit in line.
As I mentioned, I was a college intern not long ago and I worked for a firm of similar size to my firm and had a role similar to the above position. I started at $10 and went up to $13. Then after a year I graduated and moved on in my career, starting my own firm.
In retrospect I may have done better to qualify two of the requirements… I could remove the “advanced” bit from the DreamWeaver line and just say “intermediate” experience required. Additionally, I could say “some” experience with regarding the designing and/or managing website content and then perhaps mention that personal or hobby sites may be sufficient.
5) I’ve had a decent bit of interest in this position already.
6) How can you judge my firm’s prices when you do not know what goes into those prices? Our clients receive a phenominal ROI from our services, and we offer tremendous value.
That all said, our pricing as posted on our website is not necessarily 100% accurate. Listing pricing on a website is a strategy in its own sense. If you list very low pricing you are likely to get more inquiries. If you list high pricing, you’ll get less inquiries but you’ll know more of those firms are qualified in terms of their expected budgets for the campaign. Since we’re swamped with work right now, I’d rather get fewer, better leads than more, lower-likelihood leads. Thus the higher pricing. That’s our rate to take NEW projects, b/c it means we’ll need to hire more staff. That’s not necessarily what we charge our CURRENT clients.
Time goes by, we get better, we raise our rates, long-term clients keep the same rates and get an even better value.
Further, we don’t bill for a fair amount of extras that go along with the services. I believe its impossible to accurately compare pricing and value between service firms unless you really have a great deal of information – far more than you’ll read on a website in 5 minutes of time.
7) If you don’t want the job as described, than don’t bother to apply. Simple.
I feel your pain! Looking for the right canditate (my spelling bites by the way) Is a tedious job. I ran across your email in attempt to find the right team without breaking the bank. Where are these people!! Im beginning to think its worth the dime.