Why hiring managers shouldn’t put knowledge before talent.
Obviously knowledge is important, but for most marketing and copywriter positions, my advice is to hire the most talented candidate regardless of their background in a particular industry. Knowledge of the company, industry, media, management system, etc., can be quickly learned.
Talent can’t be taught.
You cannot train someone to become an effective marketer or writer. They come with the ability or they don’t.
Let’s be clear. I’m not talking about knowledge of marketing or copywriting. A prerequisite for talent is extensive knowledge of your craft.
But in many cases, the hiring manager seems to be more interested in whether you have a background in XYZ industry or experience with a particular medium than your ability to achieve marketing objectives.
Trust me, an experienced and talented marketer or copywriter can quickly come up to speed. Yes, they may take a little longer than someone already familiar with the industry, but in the end, the marketing strategy and communications will be more effective.
OK, so how do you identify a highly talented marketer or copywriter?
Closely examine their track record of marketing successes – not project management or administrative work, but actual marketing achievements. Did they simply ride a wave of product popularity or the coattails of talented team members? Did they help the company grow faster than the market by taking market share away from competitors – the true measure of marketing prowess.
In today’s slow growth, hyper-competitive world, clients need real help, not hyperbole. So drill down into a candidate’s particular contributions; what they did, their thought process and how it helped achieve objectives. There should be numerous examples from a variety of situations.
Here’s a simplified example, but may illustrate my point. Imagine you’re recruiting for a running back for the Canadian Football League. They play on a larger field and have different rules than the NFL. Would you pass up an NFL star running back not familiar with the CFL for someone less talented, but who has played in the CFL?
Like football, marketing is about winning. Winning takes talent.