Its ironic really, everywhere I look in the media its all doom and gloom. Financial systems are crashing worldwide, some people are buying all the canned goods they can muster. Unemployment rates are increasing substantially everywhere! Here in the world of search though, we're as busy as we've ever been, and cannot find enough GOOD help! All that to say, there are lots of jobs available for those with the right skills and personalities.
How Could This Be?
Easy ... the search industry is growing faster than the economy is shrinking. At the same time, colleges and universities are still training people to manufacture buggy whips and trans fats, and few if any have incorporated any sort of REAL search training into their curriculums. This makes for a great deal of opportunity for those with the required skills, and the desire to make a meaningful impact!
On that note, if you're reading this and you work for a college or university ... HELP! We'll even help you to develop course curriculums. Just please consider creating such courses. You will be training people for jobs ... jobs they can find immediately upon graduation!
What Kinds of Jobs Are Available?
The reality of the matter is, there are many types of positions available. Almost a position for anyone ... save those looking for government types positions, or who expect the world as a signing bonus. Note to those looking for work ... attitudes of entitlement need to be checked at the door.
Some of the positions currently available at Search companies worldwide are:
1. Sales People
2. Account Managers
3. Business Analysts
4. Link Developers (Link Ninjas)
5. Usability Specialists
6. In-Page SEOs
7. Paid Search Specialists
8. Content Developers
9. Videographers
10. Coders
Further specialization within each of these fields is also possible for the truly talented.
Obviously different companies classify positions differently, so the titles and responsibilities will vary from company to company, but the general skills sets are the same.
What Skills Will I Need?
Once again, most companies hire for personality, knowing skills can be taught! Personality cannot be taught! That said, individuals can give themselves a tremendous advantage if they take the initiative to train themselves for a career in search. The industry is frantically hiring, but will definitely give preference to someone who:
a. demonstrates initiative
b. has industry knowledge
c. has PERSONALITY
Notice I didn't say technical skills. Search is more about marketing than technical skills.
How Can I Retrain for Search?
Do yourself a favour! Search companies ideally want to hire people who show initiative. We're growing too fast to employ people who need too much hand holding. You as a job seeker, can show this initiative by training yourself in the ways of search. Do it at night if you have to, or if you're underemployed, through the day. At the same time, preference in the job interview process will go to those who show they already know the basics of the industry. Even if you're interested in a Sales, Account Management, or Analyst role ... knowing the specifics of the industry will go along way. So, here are a few good places to look for training:
Some places for training:
1. Search Engine College run by my good friend Kalena Jordan
2. SEMPO Institute
3. SEOBook Training
Some good books to read to begin the training process:
1. SEOBook.com
2. The SEO Handbook
3. How To SEO Your Site in 60 Minutes
4. Winning Results With Google Adwords
5. Landing Page Optimization
6. Persuasive Online Copywriting
Another great way to learn is to frequent industry blogs, sites like Sphinn.com, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Journal, our very own Search Engine People Blog, and many others.
In any case, if you've got personality, initiative, and you're looking for a growth career, you've got opportunities. Retrain now for a career in search!
Yes, it is a pity that there is so much unemployment yet there are so many people out there who are unemployable.
Your post is instructive. I think that some kind of crash training programs are called for.
Definitely a good time for SEOs. Talented ones are hard to come by too so there’s a need there for sure.
Feel free to delete this in a minute – jobs opportunities seems like a typo, no?
What would ‘the next step’ be from being an SEO Advisor (the only one!) and in charge of Marketing at a medium but fastly growing company?
Yes, I know how this situation impact people. I myself lose job because of this crashing financial systems.But I hope that it will be better in this new year or in year after. Good post.
@ Comparison Shopping … it is sad, but there’s also lots of hope. There are jobs for those who truly want them, and are willing to do what it takes to get them.
@ Utah SEO … talented ones are exceptionally hard to come by!
@ Gab … haha … good catch. Count on a lawyer to find it. Thanks Gab! 🙂
@ Jonathon – you cannot be an expert at it all. So read all you can and take courses where possible, to gain a great high level understanding. Then either hire specialists or sub contract. That would be my advice.
Nice post Jeff. I can attest there is an array of opportunities for content creators right now. Every major corporation seems desperate to update their websites and properties. It’s just a matter of shaking the trees until something strays out.
thanks,
jim
Initiative, Knowledge and personality are the sort of assets that keeps a person afloat in times of stringency certainly. Real talent and skills should find employment even in really dire times.
BTW, love the cartoon of the snowman holding up another with a hairdryer!
financial crises all over the world has effected most of the job opportunities in world. even the top companies are dismissing their employees due to heavy loss…by your article there is a ray of hope is come to such employees… well nice post jeff… your post have provided very useful information to us.. thanks for this..
regards
clare
Good post. The internet is one of the few places where trade is actually booming and as more people buy goods online the more important good SEO becomes.
fyi.. the higher end positions are still on a highing freeze..
Jeff,
Just stumbled across your article/cry for help. For the very reasons that you mention my company, Bisk Education parent company to the University Allaince, has partnered with the University of San Francisco to develop the Master Certificate in Internet Marketing. This is the first and only, end-to-end Internet Marketing certificate program delivered 100% online covering all the hot topics all in one place, including website usability, blogs, Web 2.0, search engine optimization (SEO), paid search, web analytics, viral marketing, affiliate marketing, social media and prepares students for certification from two of the leading industry organizations: Google Advertising Professional and Web Analytics Association. These are in-depth courses taught completely online by real-world experts offering successful students a university credential. Our first class starts on Febuary 1, 2009 and we have a tremendous response from the market and are actively enrolling students as we speak…On the organizational level companies can use these online program to level-set their organziation without using their own internal resources to do so…just thought you’d like to know…
I went through this in the 90’s with Network Admin and Software developer education. Higher Ed finally adopted a few years too late. And it helped that vendors like Novell and Microsoft had curriculumn.
Higher Ed needs to embrace all forms of Internet marketing and SEO.
Jeff,
You’re 100% right. There’s unfortunately no official college progrem. The closest thing I could find was a certificate course offered by the Web Analytics Association in partnership with UC Irvine and a (Canadian) College (I think).
I’m actually a college dropout, having gotten into search instead. It saddens me that college doesn’t prepare people for the real world. Search is definitely growing (although not as fast)… and it’s a matter of breaking into the industry.
However, newbies are going to find a pretty steep learning curve. You’re going to be finding yourself on the bottom of the totem pole (and it’s pretty low). Like all jobs, it takes a desire to head to the top, and be an expert in your’ field.
But thanks for calling out to the education industry to become more relevant to search.
(Do I really have to vow that this is 100% spam free content?!)
The evolution of businesses and careers allied to the internet is opening doors where there were no doors before, whilst doors in more conventional business models are closing. It reminds me of people saying years ago that computers are actually going to put people out of work….
It actually makes a lot of sense that the search business is booming. With the economy as bad as it is companies are looking for ways to cut corners. Investing in some good SEO beats paying month in and month out for advertising.
I think it’s a really good idea that there be more courses focused on SEO and internet marketing. It really is where the industry is headed.
Its great that people are getting offered jobs in this industry who are self taught like me. Will help the economy greatly.