What do you look for in hiring a PT Promotions Assistant?

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

If you were looking into hiring a new part-time Promotions Assistant, what would you look for that makes one person stand out from the rest?

AND...

If you had a choice between the following two people, who would you choose?

Person A:
This person is 23, majoring in Mass Communications, or maybe even Marketing. Or perhaps, we'll say this person already graduated and are looking to get a foot in the door. They don't necessarily know the station or the music all that well, but they're just looking for a start.

Person B:
This person is 18 or 19 and has just started college, but their availability is just as good as anybody else. They are not majoring in Mass Communications, or Marketing, but they have a real passion for radio AND the station they wish to assist in promoting. This person is known to anyone at the station who reads Radio-Info, as well as the PD and APD.

I ask this because I would like a better understanding of what could possibly make those who applied for a PT Promotions Assistant job stand out from the rest. Thanks!

 

[finallyescaped]

Both!

You can never have too many good part-time on-call promotions assistants available.

 

[justula]

The things I look for in most new hires are:
1. Can they do the job?
2. Will they do the job?
3. Can they do the job with others on our team?

In the case of the Promotional Assistant, the "will do" is of higher importance. It's a very much on-call sort of position because promotional events can happen anytime, anywhere. (If you're like me, you're always promoting your station even when talking to people in line, undercover.)

Just because you can do a job doesn't mean you will do it.

I need to know more about these people A&B before I give them an opportunity. I would have each of them put a promotion for me of the kind we want, feel free to contact me or anybody at the station for guidance and then present. No stupid interview questions like "where do you hope to be in 5 years" or the lackluster behavioral interview kind.

Doing this separates the real people from the wannabees. Age is irrelevant when it comes to competence.

WARNING: Make sure people at your station can handle this, because some workplaces view motivated people as a threat.

 

[whit979]

I'd go with Person A. If this individual is 23, he or she is getting close to graduation and has presumably gone through the rigors of the university's entire Mass Comm program and is fluent in winning PR practices, media law, and media ethics. He would have taken at least a couple of very informative and engaging classes that get his creative juices flowing for promotions. The chances of getting an individual who is "ready" for the job are greater with Person A.

With that being said, these are people beyond a simple resume description, and Person B could bring his own level of excitement to the table. However, this is an individual who is going to have to be reined in on occasion because this may be his or her first job. Person B would likely be the more affordable candidate, simply because university graduates leave the school knowing that their professional qualifications can earn them a larger salary.

 

[justula]

With that being said, these are people beyond a simple resume description, and Person B could bring his own level of excitement to the table. However, this is an individual who is going to have to be reined in on occasion because this may be his or her first job.

I've observed the opposite happen with some very young people. Because they are young, they emphasize how mature they are for their age. They are petrified that anyone will accuse them of insubordination, and sometimes I have to persuade them to be a little looser.

Contrast that 18-year old with a 58-year old who thinks he knows everything 40 years later.

Resumes are useless. I don't waste my time sending nor receiving them. I don't care what you did for somebody else, I want to know what you'll do for me. Just because you succeeded elsewhere doesn't mean you will with us. Your level of professionalism shows when you display how you'll do the job.

Moreover, we each have to start somewhere. Question is, which employer is brave enough to get over their fear of making hiring mistakes?