Guest post: Which agency dog are you?
Agency staff are like dogs, argues S2M’s David Jackson in this guest posting.
As a digital recruiter, I’m often asked, “What skills do I need to make it in the digital industry?” I tell people that the required skills vary depending on the role, but it’s essential for everyone to have the right attitude – passionate and diligent. In other words, you need to be prepared to work like a dog.
That got me thinking. There are as many different types of digital roles as there are breeds – and personalities – of dogs. Which personalities are best suited to which jobs? Here are my thoughts on the match-ups:
- Updated: To read the rest of this article, either go to Digital Ministry or Australian Anthill. (For an explanation on why this article no longer appears in its entirety, please see the comment thread)
- And another update: After a query from a reader, David concedes that he found his inspiration for this article from the book and website Sales Dogs.
Afghan hounds “intelligent”? They have a reputation as particularly stupid dogs.
My mate Nick brown said i fogot his favourite hound….sorry guys!
Ps you forgot the poodle…prances around taking all the glory but delivers nothing, and most people secretly want to shave their throats?
If agency people are like dogs, what does that make recruiters?
– they eat their own kind
– no loyalty
– rabid: often frothing at the mouth, especially when they see $$
– loud, often offensive bark
– they shit where they eat
Thank you very much for your diverse reaction. It’s nice to see such passion in our media industry! However, you have s2m Digital all WRONG! We aren’t just recruiters, we’re Talent Brokers for the digital space and that’s why we were 34th Fastest growing company in Australia this year…because all our competitors are the RECRUITERS you so passionately describe….
PS, there is one more dog – and that’s the pit bull!
Hasn’t this article been orginally posted on digital ministry?
http://digitalministry.com/AU/.....THE+JOB!/1
Sure has, that’s my blog!
And Anthill Magazine last week: http://anthillonline.com/emplo.....r-the-job/
Come on David. That’s twice, mate.
I have no idea why you’re all concerned…..it’s certainly getting people talking and providing good reading and branding for everyone! Mind you paul, Mumbrella does seem to drive a lot more traffic!
I’ll leave it in Tim’s hands.
Ha ha ha – pegged me just right!
•Labrador Retriever:
•Weimaraner: Confident
I don’t like recruiters (sorry, ‘talent brokers’) referring to clients as dogs when so many of us have spent months unemployed and searching for work. It’s obvious talent is strictly a characteristic of the applicants when it comes to finding new employment.
Maybe you ‘talent brokers’ should spend more time doing your job and working on behalf of your ‘talent’, maybe returning calls and emails every now and again rather than telling us we’re rabid curs..
2 guest editorials in a week eh
My apologies to both Digital Ministry and to Anthill. I had no idea they had both already posted the above piece last week, on the 26th.
David offered the piece to me that day as well, but it was only when he jogged my memory about it this morning that I ran it.
In fairness to him, he didn’t explicitly state that it was for Mumbrella only – but I did make that assumption.
I’ll ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Because I’ve included the piece in the Mumbrella email today, I’d rather not take it down in its entirety as that would give anyone who opens the email an error message.
But I’ve cut the copy and hopefully given some link love to Digital Ministry & Anthill instead.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I’m not sure there’s a dog type that stitches up three editors and gives them all the same article.
A weasel perhaps?
This piece got me completely off side. Some work like dogs because of the senior management teams who haven’t worked out how to efficiently run a business. Then there are a few of us that have happy teams, high morale, low turnover of staff, an awards shelf full, and a full roster. Working hard. Yes. Working like dogs. No.
David, pull your head in. We’ll be discussing those comments and ours shortly, but I was almost inclined to pull our sourcing there and then.
Very bad comparison, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Fellow kennel owners…..
After reading some of the comments i found it quite surprising that is has caused such a storm. I found the article to be quite witty and it did break up my “bitch” of a day. I will be “sniffing” out more articles from Mr. Jackson in the future…Any one have a ball ?
Talent brokers = opportunistic mongrels.
Wow, this story has certainly struck a chord. I’d just like to make it clear that I’m not suggesting that people who are looking for jobs in this industry are ‘animals’. My point was that certain types of personalities/attitudes are best suited to certain types of jobs and there was no mention of clients. Apologies for any unintended offense. I’d also like to point out that at S2M we work hard on behalf of our talent and we return phone calls and emails. I look fwd to your call Shaggy!
Pot. Kettle. Black.
Just don’t insult publishers ok?
I hunted for a role for a long time this year, and have to agree with all anti recruiter comments. Agencies are much better off actually hiring some dogs to sniff through the resumes, which ever one they relieve themselves on, you can be sure that it was a much more involved thought process for that dog than it would be for a recruiter.
The (media / coms / advt / mktg) recruitment industry (I have not have experience with others) needs a massive revamp – and clients need to realise they are wasting money by paying a fee to someone who only gives a damn about their commission, bonus and filling their quota of ‘client visits’ for the week.
These people have generally never worked in the industry they are recruiting for – as is nicely illustrated by this recruiter ignoring the most basic of rules of the industry – while claiming it is providing good ‘branding’ for everyone involved.
This particular recruiter should round it all up by using a “Trusted Avatar” to get the word out about the great customer service recruiters provide to their bread and butter – the job hunters.
We’re talent brokes AJ, not recruiters. Actually, if you took the time to read above you’d have understood. By the way, at s2m we have one of Australia’s leading mobile figures, an x BigBrother Director, HWW’s x Sales Director, the brother of one of the leading global MD’s from the Publics group of AD Agencies and an x Sales Manager from a SAAS provider….how’s that for coming from the industry??
“the brother of one of the leading global MD’s from the Publics group of AD Agencies”
Ha!
David stop selling – just own up, swallow your pride; my g-d how pathetic can you get….
David……
How to win friends and influence people…
Talent Brokers intimates that you trade people on the stock exchange, please bear in mind that people are not that uneducated to understand that your business is a recruitment organisation…
Good luck in securing new business…
David
Anyone that ultimately trades people is either a slave trader or recruiter! Oh look – it rhymes with errr (as in errrr yuck!)
Referring to candidates (albeit now unlikely to grace your firm’s pages) as dogs, possibly not the best idea. Becoming a media slut and not alerting people to existing posts – pathetic.
Suggest you try another career choice. Your options might be somewhat limited in this one now.
David is clearly a tool. He would be a tool no matter what industry he is in, he just happens to be in recruitment. I was in digital recruitment, I am back working in web dev again, no everyone in recruitment is as deficient in personality and empathy as David.
The worst bit is that it isnt even an original article, way to get schooled for stealing someone else thoughts.
Maybe if you spent more time working for your clients and your candidates you would have less time write pointless articles of self-demotion.
Let’s play career hangman instead…
D_VID J_CK_ON
Who would ever use S2M after reading this?
Check out the last post from the infamous David Jackson here…
This guy sure knows how to dig himself a hole.
http://anthillonline.com/emplo.....r-the-job/
Totally agree recruiting/”talent broking”/finding a person for a job in digital needs a shakeup – too many of these agencies are ruled by their “personality” (read: arrogant wanker) owners and just about all of them don’t follow up when they say they will, or if they do it’s by a 19-year-old executive who can’t even pronounce your name.
S2M, Time Recruitment, Talent2, Gemteq … they’re all the bloody same. Useless.