As the Chinese International Advertising Festival wraps up its 17th installment, there is one thing troubling advertisers: a lack of talent.
While the industry itself is growing quickly, marketing agencies are struggling to find qualified marketers to be able to do the kind of work that they want. One agency reported interviewing 30 people for a typical design position without filling it.
It seems hard to believe that the world's most populous country is facing a shallow talent pool. But advertising as a profession is still relatively nascent in China, and its training programs are still rudimentary. Most of the people running agencies in the country are either American-born or Canadian-born.
As ad-spend reaches dizzying heights, China needs to find some qualified marketers, and fast. One option is to offshore Chinese creative needs to Madison Avenue shops. Or bring on Western creatives to build up the talent pool there. (Advertising Age)
Sales Buzz
Subcontinent Hiring (Financial Express)
Some of India's biggest IT companies, coming off a healthy earnings season, are hiring sales executives. For example, Wipro is looking for sales pros with technical experience.
'Tis The Season (Smart Money)
Everybody is hiring for extra help during the holidays, but which jobs will actually add something to your resume? Consider a sales position with MarketStar, who is hiring 1,000 product experts for the season.
Face Time (Austin American-Statesman)
Facebook just opened a full sales office in Austin and announced that it is in full "hiring mode". The company currently employs 60 in the Texas outpost and is committed to hiring 200 more.
Finance Talk (Business Insider)
Hedge fund Man Group acquired GLG Partners earlier this month, and cuts seem to be in the cards. The rumor is that some sales jobs came under the ax this weekend and more are on the way.
Hiring Sub Rosa (Electronista)
Verizon has been beefing up its ranks of customer service reps, ahead of rumors that a CDMA iPhone is in the works. It's working through companies like Ryla and Teleperformance to hire staffers for an anonymous carrier service. You ain't foolin' anyone, Big Red.
Marketing Buzz
Never Mind Google (Morningstar)
Google's formidable Chinese competitor Baidu saw some pretty impressive results last quarter. It's stepping up its marketing spend and hiring more manpower.
Unusual Advice (Forbes)
Not having any luck finding a job? One columnist says to stop applying altogether. If you don't have what it takes, it might be time to strike out on your own.
Buzz Around the Office
The Japanese Are Always Ahead (Noob.US)
Isn't it too much trouble to tear open both ketchup and mustard packets when you just can't wait to bite into a hot dog? Rejoice! The Japanese have solved that pesky problem.
List of the Day: How to Land a Holiday Job
There are lots of openings out there, but the competition is tough. Here are seven tips on how to get in.
1. Polish your resume
2. Do your research
3. Start applying now
4. Apply like crazy
5. Check out mail kiosks
6. Follow up
7. Keep your cool
(Source: WalletPop)