SEO is a fairly new phenomenon, and lucky for you there are certainly a growing number of job opportunities in the field. Caution: Do not make the mistake of thinking that a great number of opportunities means getting hired will be easy. Employers still want people who have shown initiative, know-how and a willingness to learn. Here are a few tips to help you land that first SEO job.
Be proactive
How much do you know about the industry you are trying to become a part of. Are there any SEO blogs you read? Can you intelligently talk about what you have read? More importantly, can you effectively apply what you’ve read? You should be able to demonstrate a genuine interest and willingness to learn. There are plenty of free or cheap seminars, conferences and webinars you can attend to expand on your knowledge of the field. The only way to learn is to seek out the information.
Fresh Ideas
Since SEO is an ever growing and evolving field, it is likely that the people you are looking to for a job have had to figure a lot of stuff out the hard way. They didn’t sit in a lecture hall and have the basics broken down for them, instead they had to figure a lot of stuff out for themselves. If you are looking to impress in this field you have to be the type of person who is willing to, and has shown a history of, figuring it out. Going into an interview with at least one viable idea about how to work efficiently will certainly help you stand out from the crowd. You aren’t expected to know everything. In fact you are expected to learn a lot, but that doesn’t mean you should come into the position expecting to be taught everything. Demonstrate through your own personal blogging, that you have put in the effort to explore SEO and apply it.
Know who you are speaking to
This applies to any job really, but when you are going in for an interview you should have a good understanding of what the company stands for, what they are strong at and where they have room to grow. To get this information check out their website, blogs and social media accounts. You will be surprised at how easy it is to understand a company once you’ve done your research, and your future employers will love you for it. You won’t appear to be someone who blindly sent their resume to 30 companies hoping to get hired, even if that is the case. You will look like someone who has taken the time to try to get to know their company and who has taken an interest in who they are and what they do. This makes it easier for them to see you as a working team member and not just another interview.
Be able to apply
It is one thing to know what a backlink or a PageRank is but it is another thing to be able to articulate to your interviewer, that you are able to apply that knowledge in such a way that will make you a good employee. Give them scenarios in which you have used certain strategies in order to increase your traffic or PageRank. Have you tried any new strategies or tested out any theories that you thought might prove fruitful? Discuss them in your interview! Explain what your plan was, why it failed or succeeded and what the thought process behind the plan was. Show them that you are a thinker and a doer and that you plan to come in and get straight to work!
