An online video tool that has an application in recruitment was the winner of the Bank of Ireland Bright Ideas Challenge Grand Final last week.
Sonru.com allows recruiters to conduct an interview with candidates without both parties having to be online at the same time. It mimics a live interview, candidates don’t see the questions in advance – they are given 30 seconds to read each question and have a specified amount of time to provide their answer.
Candidates and jobseekers also have the option of trying out the Sonru VIP product, which is a video interview preparation tool that allows them to test themselves and hone their interview skills.

The brainchild of founder Edward Hendrick, the Sonru.com concept has been developed by CTO Chris Horan over the past two years. Fergal O’Byrne, CEO of Sonru and former CEO of the Irish Internet Association, says it is neither Skype nor YouTube. “We are educating the market. Companies think that anybody can see the video and that it’s like another YouTube. Unlike Skype the interviewer and interviewee don’t have to be online at the same time.”
According to O’Byrne, the main users of this innovative online video tool in recruitment are large companies and recruitment agencies wishing to recruit numbers of people remotely. Feedback has been very good from both recruiters and candidates. The real thing that candidates liked, he says, is that it gave them back some time; they didn’t have to take a day off work.
“From the candidates’ perspective it means they can be interviewed on their time and their location without having to incur the expense and the hassle of travelling to do an interview. That’s been the big plus from the candidates’ point of view.”
In addition, one of the reasons it appeals to both employers and candidates is that it’s secure. As it’s behind a password-protected area it’s not shared with the whole world and is not going to be a YouTube viral hit.
However, candidates must remember that as it mimics a face-to-face interview and is videoed, the recommendation is to dress appropriately, have proper lighting and not to have a messy room behind you.

This is why we love Media Recruitment

If we had to review financial or engineering CVs, we would probably die of boredom

Here is a list of 45 cleverly designed media CVs.

Rachel Earley, Digital Creative Lead at Eighty:Twenty in Dublin

Company Eighty:Twenty is a an interactive communications agency with technological innovation at its core. Through innovation we cultivate our expertise in Social Influence Marketing, emerging media, creative design, analytics, technology and user experience. Essentially, we create experiences that build businesses. http://www.eightytwenty.ie

The job I have worked at Eighty:Twenty since March 2009. Originally employed as a Web designer and developer my role has developed and changed in unison with the developments in the digital world. I am responsible for the technological development of all our digital campaigns across a range of platforms such as Web, Flash and Application development. I am also responsible for seeking out emerging technologies and social experiences and finding ways to apply those to the digital identity of our brand campaigns

Likes I like being part of something innovative every day. I like that I am constantly being challenged by both the industry I work in, as well as my peers. I also like working with some really fantastic creative people both in our company and on collaborative projects!

Career ladder I began my career working for several months as a junior web developer at Media One. After taking 18 months out to travel and work around the world, including a 4-month stint as a Flash Developer for a web agency in Brisbane, I returned to Media One where I was quickly promoted to lead web designer, a role I enjoyed for 3 years. My last role prior to this one was when I was approached by Blastbeat to head up the redesign and redevelopment of both their educational and social networking sites. I have also recently started a role as lecturer on the new Post Graduate Diploma in Advertising & Digital Communications at Dublin Institute of Technology.

Qualifications Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Communications (Swansea University).

Working hours My start time ranges between 8am and 9.30am and I finish up between 5.30pm and 7pm depending on the workload.

Breaktime Once or twice a week I’d head down to our local deli with some of my colleagues or go meet a friend for lunch to make sure I get away from my desk. If I’m really busy I’ll have a sandwich at my desk but make sure I take one or two tea breaks.

Social media credentials I’m a total social media addict. I am a regular user of Twitter as @rachearley both in work and at home (with Tweetdeck) and on mobile (with Tweetie). It’s a fantastic resource for everything and I love that I can keep up to date with both my friends, peers and experts in the industry. I use Facebook regularly to connect and keep up with friends and I use LinkedIn for networking and business. I also blog sporadically at http://www.rachearley.com/blog.

News Twitter is a great resource, I also like sites such as www.nma.co.uk and TED.com.

Onsite or offsite? I mainly work in-house although I would tend to go to a client meeting maybe once or twice a week, usually during the inception of the project.

Why do you love Mondays? I love Mondays because I’m part of something really exciting everyday and I know that my day will be creative, innovative and challenging in equal measure. I also get to work with some fantastic people with exactly the same attitude!

There is increasing demand for staff within the agency sector due to a genuine shortage of experienced staff at all levels in an industry that is constantly growing and expanding.

While a strong and determined graduate, especially those with specific graduate and post graduate qualifications, will eventually find a position as a junior / trainee account executive with one of the agencies, it is at the level of senior account executive and account manager that the first major shortage peak occurs. This is due to a number of factors including employees taking the now almost obligatory world tour, as well as candidates having gained two to three years experience moving to another agency to gain broader experience, or even out of the industry entirely.

Additionally another peak in the shortage graph is with candidates with five or six years experience. These account managers are reaching a critical point in their career and are reassessing their options both within agency land and further afield. Those looking to stay in the industry are attracted by more senior roles in agencies and client side positions and have high salary expectations as this is the point in their lives where they are “settling down” having taken the world tour they are now looking at mortgages, pensions and perhaps even parenthood!

Continued shortages of good people will continue to drive salaries upwards, but candidates are showing a growing awareness of the realities of the market and are prepared to negotiate their salary, and are attracted by other benefits including flexible working hours, telecommuting / working from home, and the attraction of working with people with whom they get on, and being happy.

Tom Mc Walters - Prosperity.ie

Prosperity has just finished its annual Salary Survey, and I thought that the following information might be of interest to both my clients and sales candidates in terms of how the sales sector has evolved over the last year.

Salaries in the media / advertising sales sector have definitely risen over the past number of years; a graduate starting out in a telesales role can command basic salaries of up to €25k (5 years ago, raw graduates would have been looking at starting salaries of as low as €18/20k) with the potential to bring this up to €35/40k when commissions and bonuses are factored in.We have even seen roles offering €30k basic salaries for candidates with a strong academic background and only 6 months telesales experience, so the media / advertising sales sector can be said to offer lucrative opportunities for hungry graduates with a flair for sales.

The same can definitely be said for the mid, senior and executive level roles where there is a definite shortage of quality experienced candidates - these are candidates with media/advertising sales experience as opposed to sales experience in other sectors. Candidates are now in a far stronger position to obtain the best deal possible for themselves due to this supply and demand issue. A candidate with 2 years media/advertising sales experience looking for a business development/account management role can reasonably expect to achieve a basic salary of €35-40k with commissions and bonuses generally taking this to or above €50k.

A strong media/advertising sales person with 4 or more years experience moving into their first management role can realistically expect a basic salary of €45-55k whereas sales managers in the industry, with 5 or more years experience and who can bring revenue growth and contacts to a potential employer now command basic salaries north of €60 with on target earnings structures taking overall remuneration packages into the realm of 6 digit sums. At the very high end of the spectrum a proven sales manager with 2 to 3 years experience at this level looking to take on a sales directors role or a sales director looking for a fresh challenge can without doubt pitch themselves to employers at the €80k mark and above, with overall packages with some employers coming in around €120k or more.

The industry is very candidate friendly at this point in time in terms of the salaries on offer. This is mostly due to market place competitiveness and the lack of candidates with genuine relevant experience. Hungry sales executives with an eye for business development and growing revenue streams, and proven media and advertising sales professionals who have a strong account base, can genuinely earn very good salaries in the current industry climate as most companies operate uncapped commission structures allowing the sales person unlimited earnings potential. Where the industry does fall short in comparison to other sectors within the sales industry can be in the benefits packages offered to candidates with most media/advertising sales companies only now coming around to offering additional benefits like health insurance and pensions and above average holiday allowances as a means to attract and retain staff.

All in all, if a graduate wishes to maximise his or her earning potential through a sales role or an experienced media/advertising sales professional is looking for their next move, the industry has many exciting and highly rewarding career opportunities where success really does PAY.

To view current sales jobs: http://www.prosperity.ie/category_job_search_24/sales_jobs.html

Jess Delahunt - Prosperity.ie