Hiring Analysts

For your current company or one that you've covered in this course, explain in a blog post:

I will use two organization's I've used in the past when answering these questions. Those organizations are Redline Auto Service and ITEC.

How open does the company appear to be to the recommendations of a web analyst?

Both these organizations would be open to the recommendations made by a web analyst. In fact I know ITEC has has had some web analysis conducted by a third party. Redline Auto Service on the other hand hasn't and would likely be more open because of this.  

Are they a data-driven organization (from what you can tell)?  Why?


I wouldn't consider Redline Auto Service to be very data-driven, though data can always be useful. This company provides auto repair services which isn't too dependent on data. ITEC on the other hand is very data-driven. They need data related to where they should focus efforts, who is interested in their services, and how effective they have been performing. All of this is important information that can be obtained through data.

What are 3 things that you might do to change their company culture to be data-driven (or moreso)?

The first thing in any organization is to show them the important of data. Research should be done to try and find what sort of positive impacts it can make for an organization, preferably a related one. Once this is accomplished then a proper examination should be conducted on the needs of the organization. This should involve several members of the organization and the goal is to develop important metrics for data processing. A third thing I would do is try to make the whole thing exciting and if possible fun. Many people don't find data to be that interesting but they do like results. Taking a sample of data and showing the organizational leaders how it transcribes into something business related may get them more on board to work it into their culture.

Hiring Analysts

Do some searching on LinkedIn or other resume sites. Select a person who would be a top selection for the job selected previously. In a blog post, share who you picked and why. 

It was a bit difficult answering this question as I was unable to view actual resumes on LinkedIn or other sites. I did however find one which I was able to. On this site I found the following person seeking any career in 'web/internet/digital marketing' (http://www.jobspider.com/job/view-resume-55004.html). I believe this candidate could fulfill the job requirements in my previous blog post.

What skills and experience do they have that fits the job?

 They hold a bachelors in marketing as well as an internship in promotional advertising and workshops in things like blogging, social media, web design, AdWords, mobile marketing and more. In addition to this they have knowledge and experience in e-commerce and have even worked as an e-commerce marketing manager for six years. 

How would you interview them to see if they'd be a good pick?  

 Due to the location of this individual I would first contact them to see if they were interested in a phone interview and then either conduct one then or set it up for the near future if they are busy. If they are able to do it immediately then it's perfect time to test the individual's knowledge as they would have not been able to prepare. Assuming the impression was positive then the individual could be flown out for a more official interview.


What particular traits would you look for?

I'd look for knowledge and experience, things I believe every interview looks for. Queering the person to see if they hold firm knowledge on relevant items would be done. For the job I choose it would be questions in relation to web analytical software as well as marketing ideas and strategies. Asking information on previous work and how they think they can improve web content/traffic should also be done. 

Web Analytics Jobs

Do a search online for web analytics jobs. Do some research on ways that you could increase your skills and knowledge of web analytics.  In a blog post:

The web analytics job posting which I used to answer this question can be found here: https://www1.apply2jobs.com/entertainment/profext/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=455
The job title is 'Marketing Manager, Web Analytics & Reporting' and it's at Entertainment Promotions in Ann Arbor. 

Why did you choose this job?  

The main reason I choose this job was because it's in Michigan so I wouldn't have to move far and would remain in a reasonable distance to my family.

   

What key skills are required?

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Marketing
• 3 to 5 years ecommerce marketing experience
• Proven ability to deliver valuable business insights based on multiple web and consumer data sources.  Background with online marketing measurement tools such as preferably CoreMetrics, Omniture, E-Dialog, AdWords, DoubleClick, Google Analytics and business database tools such as Business Objects
• Demonstrated understanding of ecommerce/direct marketing and relationship between website behavior and profitability
• Strong understanding of A/B and multivariate testing.
• Ability to plan, organize, and establish priorities with significant creative, analytical, logical, and strategic thinking skills
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills to interact effectively as either a leader or as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments.
• Must be creative, adaptive, and achievement-oriented
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and successfully meet deadlines in fast-paced environment
• Proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook

What would you do to make yourself more attractive for this job?  Share 3 specific activities.

 
Because my degree will be in Information Technology instead of Marketing I would need to somehow gain or show I can satisfy the more marketing related aspects of the job. One way to make up for this can be through certifications. I did a little research and found that Google offers a certification for their analytical software (https://google.starttest.com/). I imagine there are other certifications out there as well. In addition there are marketing certifications that can be obtained.

Besides the educational requirements I think being able to show an effective understanding of web analytics would get you far towards a job. I would consider creating a site or blog and using free web software show that I both understand it and the reason for it. A bonus from this is that it could be used to also show the ability to increase things like site visibility and/or user satisfaction.

A third thing I could do is become more acquainted with the other software the organization is using, and then some. By having a background with as many types available a person becomes more appealing by being able to adapt or offer suggestions that otherwise may have required the organization more resources.