Question

Topic: Career/Training

Help Me Find My Soulmate--cpg Brand Management Job

Posted by khullarsfromc on 2/28/2006 at 1:27 AM ET 250 Points
I went back to school (after 14 years of my undergraduate degree in Marketing) to get an MBA in Marketing so that I could follow my passion and my undying dream and desire to get into Brand Management for a CPG company. I have solid, successful 12 years of sales experience (NOT IN CPG).
My dilemma is that I can’t even get an interview. I was able to get through a senior brand executive for a local company in Chicago and set up a meeting. Nothing really came out of that meeting. That company always has openings in entry level brand management position’s have talked to HR manager there. I had put in number of days/hours researching the organization and the products. Based on my research and my thought process, I came with some new product ideas and some new marketing ideas for them and put those ideas in PP Presentation. I then emailed those to the HR manager and I talked to her few days later. She said that she had taken it to the same person I had contacted and unfortunately he found many spelling mistakes and that killed it. Obviously I blew up a good opportunity. I was so excited about the conceptual part and my fear that the position will be filled up fast that I made those mistakes. The brand executive won’t talk to me anymore.
My love for CPG brand management is intense and I long to be in the business. I am willing to work for free for them or anybody to demonstrate my ability and thought process. I feel my MBA from a non top 20 school and too many years in non CPG sales is hurting. I am not complaining, just begging for suggestions, ideas and solutions.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by darcy.moen on 2/28/2006 at 8:22 AM Member
    In my opinion, your offer is too generous. Frankly, your offer is too good to be true. You look a bit desperate.

    Nobody wants to go to a restaurant with empty tables. Everyone wants to go to the place that has the fewest open tables. That makes no sense..neither does offering to work for free. Being so available makes one think...if you are so good, why are you not available?

    The 'Spelling errors' excuse sounds like a blow off to me. In the real world, I could give a schm*dt about spelling errors in any presentation, the idea and interpretation is really all I care about. I want a result, not a spelling lesson. Sure, it may be an indicatator of attention to detail, but someone that picky is a signal to me to they most likely iron their underwear and color code theor sock drawer.....ANAL TO THE EXTREME. Hey, your choice of you want to work there, but I like my work environment a little more loose.

    The last time I was in Chicago, it appeared to be just slightly bigger than one company (was there a change that I wasn't informed aout?). The old axiom applies...there is more than one fish in the sea....pick your self up, dust yourself off, and say to yourself.... NEXT!

    Try the little whote lie with the next potential employer....and say...I'm taking time out of my busy schedule to stop in an enquire about a job.......

    Get right back on that horse and ride!

    Darcy Moen
  • Posted by Nancy Myrland on 2/28/2006 at 9:10 AM Accepted
    I can understand your frustration, particularly when this is something you want so bad, and have worked hard to get there.

    When receiving hundreds of resumes, hiring managers are able to be very picky. They DO then eliminate prospects if their initial presentation is not as professional as it needs to be, or if the style isn't in sync with the manager's.

    Regarding the typos and spelling in your PowerPoint presentation, you do need to take that very seriously. Your posting to this forum also includes errors, which could cause people to summarize the quality of your work very quickly. This may or may not be fair, but it is reality. As I mentioned, this company may have a large number of candidates from which to choose. Your misspellings, quick writing and casual punctuation could have turned them off.

    We each get about two seconds to make a good first impression when we meet someone face-to-face. Given that, imagine how quickly they can be turned off if they see something with which they aren't impressed, and your smiling face isn't there to impress them.

    I'm not telling you any of this to depress you further, or to discourage you. I simply send you my observations as I have been in your shoes, and the shoes of the employer when hiring. That person is responsible to those they report to, so their hiring decisions mean more to them than being kind enough to give you an interview. Their jobs are on the line, so they tend to become picky.

    Good luck and keep working on perfecting all of your skills. Read the trade publications important to this industry, and watch for job postings in them. Then find someone you know who might even be a remote connection to the company so you are not going in blindly. As another colleague already mentioned, this might be a headhunter. Impress them, and they will get you in the door much easier than trying to do so yourself.

    Nancy
  • Posted by Corpcommer on 2/28/2006 at 12:44 PM Accepted
    Congratulations on your MBA. Be proud of the work you did to earn that degree. Don't dwell on the "top school" nonsense. If you are aiming for a job where you know that only candidates from particular schools are chosen, you might reconsider the companies on your target list.

    While you are networking, try to get yourself "informational sessions" with contacts you're referred to or meet on your own.

    Informational sessions are scheduled, brief meetings or phone calls (15 mins. to 1/2 hour) where you ask the individual to talk about her job, his role in the company, the industry, types of responsibilities that someone in that position is expected to do. You are basically interviewing the person in the company you're interested in about their work so you can learn.

    Do not, whatever you do, use the word "interview" when asking someone for an informational meeting because some people get turned off by that word. They draw the conclusion that you'll end up asking them for a job, and that makes people uncomfortable.

    Be clear when asking for people's time that you honestly are trying to learn more so you'll be better prepared for your career exploration.

    If you show genuine interest, maybe the person will offer to help you in your job hunt, and that would certainly be great. But don't push it.

    After thanking the person for her time and perspective, she might suggest a colleague that you should speak with if you ask, "When you think of the people in this field/industry, who else do you think I should contact for more information (or another perspective,etc.)?"
    If the person recommends someone and gives you a phone number, make sure you ask if it's okay to mention that she referred you when you make that call. Don't assume it's okay to call Mr CPG Expert and say Ms Jill Frill told me to call.

    In any event, you will have learned a lot more about the field or company from an insider and you'll be able to ask intelligent questions when you go on job interviews. You will probably also learn who does the hiring for depts. you are interested in.


    I've done these info mtgs. and they're time consuming and take effort to get, but they're worth it. Especially when you sometimes discover that maybe the work you desired isn't really for you or that there are other companies better suited for you and your talents.

    Hope this helps you. Good luck.

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 3/1/2006 at 1:02 PM Member
    All of the other responders are offering very good information. In my opinion they are missing a very important point. The CPG industry is huge. It runs from the gigantic to small start-up sized organizations. If I were you, I would focus on a smaller sized organization. Leverage your advanced degree and years of selling experience to help bring a smaller organization into the lime light. The starting salary won't be large (but hey you are offering to work for free). The benefits will be great. Think stock options, partial ownership, and the recognition of launching rather than maintaining a brand.
    My 2 cents worth...
    Frank E. Hurtte
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