Before the kick off, the coin toss and the pre-game analysis, the fun of the Super Bowl comes down to team rivalry, and at the Onward Search Wilton, CT headquarters, we got plenty of that. The New England Patriots face the New York Giants this year which means the Executive Search team is divided over who will win Super Bowl 46. Here’s what the Onward Search fans looked like in the office today.

First up, we have the Giants fans, proudly representing Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Phillips.

From left: Hillary O'Keefe, Sam Bain, Tom Hull, Jamie Young, Marcy Ceruzzi

With more than twice as many Big Blue fans in the office today, Patriots fan Chris Taylor was reluctant to offer comments about the game and simply turned his nose up at the prospect of the Giants winning.

Chris Taylor - Patriots Fan

Feeling a little outnumbered, Chris and Mike show us all just how supportive they are of the Patriots and each other.

Chris Taylor and Mike McCarthy - picking up the team spirit

But no matter what team you’re rooting for, it really comes down to a shared love of football that no team colors can ever dilute. Sam and Mike prove that even rival fans preparing for the biggest game of the year can be civil and friendly to one another, even if Jamie begs to differ.

From left: Heather Knowles, Sam Bain, Mike McCarthy and Jamie Young

We’re all excited for the big game on Sunday and even if you aren’t a Giants or Patriots fan, we hope you enjoy the final game of the season and have a very happy Super Bowl weekend!

Yesterday, Onward Search’s Ken Clark joined a panel of experts to discuss the digital marketing and tech job outlook for 2012 in a ClickZ Academy webinar. The panelists provided helpful information for both job seekers and hiring managers interested in what’s happening this year in the SEO, social media, and digital marketing job markets.

Here are the boiled down commentary highlights from panelists Lynda Wicker, Chris Boggs, Daniel Heath and of course, Ken Clark.

First topic – Key areas of growth for 2012: What job titles and skill sets will see the most demand?

Daniel: The relatively young age of the SEO and digital marketing industries helped them fair better during the economic downturn. That plus the near constant need for experts in these fields has driven demand. The three key areas that will see high demand this year: search marketing across the board, analytical roles and development roles.

Lynda: Finding people in search who possess the right search skills as well as the ability to create relationships is still tough on the agency side. Analytics and UX are also experiencing growth at JWT. Their clients want help navigating the digital space so they need people that have the right combination of digital skills as well as credibility in the industry.

Ken: The hottest part of the search job market right now is the “middle tier” of professionals which includes SEO Managers, SEO Analyst, SEO Specialists and makes up 50% of the search jobs based on the Onward Search SEO Salary Guide. These are the “core doers” of the search community who are being offered salaries between $60K and $90K. The competition for these candidates is so fierce, experienced candidate receive multiple job offers at once and can have up to 4 active jobs they’re working on at any one time during their career transition.

Within these skill sets, he’s seeing a strong trend from employers where the separation between technical SEO and content driven SEO has become much more defined. What used to be a singular role has developed into two separate disciplines. He also pointed out the impact social media marketing has had on search, in so much that a clear understanding of how social affects a search strategy is an assumed skill among Internet marketers these days.

Chris: His company relies on strategists who can identify potential problems and prepare strategies that mitigate technical blockades for SEO. The value there is having a strategist who doesn’t necessarily lead with their technical chops but understands it enough to leverage that information. Mobile developers and e-commerce developers are very much in demand because people need to be connected. He’s seeing more and more people come from SEO and repackaging their resume to make it appear more “social.”

Second topic – Breaking into these industries and resume tips for both the newly qualified candidates and those changing their skill sets.

Lynda: “Blasted” resumes are obvious so candidates need to be very clear about what they’re after and what they want to do. She recommends being authentic and personalize your approach for the job you want and to the company you want to work for.

Ken: When it comes to breaking into search, you need to get and demonstrate your experience as fast as you can. First, show you have the drive and the passion for the industry that will convince an employer to take you on. Start by working on a project that will give you the real world experience. Non profits and family members’ websites are great places to start. Or just create a site of your own where you can demonstrate you skills. The best resumes will contain a lot of quantifiable information about growth and impact you’ve achieved.

Last Question: How should job seekers employ social media during their job search?

Chris: Ask yourself if you’d post something to your Facebook account knowing that your mom would see it. Don’t embarrass yourself and close doors with what you share on social media, and on the flip side, don’t miss the chance to indicate a level of sophistication and a passion for the industry by posting relevant articles and discussions.

Lynda: Agencies are using social media a lot more in their recruiting. When looking at candidates she wonders, do they have the passion for the industry, or is it all drinking games, etc, on their accounts? Looking at social profiles helps to save time when identifying who has the passions and pursuits they’re looking for in their next hire.

Ken: The dos and don’ts of social media for job seekers are all about common sense. Live on LinkedIn because that’s where the recruiters are. Make sure you have a good LinkedIn strategy and don’t forget to “SEO your LinkedIn profile” because that will make it easier for the right people to find you. Also, make sure you are sharing the right information and following the right people to find the best opportunities.

Daniel: You have to be targeted in how you use social media. “There is an element of big brother around social media now” so it pays to maintain a professional demeanor on all your social media platforms.

For the full presentation and all the great advice everyone offered, view the webinar here on the ClickZ Academy website. If you’d like a more direct connection to your dream digital marketing or tech job this year, the Onward Search recruiters are looking forward to hearing from you.

No matter where you are in your career, it never hurts to brush up on your job market navigation skills. This week, Onward Search’s Jesse Farran, Director of Staffing Services in Los Angeles, gave an informative presentation, “Onward! Upward! Increasing Your Chances For Success In Your Job Search.” to an AIGA Student Group at the UCLA Extension. The audience was comprised of the soon to be grads, UCLA Alumni, plus hiring managers and Jesse’s presentation provided something for everyone.

The event was a great success and the volume of attendees forced us to switch into a larger room to accommodate the mixed audience, some of whom traveled as far as Chicago. Each attendee was eager to to learn the best tips and tricks on how to create a stand-out resume and portfolio to embark on the application process.

Jesse’s presentation revealed the “do’s and don’ts” of working with a staffing agency or any hiring manager during a job search. He compared real-life examples of the best and the worst resumes and portfolios during segments of his presentation,  ”Killer Resume’s versus Resume Killers” and “Portfolios: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.”

Everyone in the audience arrived armed with questions and left well-prepared for the hiring process ahead, not to mention a little full of the famous Diddy Riese Cookies generously provided by our hosts.

Jesse also covered very valuable insight on using social media to aid your job search, as well as how to dress to impress for an interview. As you can see, Jesse sets a fine example everywhere he goes.

“(The presentation) was definitely a dose of the real world that the students appreciated, and I very much appreciated it as my last event as president of the student group,” Aileen, Tu, President of the AIGA Student Group.

We are pleased to announce that we are invited to return with a follow-up presentation during the next scholastic term for an even bigger and better presentation.

If we did not get a chance to review your resume and portfolio for critique, do not hesitate to send them to jfarran@onwardsearch.com, jhoward@onwardsearch.com or asalazar@onwardsearch.com for advice!  And as always, you can contact any member of the Onward Search teams for guidance on landing your next dream job, whether you’re fresh out of school or a seasoned professional in your field.

On January 26th, at 1pm EST, join Onward Search‘s Ken Clark for a  webinar that explores what the 2012 job market looks like for digital marketing professionals. “Marketing & Tech Jobs in 2012: Where are They and How to Land One?“, presented by ClickZ Academy, is a free, must-attend event for anyone interested in advancing their marketing or tech career this year.

Ken is joining Chris Boggs, Director of Search & Media Thought Leadership for Rosetta.com and President of SEMPO, and Lynda Wicker, Director of Human Resources and Administration at JWT Atlanta, for a conversation moderated by Mike Grehan, Global VP of Content for Incisive Media, publisher of Search Engine Watch and ClickZ. The panel will discuss valuable information for digital marketing job seekers including where the opportunities are, strategies for leveraging social media, and what those new to the industry can do to land a great job.

Register here for this great webinar and don’t forget to submit your question for the panel when you do!

If you’re like me, and you can’t attend SXSW this year, you’ve probably experienced a little bit of grief, and perhaps even tried to bargain your way there. (Come ON!! I’ll trade you my car/tv/phone for your ticket!!!)

But don’t worry, all is not lost. You can still join other interactive and tech professionals for a night of networking at one of the SXSW Interactive Community Meet Ups happening in San Francisco and New York. As an added bonus, members of the Onward Search San Francisco and NYC teams will be there to talk about the festival, the speakers, and of course, your interactive career!

Here are more details on the Meet Ups:

The SXSW Interactive San Francisco Community Meet Up is on Jan 16th, from 6pm – 8pm. There are still spots available so sign up and say hello to John Poore (@pdx_jp) and Devin Schiller (@devinschiller) when you get there!

The SXSW Interactive NYC Community Meet Up is on Jan 23rd, from 6pm – 8pm. Unfortunately there’s a waiting list right now, but if you can make it in, Jeremias Stelter (@Jeremias11) and Michael Ondocin (@Mondocin) would love to meet you.

The Meet Ups are free and the drinks are on SXSW, so come join us!

Onward Search is psyched to attend some very cool events this year and we want to make sure you don’t miss a single opportunity to meet up with us! We look forward to connecting with job seekers and established professionals alike in interactive design and Internet marketing, plus hiring managers seeking their next super star employee. So let’s all get together to make some connections, enjoy exclusive content, and bask in the glow of industry leading speakers at these events. See you there!

SXSW 2012: March 9th – 18th It’s the annual festival of emerging technologies, digital discoveries and more original music, film and creativity than you can shake your iPad at. Join the Onward Search Executive Search and Dallas teams in Austin, TX for this educational, inspirational and entertaining powerhouse event. You won’t regret it!

SES New York 2012: March 19th – 23rd After you’ve had your fill of interactive awesomeness at SXSW, head straight over to the big apple for a serious dose of search and online marketing education. The 70+ sessions offer something for everyone who wants to bring their online skills to the next level and leave their competition in the dust this year.

AdTech San Francisco 2012: April 3rd – 4th It’s called THE largest digital marketing show, and for good reason. Agencies, brands, publishers and service providers all gather here each year to swap ideas, learn from each other, network and make things happen. The Onward Search San Francisco and Executive Search teams will be at booth #1218 so don’t leave the event without saying hi!

Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2012: June 5th – 8th If you want to learn cutting edge tactics for connecting with your customers this year, sign up for IRCE 2012 today. This conference explores best practices for successful e-commerce in social media, mobile commerce, e-marketing, improved back-end operations, and tons more. It’s everything a conversion hungry e-retailer could want, including a chance to meet the Executive Search team and talk shop.

Getting a job in interactive design or development in 2012 is going to be a piece of cake, IF you’ve been keeping track of what’s happening in the digital world. Understanding how these fields evolved in 2011 makes it easier to predict what hiring companies will want the most in 2012. As you plan your job search for the New Year, make sure you consider these trends while you’re preparing your portfolio, interview approach and more.

UX will be priority.

As discussed in this recent episode of the Onward Search Career Cast ,Communicating the Business Value of User Experience, everyone was talking about UX in 2011, but there were still skeptics. We predict that in 2012, UX will receive all the respect and support it deserves, and on a much broader scale.

Within a corporate context, expect to see more people outside of design, or even creative teams, rallying behind the importance of UX. For UX professionals, this means it’s the year to swing for the fences with bigger projects and ideas, especially in your portfolio and during your interviews. For non-UX designers and developers, take inventory of your user experience chops. Showing a prospective employer you understand UX and can create/build for it will keep you ahead of your job market competition.

The “Mobile First” philosophy of responsive design will take center stage.

2011 was nothing if not the “Year of Mobile.” In fact, Google just summarized the significant growth in mobile technologies and development in A Look Back at 2011. As companies race to equip themselves with the best mobile offerings, they’ll need innovative designers to help them meet the growing expectations of mobile users and customers.

If you already place your mobile users first when designing, you’re ahead of the game. Top companies know what the mobile first approach means for their bottom line, so prepare for a warm reception from hiring managers when you show off your portfolio. If you haven’t pared down and optimized your designs for mobile users yet, what are you waiting for? This shift in interactive design and development will only continue to gain momentum next year and you don’t want to be left behind.

Everyone will need social skills.

Yes, we all know your job search is dead in the water if you don’t have an established online presence, whether it’s a great portfolio or a strong LinkedIn profile, but next year, it will take more than just a picture and a description.

The power and value of a socially fluid brand is obvious to everyone now, so more and more companies want to hire people that can easily become brand-ambassadors. Designers and developers of all backgrounds will have a better chance getting hired if they are socially fluent, consistently engaged in industry conversations and influencers within their immediate social communities.  If you haven’t hung out on Twitter or Google+ recently, get back on there and start talking!

As a member of the interactive community, what are you looking forward to the most in 2012? Where do you anticipate your career will be a year from now? Tell us about it below, and if you want to find your next dream job, apply today and we’ll connect you with the nation’s leading companies.

On Tuesday, December 27th, you can give yourself the gift of a brighter career in SEO and the best part is, this gift is free! I am teaming up with Todd Malicoat from Market Motive to bring you a full hour of advice and Q and A all about Getting a Career in SEO. The webinar starts at 2PM EST/11AM PST and it’s free to register for anyone interested in learning more about working in SEO.

In my nearly 2 years here at Onward Search as Corporate Communications Manger, I’ve written tons of educational career articles about getting a job in Internet marketing, and that includes SEO and search marketing. Since the folks at Market Motive are dedicated to bringing you the best web-based Internet marketing training and certification courses anywhere, I was so excited when Todd asked me to join in on his webinar. He and I will cover a solid range of information on the topic, including why it’s a great time to work in SEO and how to overcome barriers to entering this field.

I’m look forward to the webinar on Tuesday as well as all your questions about landing a great job in SEO. If you haven’t registered yet, you can sign up right here and I’ll see you next week!

Last week, the 16th Annual MITX Interactive  Awards took place at the Boston Sheraton and the most innovative and creative members of the Boston digital community turned out to celebrate all the great accomplishments in interactive design and technology that are pouring out of New England. Onward Search was a proud sponsor of the event and I was there capture video highlights of the show as well as a couple of excellent interviews (including one celebrity run in). Check it out!

The night was nothing short of epic! We send a big congratulations again to all the big winners and nominees. If you attended the MITX Interactive Awards, tell me what your favorite part of the evening was in the comments section below. Personally, I’m still laughing about the “Reply All/Congratulations Dave!” video. How about you?

Wouldn’t it be great to have your very own expert mentor for your career? The sage advice, the informed guidance, the knowledge built upon years of industry experience… ah if only we each had that personalized insight on how to stay ahead of the competition and build the successful career we all dream of.

Since finding a personal career sherpa is not easy, we decided to offer SEOs the next best thing: a collection of career advice from SEO experts!

SEO Career Advice from 20+ Leading Internet Marketers is the newest addition to the Onward Search Career Center and it features nuggets of career advice from people who run the top blogs, companies and conversations in the search industry. We reached out to these industry leaders and asked them to give us, in 10 seconds or less, their most valuable piece of advice for advancing a career in SEO. Here’s a small taste of the responses we got:

	“Read everything, but remain focused on the big, important things and the upcoming stuff, especially social integration.” – Danny Sullivan, Search Engine Land
	“Learn to quantify SEO, communicate metrics and success, align SEO strategies to business goals, learn to prioritize, drop SEO jargon when talking to non-SEOs, and get out of the chair and walk down the hall to build meaningful relationships with your non-SEO colleagues.” – Jessica Bowman, SEO Inhouse.com
	“Use your brain’s critical thinking skills. Never work off of old knowledge, but try what works and what doesn’t.” – Barry Adams, Barryadams.co.uk
	“Start blogging and give away your knowledge. It’s the quickest way to build trust and credibility and show that you know what you’re doing.” – Matt McGee, Small Business SEM
	“Attend events, volunteer with meetups, build teams and train people. And it’s important to determine a way to measure success that can be demonstrated to an organization’s senior leadership.” – Chris Taylor, Onward Search

With over 20 of these quotes in one place, it’s enough insight to get your SEO career moving in the right direction. Once you’ve absorbed all the expert advice, make sure you check out our SEO Salary Guide for the latest information on where the best SEO jobs are and where to land the best SEO salary.