Connecting...
Our Latest Jobs
about 21 hours ago
Nottingham
Lead Digital Designer
Pitch are currently partnered with a global technology brand in finding an experienced digital designer to support them in creating bespoke learning softwares. Working alongside a skilled team of graphic designers and animators, you will be responsible for the following activities: Creating unique and engaging designs for a varied portfolio of e-learning projects. Project manage a team, overseeing their work and ensuring the final product adheres to brand guidelines. Manage the creation of design documents, content maps and audio scripts. Act as a thought leader and inspire your team to develop themselves and work with best practice in mind. Work to create top quality interactive learning solutions, including games, and mobile learning. The ideal candidate will be an experienced e-learning designer, ideally having worked with bluechip businesses. You will have successfully managed a team. This is a fast paced role that will suit someone who enjoys working to project timescales and is able to support a varied team of creative professionals. Online interviews will take place in April, with the role ideally starting in May-June. AA123
4 days ago
Merseyside
Global Digital Marketing Executive
A Global brand is currently seeking a talented Digital Marketing Executive to join their Liverpool based team. If successful you will be joining a highly renowned brand, supporting them in the online communication of their specialist nutritional products. With over 20 years experience they’ve been working closely with healthcare professionals and consumers to deliver the best possible solutions to nutritional based challenges. Committed to continual research and development they’re making a crucial break through and are pioneering the way in clinical nutrition. What are they looking for? They are looking for someone who will feel at home in a dedicated and driven team environment. This brand are hugely passionate about what they do so they’re looking someone who shares their enthusiasm and drive. This person will take responsibility for the digital communication of a global brand, B2B and consumer prospects, so experience in working with global stakeholders will be a huge bonus. What will you do? Day to day you will work closely with the global marketing department and take the lead with delivering rich content across the global network. You’ll work across multiple channels providing relevant and up to date information on the website , spreading engaging content across multiple social channels. You will also play a key role in the development of mobile apps for the brand. What skills do you need? To be successful in the role you will need to be able to demonstrate experience in the following; Website administration and content management. Strategic content planning and implementation. Social media channel management. Creation and distribution of content. SEO and Google analytics experience. 2 years commercial marketing experience. Degree level qualification. What’s in it for you? The products this brand manufacture support people in their everyday lives, helping to add huge nutritional value. So not only to you have the reward of making a difference, but the brand also offers brilliant progression and benefits. Competitive basic salaries, bonus scheme, wellness options, discounted products, contributory pension scheme and employee recognition programmes are all part of the benefits this company are offering. In addition, they’re committed to supporting and developing their team, offering training, development and progression opportunities. What more could you wish for? If you’d like to find out how you can be part of this brand on their global nutrition mission then apply today for immediate consideration. AA123
5 days ago
Nottingham
Senior Digital Designer
Pitch are currently partnered with a unique technolgy company based in Nottingham who are searching for a Senior Digital Designer to join their growing creative team! This is a new role within the business that will support company growth. The business has a global reach and works with top brands across various industries! The Senior Designer will be a confident individual, who will work on conceptual designs for a variety of bespoke digital and mobile projects. You will create an excellent user experience, including engaging designs for unique clients. You will have a passion for what you do and be a collaborative and inspiring team leader to the wider creative team. Key responsibilities of this role will include supporting junior members of the team, liaising with internal and external stakeholders, producing UI designs for various digital solutions and creating exciting designer and info-graphics for bespoke projects. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, have confident skills in Abobe Creative Suite and basic front-end coding skills. AA123
8 days ago
Birmingham
Digital Marketing Manager
Pitch are partnered with an up and coming luxury brand who are looking to secure a Digital Marketing Manager to join their team. This family based company have a unique set of values and instead of trying to stay ahead of trends, they choose to create their own name in the market by letting their luxury products make their statement through sustainability and a classic appeal. The Digital Marketing Manager will report to the Creative Director and will be responsible for the following. Support in the development of the digital marketing strategy for the brand with the goal to drive online traffic to the company website and grow the brand as market leader. Manage creative marketing campaigns. Utilise varied techniques across SEO, PPC, paid social, paid search and affiliates. Manage all social media accounts, creating engaging and creative content. Utilise a creative approach to marketing, bringing new ideas and concepts to life through various channels. Develop the brands influencer marketing strategy. Work closely with the Creative Director to establish product plans and effective strategies to bring new product lines to market. The ideal candidate will come from a luxury retail or E-commerce business with a background in digital marketing. Strong experience in SEO and PPC are required for this position, where you will have a passion for sustainability and have a creative mindset.
11 days ago
Nottingham
Front-end Developer | Creative Agency
Pitch are supporting a fantastic innovative agency based in Nottingham while they go through a period of significant growth. To help support, we are looking for a permanent front-end developer with an eye for design and UX/UI. The role is brand new, and we are currently setting up video interviews for successfully shortlisted candidates. Whilst the role initially will be working remotely, the successful candidate would need to be able and willing to travel to Nottingham, or London on a weekly basis. Key responsibilities: + Build, maintain & add new features across multiple websites, native mobile apps, banner ads & HTML emails. + Create unique user experiences inline with each brief through research (UX/UI). + Contribute creative concepts, design features & ideas to improve functionality. + Support the creative department, working closely to improve designs. + Work closely with the project manager to understand briefs and requirements. + Assist the design & development departments throughout the project life. + Help with development research for potential projects. Key requirements: + HTML, CSS3 & Javascript + Animation; Canvas, GSAP, VelocityJS, jQuery, Three.js. + Frameworks: React, Vue.js & Angular. + LESS/SASS. + Git, Github & BitBucket. + Experience & familiarity with Wordpress. + Familiar with cross-browser & cross-devise performance, common issues & therefore bug fixes. + Good understanding of SEO & Google Analytics. + AEM 6.5 (not essential). + QA exposure (not essential). + WebGL (not essential). + AR & VR technology (not essential). You’ll have a strong and visually striking portfolio and a home set up and ready to work efficiently on a remote basis initially. AA123
11 days ago
Nottingham
Freelance Front End Developer | Agency
Pitch are supporting a fantastic innovative agency based in Nottingham while they go through a period of significant growth. To help support, we are looking for a freelance front-end developer with an eye for design and UX/UI. Key responsibilities: + Build, maintain & add new features across multiple websites, native mobile apps, banner ads & HTML emails. + Create unique user experiences inline with each brief through research (UX/UI). + Contribute creative concepts, design features & ideas to improve functionality. + Support the creative department, working closely to improve designs. + Work closely with the project manager to understand briefs and requirements. + Assist the design & development departments throughout the project life. + Help with development research for potential projects. Key requirements: + HTML, CSS3 & Javascript + Animation; Canvas, GSAP, VelocityJS, jQuery, Three.js. + Frameworks: React, Vue.js & Angular. + LESS/SASS. + Git, Github & BitBucket. + Experience & familiarity with Wordpress. + Familiar with cross-browser & cross-devise performance, common issues & therefore bug fixes. + Good understanding of SEO & Google Analytics. + AEM 6.5 (not essential). + QA exposure (not essential). + WebGL (not essential). + AR & VR technology (not essential). This booking could for a period of up to 6 months, with work set to start in April 2020. Day rate: £250 - £400 dependent on level of experience. You’ll have a strong and visually striking portfolio and a home set up and ready to work efficiently on a remote basis. CC123
12 days ago
Nottingham
Creative Director | Creative Agency
Pitch are recruiting for a new Creative Director based in the Nottinghamshire area for a creative agency client. This is a brand new role for an agency who have experienced rapid growth in the past 18 months, where work is not currently slowing but rather getting busier by the day. In respect to your and the clients wellbeing, face to face interviews are currently not being arranged for the foreseeable future, but the hiring process is due to kickstart with online video interviews via our Pitch+ platform as soon as possible. We are seeking a highly conceptual and passionate Creative Director, to join a buzzing studio surrounded by quality designers and developers. The agency works with well-known and internationally recognised brands to create very impressive, immersive and highly creative digital solutions, utilising emerging technologies. The role itself will be to support the design team on a day to day basis, as well as providing specialist creative direction to clients for campaigns and projects. As the Creative Director, you would be expected to get your hands dirty, working on significant projects when required. In addition, the successful Creative Director will be responsible for ensuring the studio is maximising it’s productivity potential, streamlining processes and signing off on work. We are looking for someone who has a super creative portfolio, working with well known brands and producing creative to the highest standard. Also, we are looking for someone who has worked on significant design concepts, with the ability to lead and motivate a team. For more information, get in touch today. AA123
13 days ago
Birmingham
PR Account Executive
A leading Birmingham based communications agency with an impressive client base is actively seeking a brilliant PR Account Executive to join their growing team. With a fantastic understanding of strategy through to delivery and analysis, the agencies wealth of experience enables them to specialise in delivering PR for a great range of clients. There will be plenty of opportunity to develop your career, gain new skills and progress. Key responsibilities include: · Building relationships with a selection of clients. · Delivering PR and digital media campaigns. · Writing press releases and content for social · Developing excellent relationships with local and national media. The Ideal Candidate will be/have: An established PR Account Executive with experience delivering consumer PR and digital media campaigns. A good understanding of agency life and account handling along with strong writing skills, media relations experience and a willingness to go the extra mile. Apply today for immediate consideration. CC123
Our Latest Opinions
about 22 hours ago
By Rob Markwell
13 years of Pitch: From spare room to spare room
As I type mid-lockdown from my spare room on our thirteenth anniversary, the irony that Pitch started from a spare room with nothing but a laptop, phone and high ambitions to thirteen years later being in another spare room is not lost on me. But, strangely, in 13 years of running this business, Covid-19 seems like just a moment in time and the latest challenge sent to test us. We’ve seen the credit crunch, Brexit and everything in between and during which I learned business is tough and you’ve got to roll with the punches. Any birthday or anniversary is bound to spark up nostalgia. But in these crazy times my nostalgia has turned to excitement. The buzz of going against the grain, the challenge of standing out, of survival against all odds. I know that from those badly affected in their jobs, some will decide that it’s the moment they have been waiting to go it alone – set up a business and take on the world! And there is a part of me who is envious of the buzz of the start-up. So, in 13 years of running a humble SME, here are a few of my mistakes and sign posts for those sat in a spare room thinking of making something out of nothing. People will make or break you We struck lucky. Our first employees were outstanding. They were utterly unqualified, there were much better candidates out there, but none believed in our mission like they did. Because of them, clients instantly felt connected with our brand. Ollie, Rebecca, Paula and Charlotte, thank you for those early years. That said, we have had our fair share of bad apples. Those who came in and had little regard our mission or our culture. Too often I was too slow in taking action and my lack of leadership only exacerbated the problem. The only one who will pay for your inaction is you. And your bottom line. Seek those who believe the same as you and you will create something you are proud of. Telling people what to do is stupid If you’re paying someone and then micro-managing them, you’re waste time and money. But micro management isn’t where I went wrong. I tried to help by telling people the answer, by wording emails for them, picking up difficult conversations and shielding them from the consequence of their mistakes – like an over protective parent. It came from a good place, but it made colleagues stop thinking for themselves and feel undervalued. It was bad management and a bad use of company resources. Phil Knight, Founder of Nike said “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”. I should have listened to him. It’s never personal Staff will blame you and attack your character. So will customers. Competition will bad mouth you. If you’ve made a mistake, fix it. If you didn’t, accept you won’t please everybody, but you must never take this personally. For me I’ve previously found it difficult to maintain the line of being “the boss” out of a want to be accepted as a team member. Balancing work friendships and employer/employee relationships is a very precarious exercise. I’m not saying you have to be a robot, just that sometimes being the boss can be extremely lonely. Accept that’s the decision you made when setting up the company. It’s not personal, it just comes with the territory. Seek connection with a network of other business owners and entrepreneurs. You can relax and be ‘you’ in that setting without blurring any lines. You’re underqualified Survey friends and family as to whether they think your business venture is a good idea. Some will tell you it’s risky, that you don’t have the experience and that being a recruiter (in my case) is very different to running the business. And they are right. You are not qualified for this. No matter how good you are at your current job, if it’s your first time starting a business from the ground up, it will push you so far out of your skillset. But that’s ok, accept it and seek advice and educate yourself. I wasted too much time in the early years hellbent on proving those people wrong and I was too concerned with portraying the image that I knew everything. I didn’t and still don’t know everything now. I’m ok with that, but I should have got to this conclusion sooner. Don’t let others make your decisions I have in times of crisis or when feeling overwhelmed turned to my advisers and network and asked them what they think and what they would do. You should always be the last to speak, listen to others and seek perspective. But don’t let direction become instruction. Ultimately it is your call, your ship to steer. I have in the past compensated my lack of having a boss by blindly following other people’s advice. Only to suddenly realise that the business had ended up going in the wrong direction. I have since learned to listen to advise and then take time to process in order to decide the best course forward. I have taken financial decisions against the advice of Financial Director’s, I have taken big commercial decisions against the advice of Non-Executive Director’s. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was wrong. Both are ok. Make sure you fail a lot. And quick. The biggest problem in the early days of Pitch is how well it went. Our first few years could not have gone better. I made blind assumptions that “the only way was up”. And then things went wrong. The first time we launched our temp division, we failed to get the infrastructure right. We launched into Manchester without enough planning, we employed “bums on seat” and not Pitch champions. Failure came in all shapes and sizes. Don’t ever get complacent. Be humble with your wins and learn a lot from your failures. Failure is great data. I have accumulated some pretty awesome data in 13 years… It's your fault Totally, 100% your fault. You are accountable for the lot. Every mistake and bad call is yours. But every win and every milestone is your making. It’s both the scariest but most rewarding thing ever. You are 100% in control. Stop living for the “exit strategy” As wonderful as selling up and retiring sounds, constantly thinking that achieving a specific level of sales or headcount will make you happy is as vacuous as thinking a pair of £400 Gucci loafers will make you a more fulfilled person. It won’t. This is probably the only trap I can honestly say I’ve never got wrong. I love my job and taking on whatever challenge the world throws at Pitch. Sure it’s hard and as the numbers on spreadsheets get bigger, so does the risk, so does the pressure. Apart from the occasional moment of wanting to sell cocktails on a Mauritian beach, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t look for happiness in a finish line, I take joy in every sweat breaking mile I run with Pitch. Even sat here in my spare room my deflated feeling of being mid-lockdown facing into a recession (there I said it), I just need to look at the great team around me, our brand and reputation we have built over the years to fire me right back up. Because all of it isn’t about me, it is about Pitch. Whatever you do don’t focus on the end and enjoy every day, especially the tough days. Those are the ones you feel the most proud of when you’re looking back after 13 years.
13 years of Pitch: From spare room to spare room
As I type mid-lockdown from my spare room on our thirteenth anniversary, the irony that Pitch started from a spare room with nothing but a laptop, phone and high ambitions to thirteen years later being in another spare room is not lost on me. But, strangely, in 13 years of running this business, Covid-19 seems like just a moment in time and the latest challenge sent to test us. We’ve seen the credit crunch, Brexit and everything in between and during which I learned business is tough and you’ve got to roll with the punches. Any birthday or anniversary is bound to spark up nostalgia. But in these crazy times my nostalgia has turned to excitement. The buzz of going against the grain, the challenge of standing out, of survival against all odds. I know that from those badly affected in their jobs, some will decide that it’s the moment they have been waiting to go it alone – set up a business and take on the world! And there is a part of me who is envious of the buzz of the start-up. So, in 13 years of running a humble SME, here are a few of my mistakes and sign posts for those sat in a spare room thinking of making something out of nothing. People will make or break you We struck lucky. Our first employees were outstanding. They were utterly unqualified, there were much better candidates out there, but none believed in our mission like they did. Because of them, clients instantly felt connected with our brand. Ollie, Rebecca, Paula and Charlotte, thank you for those early years. That said, we have had our fair share of bad apples. Those who came in and had little regard our mission or our culture. Too often I was too slow in taking action and my lack of leadership only exacerbated the problem. The only one who will pay for your inaction is you. And your bottom line. Seek those who believe the same as you and you will create something you are proud of. Telling people what to do is stupid If you’re paying someone and then micro-managing them, you’re waste time and money. But micro management isn’t where I went wrong. I tried to help by telling people the answer, by wording emails for them, picking up difficult conversations and shielding them from the consequence of their mistakes – like an over protective parent. It came from a good place, but it made colleagues stop thinking for themselves and feel undervalued. It was bad management and a bad use of company resources. Phil Knight, Founder of Nike said “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”. I should have listened to him. It’s never personal Staff will blame you and attack your character. So will customers. Competition will bad mouth you. If you’ve made a mistake, fix it. If you didn’t, accept you won’t please everybody, but you must never take this personally. For me I’ve previously found it difficult to maintain the line of being “the boss” out of a want to be accepted as a team member. Balancing work friendships and employer/employee relationships is a very precarious exercise. I’m not saying you have to be a robot, just that sometimes being the boss can be extremely lonely. Accept that’s the decision you made when setting up the company. It’s not personal, it just comes with the territory. Seek connection with a network of other business owners and entrepreneurs. You can relax and be ‘you’ in that setting without blurring any lines. You’re underqualified Survey friends and family as to whether they think your business venture is a good idea. Some will tell you it’s risky, that you don’t have the experience and that being a recruiter (in my case) is very different to running the business. And they are right. You are not qualified for this. No matter how good you are at your current job, if it’s your first time starting a business from the ground up, it will push you so far out of your skillset. But that’s ok, accept it and seek advice and educate yourself. I wasted too much time in the early years hellbent on proving those people wrong and I was too concerned with portraying the image that I knew everything. I didn’t and still don’t know everything now. I’m ok with that, but I should have got to this conclusion sooner. Don’t let others make your decisions I have in times of crisis or when feeling overwhelmed turned to my advisers and network and asked them what they think and what they would do. You should always be the last to speak, listen to others and seek perspective. But don’t let direction become instruction. Ultimately it is your call, your ship to steer. I have in the past compensated my lack of having a boss by blindly following other people’s advice. Only to suddenly realise that the business had ended up going in the wrong direction. I have since learned to listen to advise and then take time to process in order to decide the best course forward. I have taken financial decisions against the advice of Financial Director’s, I have taken big commercial decisions against the advice of Non-Executive Director’s. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was wrong. Both are ok. Make sure you fail a lot. And quick. The biggest problem in the early days of Pitch is how well it went. Our first few years could not have gone better. I made blind assumptions that “the only way was up”. And then things went wrong. The first time we launched our temp division, we failed to get the infrastructure right. We launched into Manchester without enough planning, we employed “bums on seat” and not Pitch champions. Failure came in all shapes and sizes. Don’t ever get complacent. Be humble with your wins and learn a lot from your failures. Failure is great data. I have accumulated some pretty awesome data in 13 years… It's your fault Totally, 100% your fault. You are accountable for the lot. Every mistake and bad call is yours. But every win and every milestone is your making. It’s both the scariest but most rewarding thing ever. You are 100% in control. Stop living for the “exit strategy” As wonderful as selling up and retiring sounds, constantly thinking that achieving a specific level of sales or headcount will make you happy is as vacuous as thinking a pair of £400 Gucci loafers will make you a more fulfilled person. It won’t. This is probably the only trap I can honestly say I’ve never got wrong. I love my job and taking on whatever challenge the world throws at Pitch. Sure it’s hard and as the numbers on spreadsheets get bigger, so does the risk, so does the pressure. Apart from the occasional moment of wanting to sell cocktails on a Mauritian beach, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t look for happiness in a finish line, I take joy in every sweat breaking mile I run with Pitch. Even sat here in my spare room my deflated feeling of being mid-lockdown facing into a recession (there I said it), I just need to look at the great team around me, our brand and reputation we have built over the years to fire me right back up. Because all of it isn’t about me, it is about Pitch. Whatever you do don’t focus on the end and enjoy every day, especially the tough days. Those are the ones you feel the most proud of when you’re looking back after 13 years.
6 days ago
By Julia Williams
Upskilling yourself remotely
With many of us currently working remotely or undertaking a furlough period, we are finding ourselves with much more time on our hands. What used to be a daily 1-2 hour commute has now been replaced by family chatter and the working day has been significantly condensed. Whilst many of us consider this to be a fantastic time to relax, catch-up on some sleep and binge watch television in the name of mental wellbeing, research also suggests active learning can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing stress and anxiety levels. Whilst improving your mental wellbeing is a fantastic incentive for upskilling yourself, using this time to improve your professional skills will equally be important to your career and recruitment prospects later down the line. Research conducted in 2019 highlighted the most significant issue C-Suite executives are currently facing is how they can transition their workforce into the future, with more than 54% of employee’s requiring reskilling and upskilling over the next three years in order to match the modern job markets demands. When taking into account the skills shortage across the North West, Midlands, Wales and London regions it is simple to see the challenges Managers and Board Directors are facing, with demands to increase digital skills particularly prevalent. Professionals trained in skills like SEO, programming and design softwares to name a few are statistically likely to earn a 29% higher salary compared to those who are not. This highlights upskilling yourself now could potentially have a longer-term positive financial impact on your career and its progression. Resources you can use to upskill yourself. Businesses are fully aware people will have more time on their hands to develop or learn a new skill. With many offering a range of free or heavily discounted resources for a limited period, now is probably one of the best times to develop yourself at a reduced financial cost. Networking from the comfort of home. Whilst physical gatherings are temporarily restricted, many networking event organisers have had to innovate to ensure they are able to continue reaching their markets. Our friends at The Marketing Meetup have moved their physical events to the digital space, bringing you webinars, workshops and conversation clubs from leading industry figures like Rory Sutherland and even some at home yoga to keep you active, moving and creative. Here you can meet and discuss all aspects marketing with likeminded people from the comfort of your home. To see what is currently on offer visit our events page. Get Creative from your Suite. The fantastic news for any creatives is that Adobe have announced a range of incentives to help professionals at all levels. For those near graduates who want to enhance their Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premier Pro & more skills, Adobe have removed the price barrier of all Creative Cloud products for students impacted by Coronavirus until May 31st. For those looking to enter the freelance route or show off their creative talents to help re-employment Adobe Portfolio is now free until May 15th. Talking code with HTML, Javascript, CSS & PHP. Learning to code is not rocket science (really!), and whilst it may take some time and dedication to get to an advanced level we are seeing more and more digital marketers being asked if they have a basic knowledge of coding elements like HTML to construct basic website and email elements. These skills are difficult to come across and Codeacademy know this, which is why they offer a free package to everyone looking to enhance their coding skills online which you can complete at your own pace. Containing everything from Python to CSS and Java, these courses give you the opportunity to enhance your digital skills to an introductory level and may help digital marketing professionals to stand out in an arguably crowded market. For those looking for a more in-depth development, School of Code offer a free 16 week intensive web development course where you can learn the fundamentals of programming and how to work in a high performance tech team where you will specialise in full-stack Javascript development. These are just a few of the free or reduced cost resources we have seen available, other providers like Google also offer a variety of free courses across SEO and Development which may peak your interest. So where to start? Whilst upskilling yourself is important, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start, especially if you are looking to develop yourself for the next stage in your career. As specialist recruiters across the Marketing, Digital and Creative sectors, we have come across pretty much every role going. So, if you are looking for a confidential chat as to how you can develop yourself and your career get in touch with us today and we can best advise you. Image credit: Header: Photo by Stas Knop from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Retha Ferguson from Pexels Image 2:Photo by Retha Ferguson from Pexels
Upskilling yourself remotely
With many of us currently working remotely or undertaking a furlough period, we are finding ourselves with much more time on our hands. What used to be a daily 1-2 hour commute has now been replaced by family chatter and the working day has been significantly condensed. Whilst many of us consider this to be a fantastic time to relax, catch-up on some sleep and binge watch television in the name of mental wellbeing, research also suggests active learning can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing stress and anxiety levels. Whilst improving your mental wellbeing is a fantastic incentive for upskilling yourself, using this time to improve your professional skills will equally be important to your career and recruitment prospects later down the line. Research conducted in 2019 highlighted the most significant issue C-Suite executives are currently facing is how they can transition their workforce into the future, with more than 54% of employee’s requiring reskilling and upskilling over the next three years in order to match the modern job markets demands. When taking into account the skills shortage across the North West, Midlands, Wales and London regions it is simple to see the challenges Managers and Board Directors are facing, with demands to increase digital skills particularly prevalent. Professionals trained in skills like SEO, programming and design softwares to name a few are statistically likely to earn a 29% higher salary compared to those who are not. This highlights upskilling yourself now could potentially have a longer-term positive financial impact on your career and its progression. Resources you can use to upskill yourself. Businesses are fully aware people will have more time on their hands to develop or learn a new skill. With many offering a range of free or heavily discounted resources for a limited period, now is probably one of the best times to develop yourself at a reduced financial cost. Networking from the comfort of home. Whilst physical gatherings are temporarily restricted, many networking event organisers have had to innovate to ensure they are able to continue reaching their markets. Our friends at The Marketing Meetup have moved their physical events to the digital space, bringing you webinars, workshops and conversation clubs from leading industry figures like Rory Sutherland and even some at home yoga to keep you active, moving and creative. Here you can meet and discuss all aspects marketing with likeminded people from the comfort of your home. To see what is currently on offer visit our events page. Get Creative from your Suite. The fantastic news for any creatives is that Adobe have announced a range of incentives to help professionals at all levels. For those near graduates who want to enhance their Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premier Pro & more skills, Adobe have removed the price barrier of all Creative Cloud products for students impacted by Coronavirus until May 31st. For those looking to enter the freelance route or show off their creative talents to help re-employment Adobe Portfolio is now free until May 15th. Talking code with HTML, Javascript, CSS & PHP. Learning to code is not rocket science (really!), and whilst it may take some time and dedication to get to an advanced level we are seeing more and more digital marketers being asked if they have a basic knowledge of coding elements like HTML to construct basic website and email elements. These skills are difficult to come across and Codeacademy know this, which is why they offer a free package to everyone looking to enhance their coding skills online which you can complete at your own pace. Containing everything from Python to CSS and Java, these courses give you the opportunity to enhance your digital skills to an introductory level and may help digital marketing professionals to stand out in an arguably crowded market. For those looking for a more in-depth development, School of Code offer a free 16 week intensive web development course where you can learn the fundamentals of programming and how to work in a high performance tech team where you will specialise in full-stack Javascript development. These are just a few of the free or reduced cost resources we have seen available, other providers like Google also offer a variety of free courses across SEO and Development which may peak your interest. So where to start? Whilst upskilling yourself is important, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start, especially if you are looking to develop yourself for the next stage in your career. As specialist recruiters across the Marketing, Digital and Creative sectors, we have come across pretty much every role going. So, if you are looking for a confidential chat as to how you can develop yourself and your career get in touch with us today and we can best advise you. Image credit: Header: Photo by Stas Knop from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Retha Ferguson from Pexels Image 2:Photo by Retha Ferguson from Pexels
12 days ago
By Priya Thakur
Maintaining productivity whilst working remotely
With current government advice, many of us are finding ourselves working from home for the first time. Maximising productivity is obviously important, but how also can we protect and maintain our mental and physical health during this testing time? 1. Make the distinction between work and home A challenge in having all your creature comforts around, is remembering that you are actually there to work. As tempting as it may be to work on your laptop from your cosy bed (with the added bonus of saving on the heating), is this where you are likely to be the most productive? Try your hardest to keep distractions to a minimum. Working at dedicated desk and in a room without the PS4, TV and (in an ideal world), small children running around, you are definitely likely to get much more done. 2. Stick to a solid routine You may no longer have a commute but creating a consistent routine will set you up for the whole day. Wake up at a regular time, shower (if that’s what you usually do) and get changed into actual clothes. Pjs may be comfy but they will not get you into the work mindset. If you work 9-5 in the office, copy these hours at home, making sure to have a proper break for lunch. We all work late every now and then but remember, maintaining a good work/life balance is still important. 3. Set realistic goals Having an entire day laid out out in front of you can appear daunting and with such a (seemingly) huge amount of time available, many of us will over promise when planning. Setting smaller, realistic targets is a great way of making sure you complete your day’s work with a well earned sense of achievement. 4. Break up your day into bite sized pieces In the office, it is very unlikely you are sat at your desk for eight hours. Tea rounds, meetings and office chat may be distracting at times, but they also break up the day. At home, assign 40-60 minute slots for work, with the reward of a short break at the end - if it works for revising children, it can definitely work for us. 5. Get your exercise on We all know that regular exercise helps you stay physically fit and healthy but with proven links to reducing stress levels, your mental health will also thank you. It does not have to be 10km run - whether a 25 minute HIIT session, a walk around the block, or a cycle during lunch, your body and mind will thank you in the long run. 6. Try not to be anti-social When you are used to the hustle and bustle of a busy office, working alone is a complete contrast. With mobiles, video conferencing technology such as Pitch+, and applications such as Slack, your colleagues and clients are just a call/message away. In the current climate, staying connected has never been more important. To everyone working from home, we hope you find these pointers useful, and to see how we are maximising our time whilst working remotely, you can follow us on social media. To key workers unable to work from home, from everyone at Pitch, a massive thank you! Image credit: Header: Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels Image 1: Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Burst from Pexels
Maintaining productivity whilst working remotely
With current government advice, many of us are finding ourselves working from home for the first time. Maximising productivity is obviously important, but how also can we protect and maintain our mental and physical health during this testing time? 1. Make the distinction between work and home A challenge in having all your creature comforts around, is remembering that you are actually there to work. As tempting as it may be to work on your laptop from your cosy bed (with the added bonus of saving on the heating), is this where you are likely to be the most productive? Try your hardest to keep distractions to a minimum. Working at dedicated desk and in a room without the PS4, TV and (in an ideal world), small children running around, you are definitely likely to get much more done. 2. Stick to a solid routine You may no longer have a commute but creating a consistent routine will set you up for the whole day. Wake up at a regular time, shower (if that’s what you usually do) and get changed into actual clothes. Pjs may be comfy but they will not get you into the work mindset. If you work 9-5 in the office, copy these hours at home, making sure to have a proper break for lunch. We all work late every now and then but remember, maintaining a good work/life balance is still important. 3. Set realistic goals Having an entire day laid out out in front of you can appear daunting and with such a (seemingly) huge amount of time available, many of us will over promise when planning. Setting smaller, realistic targets is a great way of making sure you complete your day’s work with a well earned sense of achievement. 4. Break up your day into bite sized pieces In the office, it is very unlikely you are sat at your desk for eight hours. Tea rounds, meetings and office chat may be distracting at times, but they also break up the day. At home, assign 40-60 minute slots for work, with the reward of a short break at the end - if it works for revising children, it can definitely work for us. 5. Get your exercise on We all know that regular exercise helps you stay physically fit and healthy but with proven links to reducing stress levels, your mental health will also thank you. It does not have to be 10km run - whether a 25 minute HIIT session, a walk around the block, or a cycle during lunch, your body and mind will thank you in the long run. 6. Try not to be anti-social When you are used to the hustle and bustle of a busy office, working alone is a complete contrast. With mobiles, video conferencing technology such as Pitch+, and applications such as Slack, your colleagues and clients are just a call/message away. In the current climate, staying connected has never been more important. To everyone working from home, we hope you find these pointers useful, and to see how we are maximising our time whilst working remotely, you can follow us on social media. To key workers unable to work from home, from everyone at Pitch, a massive thank you! Image credit: Header: Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels Image 1: Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Burst from Pexels
13 days ago
By Rebecca Thomas
How to conduct a telephone interview - Our recruitment tips
Our working lives are still taking an interesting turn and with many businesses now in a situation where they have to reduce the amount of physical face to face meetings, we are seeing a huge increase in demand for telephone interviews. At this current moment in time, here at Pitch we are focussed on providing the most effective solutions to our clients and candidates, so we recognise whilst we can provide technical support in the form of Pitch+, sometimes as a candidate you may also require some guidance. We understand that you may never have conducted a telephone interview before. So, to help you prepare, we have gathered some leading insight from our recruitment specialists to compile the following telephone interview tips. For a more in-depth look into how you should prepare for a telephone interview, including technology factors to consider and the styles of interview questions you may be asked, you can download our telephone interview tips guide for free. Image credit: Header: Photo by Cristina Arriaga from Pexels
How to conduct a telephone interview - Our recruitment tips
Our working lives are still taking an interesting turn and with many businesses now in a situation where they have to reduce the amount of physical face to face meetings, we are seeing a huge increase in demand for telephone interviews. At this current moment in time, here at Pitch we are focussed on providing the most effective solutions to our clients and candidates, so we recognise whilst we can provide technical support in the form of Pitch+, sometimes as a candidate you may also require some guidance. We understand that you may never have conducted a telephone interview before. So, to help you prepare, we have gathered some leading insight from our recruitment specialists to compile the following telephone interview tips. For a more in-depth look into how you should prepare for a telephone interview, including technology factors to consider and the styles of interview questions you may be asked, you can download our telephone interview tips guide for free. Image credit: Header: Photo by Cristina Arriaga from Pexels
27 days ago
By Ellie Tibbs
How you can incorporate flexible working in your business.
As an active worker you will probably have come across the phrase ‘candidate led market’ once or twice during your career. This essentially means the market is highly competitive, where candidates receive more than one job offer at a time. Essentially, they have the pick of the market and the company benefits package is key to reeling them in. The package offered differs from company to company, some offer additional holiday whilst others prefer a healthcare plan and a company car. But, it is vital to remember that candidate attraction should always be at the forefront of this package. It should appeal to candidates in ways which competitors fail to, and therefore should be frequently adapted. As recruiters who are actively engaged in the candidate market, we are in an advantageous position where we can fill the gap in knowledge between what you may think candidates want and what they actually need. To assist with this, we recently conducted a survey amongst our candidates that enabled us to discover that 3 in 5 would actually accept a job offer which offered flexibility over alternative company perks. These statistics aren’t surprising, with 70% of UK employees believing flexible working makes a job more attractive to them, adapting the mega trend of flexible working into your recruitment strategy is sure to resonate. Whilst we all know flexible working has the power to influence recruitment strategies, we are all guilty of not addressing the how. As a team leader, manager or business owner, you may see the benefits which flexible working could have for your business but implementation can look like a minefield, therefore it is important to devise a clear strategy to outline guiding principles. How you can implement flexible working? Have clear principles First and foremost, it is vital to lay out a clear grounding. Consider the following questions - what are you going to offer? Will it be flexible start times or working from home? You may want to conduct internal research to find out what will benefit your current employees the most over what your competitors are offering.Taking in differing perspectives will enable your team to feel involved in the process, contributing towards overall job satisfaction. Once you know what you are going to offer, lay out the parameters for what this will look like. Will only a set amount of staff be able to use the benefit at the same time or will everyone be able to provided they are performing against specific metrics?. This enables you to retain a business approach and an element of managerial control over your employees whilst they experience the benefits of flexible working. 2) Don’t let communication slip Having multiple employees out of office at once can open the business up to communication errors, especially if you are taking on large scale projects and campaigns. Remember, this isn’t like annual leave, an employee may be away from their desk at a more frequent basis, therefore (depending on the nature of your business) it is important to look into project management and communication tools as a means to fill the gap. Sorry email, you may not be good enough here. Because we are experienced in recruiting across the freelance and remote sectors, we frequently come across roles which offer flexible packages and therefore relevant tools to aid communications. Below are a list of some of the most common ones we come across, however we advise you also do some wider research to discover alternatives which may work better for your business. Slack - Consider this to be your online staff room, working like a chatroom to reduce clutter in your inbox. Insightly - Marketing, sales, project management all in one, this platform allows you to stay connected across a variety of disciplines. Trello - Enables you to create lists & boards for project or campaign management, allowing you to stay ahead of timelines and what your employee’s may be up to whilst they are away from the desk. 3) Evaluate, analyse & adapt If you implemented a change in team structure, you would probably evaluate it after a period of time to see how effectively it is performing. With this in mind it is important to continually assess each month or quarter how flexible working is performing for your business. It is important to remember that every business is unique, and therefore the way you analyse this may be different on a case by case basis. Some of the most common examples we come across in sales is whether KPIs & targets are being hit. For marketers, developers and creatives it may be whether campaigns are being completed on time. It is important to note that even if certain variables are not being hit, this does not mean flexible working should be abandoned, rather it should be tweaked to better meet the performance needs of your team. Though enforcing these structures will help your transition into having a flexible workforce, to ensure it is truly effective, it is vital you have teams which you can trust. Striving to ensure you are able to find your perfect employee match, we provide recruitment services across Birmingham, Manchester and beyond to a variety of marketing, creative, tech, FMCG, B2B and B2C professionals. For more information about how we could potentially help create your perfect team, get in touch with us today. Image credits: Header: Photo by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels Image 1: Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
How you can incorporate flexible working in your business.
As an active worker you will probably have come across the phrase ‘candidate led market’ once or twice during your career. This essentially means the market is highly competitive, where candidates receive more than one job offer at a time. Essentially, they have the pick of the market and the company benefits package is key to reeling them in. The package offered differs from company to company, some offer additional holiday whilst others prefer a healthcare plan and a company car. But, it is vital to remember that candidate attraction should always be at the forefront of this package. It should appeal to candidates in ways which competitors fail to, and therefore should be frequently adapted. As recruiters who are actively engaged in the candidate market, we are in an advantageous position where we can fill the gap in knowledge between what you may think candidates want and what they actually need. To assist with this, we recently conducted a survey amongst our candidates that enabled us to discover that 3 in 5 would actually accept a job offer which offered flexibility over alternative company perks. These statistics aren’t surprising, with 70% of UK employees believing flexible working makes a job more attractive to them, adapting the mega trend of flexible working into your recruitment strategy is sure to resonate. Whilst we all know flexible working has the power to influence recruitment strategies, we are all guilty of not addressing the how. As a team leader, manager or business owner, you may see the benefits which flexible working could have for your business but implementation can look like a minefield, therefore it is important to devise a clear strategy to outline guiding principles. How you can implement flexible working? Have clear principles First and foremost, it is vital to lay out a clear grounding. Consider the following questions - what are you going to offer? Will it be flexible start times or working from home? You may want to conduct internal research to find out what will benefit your current employees the most over what your competitors are offering.Taking in differing perspectives will enable your team to feel involved in the process, contributing towards overall job satisfaction. Once you know what you are going to offer, lay out the parameters for what this will look like. Will only a set amount of staff be able to use the benefit at the same time or will everyone be able to provided they are performing against specific metrics?. This enables you to retain a business approach and an element of managerial control over your employees whilst they experience the benefits of flexible working. 2) Don’t let communication slip Having multiple employees out of office at once can open the business up to communication errors, especially if you are taking on large scale projects and campaigns. Remember, this isn’t like annual leave, an employee may be away from their desk at a more frequent basis, therefore (depending on the nature of your business) it is important to look into project management and communication tools as a means to fill the gap. Sorry email, you may not be good enough here. Because we are experienced in recruiting across the freelance and remote sectors, we frequently come across roles which offer flexible packages and therefore relevant tools to aid communications. Below are a list of some of the most common ones we come across, however we advise you also do some wider research to discover alternatives which may work better for your business. Slack - Consider this to be your online staff room, working like a chatroom to reduce clutter in your inbox. Insightly - Marketing, sales, project management all in one, this platform allows you to stay connected across a variety of disciplines. Trello - Enables you to create lists & boards for project or campaign management, allowing you to stay ahead of timelines and what your employee’s may be up to whilst they are away from the desk. 3) Evaluate, analyse & adapt If you implemented a change in team structure, you would probably evaluate it after a period of time to see how effectively it is performing. With this in mind it is important to continually assess each month or quarter how flexible working is performing for your business. It is important to remember that every business is unique, and therefore the way you analyse this may be different on a case by case basis. Some of the most common examples we come across in sales is whether KPIs & targets are being hit. For marketers, developers and creatives it may be whether campaigns are being completed on time. It is important to note that even if certain variables are not being hit, this does not mean flexible working should be abandoned, rather it should be tweaked to better meet the performance needs of your team. Though enforcing these structures will help your transition into having a flexible workforce, to ensure it is truly effective, it is vital you have teams which you can trust. Striving to ensure you are able to find your perfect employee match, we provide recruitment services across Birmingham, Manchester and beyond to a variety of marketing, creative, tech, FMCG, B2B and B2C professionals. For more information about how we could potentially help create your perfect team, get in touch with us today. Image credits: Header: Photo by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels Image 1: Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
about 1 month ago
By Rob Markwell
The future of networking: From ineffective to value driven.
According to Derek Coburn (CEO and co-founder of Cadre and author of ‘Networking is not Working’), networking is any activity which increases the value of your connections and the way you contribute. When we say ‘networking’, you may think of a variety of reasons to attend specific events, from creating awareness of your business, to developing mutually beneficial relationships and enhancing profitability. With an anticipated 85% of jobs filled through networking activities, it is simple to see the potential benefits networking may bring to both your career and/or business. However, why, despite being so value driven, do most professionals feel that networking does not necessarily offer a good return on investment from both a time and monetary perspective? There is research from the Harvard Business Review that suggests the wide range of reasons for attending networking events (from gathering connections, to business development and account management), is a key reason behind why it may be regarded as ineffective. In essence, this research argues that networking has become far too cluttered with sales messages and differing expectations to truly be considered valuable. Because todays workforce are primarily driven by communication, collaboration and connection values, this barrage of sales messages will simply fail to resonate, signalling issues for the traditional networking model. Instead, todays workforce are seeking ways they can connect and create communities relative to their skill sets, shifting networking from an individualistic approach to a more collaborative one. For instance, we have recently partnered with The Marketing Meetup to bring networking events to Manchester. These events are driven by learning and connecting fellow marketers - you won’t find a sales Pitch at these events. Instead, you will have the opportunity to learn something new about marketing and communications, with the opportunity to connect and speak with a community of like-minded people. These values are similarly echoed in Birmingham, where the Social Circle are pioneering the way in social media & digital marketing networking events. Driven by their core values of learn, connect & share, gaining advice and information on current trends regarding how to enhance your digital marketing strategy and content has never been so simple. Both the Marketing Meetup and Social Circle offer events in Manchester & Birmingham and if you are keen to discover more about their value driven approach to networking, have a listen to our podcast. Overall, networking in a value driven and collaborative environment is likely to be more engaging for the current workforce, where the capacity to learn and connect in a friendly environment may have a stronger impact on ROI than a traditional networking model. To help you find meaningful networking events and workshops from Manchester to Birmingham and beyond, we have populated our website with marketing, PR and creative events to name a few. Click here to find your next networking event today. Image credit: Header background image: Photo by Pixabay from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels
The future of networking: From ineffective to value driven.
According to Derek Coburn (CEO and co-founder of Cadre and author of ‘Networking is not Working’), networking is any activity which increases the value of your connections and the way you contribute. When we say ‘networking’, you may think of a variety of reasons to attend specific events, from creating awareness of your business, to developing mutually beneficial relationships and enhancing profitability. With an anticipated 85% of jobs filled through networking activities, it is simple to see the potential benefits networking may bring to both your career and/or business. However, why, despite being so value driven, do most professionals feel that networking does not necessarily offer a good return on investment from both a time and monetary perspective? There is research from the Harvard Business Review that suggests the wide range of reasons for attending networking events (from gathering connections, to business development and account management), is a key reason behind why it may be regarded as ineffective. In essence, this research argues that networking has become far too cluttered with sales messages and differing expectations to truly be considered valuable. Because todays workforce are primarily driven by communication, collaboration and connection values, this barrage of sales messages will simply fail to resonate, signalling issues for the traditional networking model. Instead, todays workforce are seeking ways they can connect and create communities relative to their skill sets, shifting networking from an individualistic approach to a more collaborative one. For instance, we have recently partnered with The Marketing Meetup to bring networking events to Manchester. These events are driven by learning and connecting fellow marketers - you won’t find a sales Pitch at these events. Instead, you will have the opportunity to learn something new about marketing and communications, with the opportunity to connect and speak with a community of like-minded people. These values are similarly echoed in Birmingham, where the Social Circle are pioneering the way in social media & digital marketing networking events. Driven by their core values of learn, connect & share, gaining advice and information on current trends regarding how to enhance your digital marketing strategy and content has never been so simple. Both the Marketing Meetup and Social Circle offer events in Manchester & Birmingham and if you are keen to discover more about their value driven approach to networking, have a listen to our podcast. Overall, networking in a value driven and collaborative environment is likely to be more engaging for the current workforce, where the capacity to learn and connect in a friendly environment may have a stronger impact on ROI than a traditional networking model. To help you find meaningful networking events and workshops from Manchester to Birmingham and beyond, we have populated our website with marketing, PR and creative events to name a few. Click here to find your next networking event today. Image credit: Header background image: Photo by Pixabay from Pexels Image 1: Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels Image 2: Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels
