When I started in 2008, finding social media openings was challenging.
Companies knew they wanted someone working on social media, but they didn't know who, and were unwilling to pull the trigger on hiring anyone.
In 2009, job openings were plentiful, but there just weren't enough people with the ability to fulfill expectations. Companies were willing to hire, but finding candidates who understood the position was far more difficult. The biggest problem at that point was the salary expectations. Companies were paying well, but not well enough to temp the best talent.
In 2010, companies finally started to get it in the marketing and PR space, so many adopted a strategy of hiring and training internally. That led to an explosion of talent that is just now hitting the market.
It's now halfway through 2011, and my phones are ringing off the hook with clients looking to hire very specific positions that are fully funded and set with proper expectations on what is available. That's a good sign for the market, even if it is anecdotal. I say anecdotal because I'm just one data blip on a bigger screen. My best year would only be a dozen successful direct placements (this is for Social Media Headhunter, not Social Media Talent,which is the contract side).
My digital presence is the same relative size it was in the last few years, and while traffic is up, the quality of leads coming in has vastly improved. That's very important, because along with the use of headhunters to bring in top talent, companies are making plans to hire low and mid-level candidates as well. This has a big impact on the health of an employment sector, as hiring and training the next generation prevents the price shock of a talent war. It's a healthy sign mid-way through the year, and should continue right up to the beginning of the fourth quarter.
