Zappos.com CEO, Tony Hsieh, recently told the New York Times that when interviewing job candidates for his customer friendly digital shoe retailer he and his staff want candidates to have an element of weirdness in order to fit into the company culture.

“One of our values is, “Create fun and a little weirdness.” So one of our interview questions is, literally, on a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you? If you’re a 1, you’re probably a little bit too strait-laced for us. If you’re a 10, you might be too psychotic for us.

It’s not so much the number; it’s more seeing how candidates react to a question. Because our whole belief is that everyone is a little weird somehow, so it’s really more just a fun way of saying that we really recognize and celebrate each person’s individuality, and we want their true personalities to shine in the workplace environment, whether it’s with co-workers or when talking with customers,” Hsieh told NYT.

I think aside from showing your individuality, what Hsieh hopes to accomplish with these types of questions is getting candidates to loosen up. While most job seekers are worried about looking pristine and perfect for an interview, it seems some employers just want the real you, even if the real you is kinda weird. Of course, you should still look polished and come prepared, but remember to express your true self in an interview, not who you think the employer wants you to be.

Good advice from someone who seems to be a pretty cool boss.

Dear Bev: How do I get a digital job without experience?

by Beverly Weinstein

There are two companies offering high-quality digital training. In a tepid job market where digital opportunities are as abundant as traditional opportunities scarce, they are worth considering. Neither group guarantees a job, but both supply important tools for any candidate.

The Laredo Group has been offering training courses on digital since 1996. Recently, another group, The Internet Advertising Institute, gives digital job seekers an extra edge. Both provide a comprehensive view of the digital landscape and the language that’s unique to that sector. They are staffed by trainers with hands-on industry experience. IAI is focused on advertising sales and is designed more for entry level and junior candidates; The Laredo Group courses appeal to people working in ad sales as well as in ad agency and client-side marketing jobs.

Open Admission or By Invitation

The newly launched IAI has a limited class size, no more than 15 students per 6-week session.  Classes are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. four days per week. All applicants must apply first and go through an interview process to be accepted.  IAI has relationships with a large pool of employers and works with applicants to get them successfully placed.  When I checked with lead trainer and CEO Steve Bookbinder in early January, nearly all of the first graduating class had been placed in jobs.

Bookbinder, who also runs an SEM agency, knows about the importance of digital: “No matter what your job is, it either has or will soon have a digital aspect.”

Leslie Laredo, president of the Laredo Group, offers one-day courses geared primarily to ad sales or to individuals that buy or plan media. In addition, she does more customized digital training for companies. “I’ve trained up to 700 employees at a single company,” she noted. Her courses are taught throughout the year in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.

The ages of her students range from entry level to senior executives. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Students start with Level I classes. They can opt to continue with Level II and finish with Level III. According to Laredo, most attendees opt for additional levels.

Content

Both Laredo and IAI stress the importance of understanding the digital language.  “For decades, it was all about GRP. Online changes daily. We’re always on top of the digital ecosystem and evolving our course content,” explained Laredo.

She has developed and constantly updates a digital glossary with over 500 terms that she gives each student. The courses also have a 250-page manual and a resource list of 125 digital companies. Some of the information is available for free at laredogrouptools.com

In talking about IAI’s course, Bookbinder said, “It’s impossible to fake that you know what’s going on in digital. You have to learn the language and the terms. We use a variety of teaching techniques, ranging from flash cards to jeopardy-like games to role-playing. This is not a college course. It’s 100% practical and will give you what you need to know how to succeed in an interview and at a job.”

Costs

IAI charges students $10,000 for their course. There’s an initial $2,500 payment. A payment plan over two years is available for students. You can apply for their course at their Web site. Currently, all courses are in New York. Future plans are to extend to other markets as well as to offer evening sessions.

The Laredo Group has a variety of plans, and it’s best to check their site for the most current information. If you opt for an early bird sign up, the cost for two, one-day courses might $1,300. Public courses generally have 20-40 students, with 40 as the maximum size.

Why take a class?

Laredo sums it up nicely. “Keeping up-to-date is critical. You need to know what’s going on. We stress the importance of understanding performance, how the numbers work and accountability. You should know how it all works together online, off line or cross platform. You can’t keep your head in the sand anymore.”Dear Bev: How do I get a digital job without experience?

Read the column on MediaPost.

Dear Bev: How do I get a digital job without experience?

by Beverly Weinstein

There are two companies offering high-quality digital training. In a tepid job market where digital opportunities are as abundant as traditional opportunities scarce, they are worth considering. Neither group guarantees a job, but both supply important tools for any candidate.

The Laredo Group has been offering training courses on digital since 1996. Recently, another group, The Internet Advertising Institute, gives digital job seekers an extra edge. Both provide a comprehensive view of the digital landscape and the language that’s unique to that sector. They are staffed by trainers with hands-on industry experience. IAI is focused on advertising sales and is designed more for entry level and junior candidates; The Laredo Group courses appeal to people working in ad sales as well as in ad agency and client-side marketing jobs.

Open Admission or By Invitation

The newly launched IAI has a limited class size, no more than 15 students per 6-week session.  Classes are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. four days per week. All applicants must apply first and go through an interview process to be accepted.  IAI has relationships with a large pool of employers and works with applicants to get them successfully placed.  When I checked with lead trainer and CEO Steve Bookbinder in early January, nearly all of the first graduating class had been placed in jobs.

Bookbinder, who also runs an SEM agency, knows about the importance of digital: “No matter what your job is, it either has or will soon have a digital aspect.”

Leslie Laredo, president of the Laredo Group, offers one-day courses geared primarily to ad sales or to individuals that buy or plan media. In addition, she does more customized digital training for companies. “I’ve trained up to 700 employees at a single company,” she noted. Her courses are taught throughout the year in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.

The ages of her students range from entry level to senior executives. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Students start with Level I classes. They can opt to continue with Level II and finish with Level III. According to Laredo, most attendees opt for additional levels.

Content

Both Laredo and IAI stress the importance of understanding the digital language.  “For decades, it was all about GRP. Online changes daily. We’re always on top of the digital ecosystem and evolving our course content,” explained Laredo.

She has developed and constantly updates a digital glossary with over 500 terms that she gives each student. The courses also have a 250-page manual and a resource list of 125 digital companies. Some of the information is available for free at laredogrouptools.com

In talking about IAI’s course, Bookbinder said, “It’s impossible to fake that you know what’s going on in digital. You have to learn the language and the terms. We use a variety of teaching techniques, ranging from flash cards to jeopardy-like games to role-playing. This is not a college course. It’s 100% practical and will give you what you need to know how to succeed in an interview and at a job.”

Costs

IAI charges students $10,000 for their course. There’s an initial $2,500 payment. A payment plan over two years is available for students. You can apply for their course at their Web site. Currently, all courses are in New York. Future plans are to extend to other markets as well as to offer evening sessions.

The Laredo Group has a variety of plans, and it’s best to check their site for the most current information. If you opt for an early bird sign up, the cost for two, one-day courses might $1,300. Public courses generally have 20-40 students, with 40 as the maximum size.

Why take a class?

Laredo sums it up nicely. “Keeping up-to-date is critical. You need to know what’s going on. We stress the importance of understanding performance, how the numbers work and accountability. You should know how it all works together online, off line or cross platform. You can’t keep your head in the sand anymore.”Dear Bev: How do I get a digital job without experience?

Read the column on MediaPost.

Happy New Year to all! After a restful holiday hiatus, we return to our regular programming of career and media related advice, news, and commentary…

Unfortunately we’ve been hearing that this holiday season brought more than good tidings and mirth. For many it also brought the unwanted gift of unemployment. (WSJ) A great way to put a damper on the holidays, but don’t let it ruin the new year! While everyone has had big hopes for 2010 to be a better year for media and a better year for employment in general, the end of the fiscal calendar always leaves companies trimming and reorganizing for a new year. You’re not alone and don’t lose hope, because with the new year comes, of course, resolutions!

There are the typical resolutions we all make…read more, exercise regularly, take up a new hobby, maybe lose a few pounds. We’re all concerned with bettering ourselves for a brighter future. So why not look at your job search as an extension of yourself? After all finding that new job is all about a new future. If you resolve to go for a run every day to take better care of your body, why not resolve to take better care of those job search tools too and put your best foot forward both literally and figuratively?

Phyllis Korkki at The New York Times had this same spirit of renewal in mind when she wrote a guide to re-energizing your job search. Here are some highlights and tips:

Your Resume: Korkki says, “When was the last time you took a word-by-word, letter-by-letter look at your résumé? Make sure it’s completely up to date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking. (After all, your situation might have changed since you started looking.) Now is also the time to create alternate versions, to reflect different types of positions.”

You may also want to look into hiring a resume writer if the document needs a lot of attention and you haven’t created one in years.

Your References: “If you have not talked to your references lately, call or e-mail them. Make sure they are still in the same jobs, and tell them you’re still looking. This helps expand your network, because references may know of job openings. It’s also a good time to consider whether to add or remove some people as references,” she wrote.

Digital Presence: And we can’t stress this one enough! “Check and update your LinkedIn profile and make sure that it’s consistent with the information in your résumé and any other online presence you have… Hiring managers look at LinkedIn, and any discrepancies could be red flags..Review your contacts on LinkedIn and reach out to new ones. Check whether anyone new can write a recommendation for you on the site. And, while you’re at it, Google yourself and check Facebook or other social networks to make sure that nothing embarrassing shows up.”

These are just a few ways to get serious about your future. Stay tuned for more advice in the coming posts!

Read the rest of Korkki’s tips at the New York Times.