They say i need experience..

I'm very keen on getting a job as a junior or senior SEO, i know what im doing and why im doing it. But i don't know what category i'd fall into. Im looking at jobs from an agency and alot of them say atleast x months/years commercial experience. I've never worked for a company to do SEO although i do it for alot for my own websites and can prove rankings and optimisation techniques, do you think this'd be enough?

 

Hi,

I think that if the results of your own sites are impressive enough they would hire you.
They could ask you how those results are achieved though.
My opinion is that the results you achieved should speak for itself, so try it!

Good luck.

 

good portfolios is one of the important thing. or any evidence of your impressive jobs done.....

 

I'll tell you from experience, you won't get hired for showing rankings for keywords that aren't competitive. You need some good rankings for some of those hard to reach ranks. If you've done it in a smaller time then the norm, that's even better.

It's also a good idea to dip into the dark arts (blackhat). I know that's something I'd be looking for too, not someone just who was strictly whitehat. I've seen people walk because they were strictly whitehat.

 

If you want to build out your portfolio, do some Pro-Bono work... :0)

 

you need to have portofolio, or work on your own websites

 

If I was you I would steer away from going through an agency as these guys usually work on comission so they tend not to give people that many 'breaks' when it comes to cracking into a new job sector. If possible go to the companies directly and you'll be sure to stumble across one that needs an SEO in-house which is more difficult to find.

Having your own sites and being able to prove ranking is enough to land you a job doing in-house SEO, I did it and it was for one of the most compeitive markets in Ireland.

 

Proven track record should be enough. Has to be in competitive market though..

 

Actually that is interesting. In our recent search for new SEO staffing I found some one that was already working for a small company doing SEO. So it does work out :0)

I would also say that personally I don't look for someone with a whole bunch of experience. We have our own systems and strategies -- I don't want some one with too many pre-concieved notions ( you know...they think TBPR is worth something :0)

Soooo... with us at least, a mass of experience isn't necesarily the selling point. The persons interest, drive and thier analytic/research abilities are heavily 'weighted' ..lol

 

Thanks for the replies, i have sent a few CV's off but havent specified what my actually achievements are in organic rankings, although if there interested they could always ask heh. I'll see how it goes

 

See, a CV wouldn't mean a whole bunch for me.... interesting though, maybe I should create an entrance exam ..then use that on perspecitve staff..hmmmmm

 

Which is something a lot of companies have a common ground on.

One IT company that I did work with took me on because of my lack of experience as they knew I wouldnt have bad habbits and they could train me to suit their needs.

Now that I have experience in IT I have a bucket load of bad habbits

 

Agreed... most of the people I have looked at were webmasters or SEOs that are new for that very reason. I don't want to take some one on from another company that may or may not agree with or strategies and philosophies. I would spend half my time 'de-programming' them and answering a lot of 'WHY this way' and 'WHY that way'...

I want them mouldable he he

 

You could try freelancing it's the best way in my opinion

 

how you drive a good traffic and sales for your site is also good one..

 

Your presence. How you speak with they.

Showing your best work efforts.

I think that will be one of the think you must consider.

 

Thats ME!!! I always ask why this way or that way

 

Sorry... THAT I like... it more of 'WHY do you do it this way instead of that way' kind of stuff... arguing my methodologies is not something I want to pay some one for ..

Questions are a fast way INTO my graces, as long as it is productive

 

they will probably hire someone else that already has worked as that if they can

 

SEO is a dynamic profession. They ought to be asking you which sites you've worked on rather/in addition to how many years experience you've had.