Brisbane Digital Spotlight is a blog series that aims to shine light on the exceptional talent within the city’s digital community. With each post, I uncover a devoted individual within my network who I’ve recognised to be deeply engaged in the digital industry. Whether it be a Digital Marketer, a Developer, a Co-founder, a Project Manager, or even a Recruiter – my goal is to highlight the work these remarkable individuals do; day in, day out.

In this instalment, I caught up with Digital Recruiter, Jessa Platz. I had the pleasure of meeting Jessa at a Networx Brisbane event last year, and have continued to cross paths with her at numerous events ever since. I admire Jessa’s willingness to engage with the digital industry, as well as her enthusiasm to develop a personal brand for herself.

How did you end up in the digital space, particularly in recruitment?

People always ask me this question! It’s funny because I never even realised recruitment could be a career. I had finished a Bachelor of Communications where I learnt a bit about digital marketing and I found it really interesting. After graduating I came to a bit of a crossroads and I had to decide what the next step would be for me in terms of my career. I came across an advertisement on Seek for a graduate recruitment consultant and my housemate, who had previously worked in recruitment, suggested I apply. Once they offered me the job it was a matter of deciding which desk I would look after. Thankfully they took my background into consideration and let me take on the digital marketing portfolio!

What’s it like working in digital at a young age?

In my old role I was the youngest one in the office, but since moving over to Just Digital People, I’ve been surrounded by people who are all around my age. It’s super refreshing and they are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.

At the beginning, I did find being young in this industry a bit of a challenge. When I started, I was really worried that nobody would take me seriously. Luckily, as I’ve grown in my career, those initial concerns are now long gone. I love being young in this industry and I love being able to prove my worth to people. I do feel like I bring a fresh perspective to my job and can’t wait to make a name for myself in Brisbane.

The industry definitely presents me with a lot of responsibilities, and it can sometimes be a pretty tough gig, but I’m in it for the long haul. Statistically, 50% of rookies in recruitment don’t make it past 6 months… it’s almost been a year for me and I’m still going strong!

Tell us a little about JDP and the exciting work they do.

Time for a shameless plug! JDP is a specialist digital recruitment company in the CBD. We get a kick out of continuously redefining the digital recruitment status quo and dramatically increasing the value we add for our clients every day.  We work with some awesome clients, ranging from large global organisations, right through to small digital agencies. The team here has all bases covered when it comes to the digital lifecycle. We look after both contract and perm and we recruit in:

• Digital Marketing (Search, Performance, Social Media, Content, eCommerce etc)
• Front End and Back End Development
• UX/UI and Digital Design

We are also super active in the digital community too!

What are some emerging job trends you’re seeing in the Brisbane digital space?

Some companies are starting to bring certain functions in-house, particularly search and performance and there is a high demand for data analysts and SEO/SEM specialists. Candidate expectations and values are often fairly similar, give or take a few people. When it comes to what they’re looking for, it always boils down to a role where they have career development, opportunity and a great team around them. Knowing a candidate’s motivations really helps me to understand exactly what they’re looking for so I can match them up with a company who can provide what they’re looking for. I’m basically like Cupid!

What’s your favourite thing about working in digital?

Without a doubt, the people. I wouldn’t be in this job if I didn’t like the people. I also love the unpredictability and the ever-changing aspects of the market. Every day is different and every day I learn something new. I also love that everybody knows everybody in the digital space. I’ve met a lot of amazing people through referrals and introductions.  

What are some of your favourite things to do around sunny Brisbane when not at work?

I love spending my Saturday mornings going to the markets at the Powerhouse. 5 avocados for $5, winning! On Sunday you’ll either find me having breakfast by the river on Eagle Street, watching cheesy reality TV, or spending time with my friends and family.

Do you have any valuable advice for younger people or students looking to soon enter the digital space?

Network until you’re blue in the face. There are plenty of clubs, events and meetings at QUT and UQ, so get involved in as much as you can. Also, personal branding is so important! Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and you’re connecting with as many people as possible in the digital marketing space. Start posting content, whether it be your own content or a cool article you’ve found. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. These days you can’t just apply on Seek and hope for the best (hiring managers can get up to 400 applications on Seek for junior roles – don’t be a needle in a haystack). Make yourself known to people, and show a genuine interest in digital and sooner or later, people will take notice.

If you’re looking for exciting new digital opportunities, or are wanting to grow your digital team, I couldn’t speak more highly of making a connection with Jessa. I’ve never met someone in the digital space as down to earth and genuinely interested in people as herself. You can punch in her digits; 0424880190 or slide right into her DM’s via jessa@justdigitalpeople.com.au.

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About me: 

I’m a twenty-two year old Digital Marketing & Conversions Specialist based in Brisbane, Australia. With a passion for all things digital and tech, I aim to connect and learn from as many like-minded digital enthusiasts as possible. If you have a passion for emerging technologies and digital practices, I’d love to connect and hear your story.