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.
As a recruiter in the digital landscape, it’s important to embed yourself within the industry, remain on the cusp of the latest trends, and have a deep understanding of how brands function.
Zac Hind is someone who continually leads by example and adds value to the industry.
I’d met Zac at the beginning of the year before he’d move into his new role at Become.
I recently caught up with Zac to hear more about his exciting opportunity, his view on the current state of digital recruitment, and his advice for those sourcing new opportunities.
Keep reading to uncover more about Zac’s laudable work.
Tell us about your background. How did you land in the digital space?
It was quite a strange one actually haha. I joined the Navy almost immediately after school and after 7 years I had a “mid 20’s crisis” as I like to call it, and I started looking at what my next career path would be outside of the services.
I’d been instructing/leading teams of 15-30 people for the last 3 years of my Navy career, so the idea that recruitment would see me interacting with people and helping them really spoke to me.
I started my recruitment career at a bigger firm called Hudson, and if I’m honest. I sort of just “fell” into Digital Marketing haha. At the time it was the more appealing of two desks to work (I think the other was IT Change management from memory). It’s obviously worked for me though because nearly 3 years later, here I am!
Tell us more about Become and your exciting new role.
Very exciting indeed! Become have been around since 1997. We’ve got 7 offices currently – UK (Manchester & London), SE Asia (Hong Kong), NZ (Auckland) and Australia (Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane)
Brisbane is the newest office to be opened which is part of the reason I was brought on.
Become are what’s best described as a boutique agency. Our speciality is digital, marketing, media & creative. It means that all of our consultants are either true specialists in their chosen field, and even in some cases ex Marketers, Designers & Devs themselves!
My job is really to get Brisbane off the ground and build out our Digital and Marketing desk. I’m also accompanied by my recruitment wing woman, Stephanie, who’s an absolute gun in the creative space. So between the two of us were looking to build the best bespoke digital, marketing and creative agency in Brisbane!
It’s certainly been challenging building something from scratch over the last 6 months, but I’m lucky that I’ve got a great network that have made the task a blast!
What are the most important things you look for when sourcing candidates for a role?
LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. Most recruiters will be using a version of the platform called LinkedIn recruiter. Basically, it allows us to use LinkedIn like a database and search for people via their title, location, companies they’ve worked etc.
If your LinkedIn looks rubbish, or you rarely use it and haven’t updated in years, we won’t even bother to contact you. Even worse, you might not even turn up in their search results. In the 21st century, your LinkedIn should be as up to date, if not more than your CV. While I’m on this point, include your LinkedIn profile on your CV.
The CV can be a really powerful tool however, especially for Marketers and Creatives. It’s your first impression, so it’s important that it’s presented well and that the information is relevant.
How do you believe recruitment has changed over the past few years?
I think that there is a further emphasis on using specialist recruiters. The digital landscape is evolving and changing so quickly these days. You can no longer rely on simply just rinsing out a job advertisement and hoping that it works.
I think there is a lot of the power being put back into the hands of employees. We’re spoilt for choice now, so employers and recruiters have to start thinking of different ways to bring onboard talent – personal branding, networking, employer branding and just pro-actively talking to talent are the bare minimum you need to attract and recruit good talent.
A bit of a shameless plug here, but I think myself and the wider team at Become are also trying to reinvent our service offering to clients as well. I don’t want to just be seen as a resume factory for clients, I want to be an extension of their business and truly consult them on what they need to help grow their business!
What advice would you have for those looking to enter the digital landscape?
This one’s easy; network and upskill. They’re both free and show that your committed and hungry for your new role.
Considering they’re both free, there isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t be focusing your efforts on it. Once you’ve reached a level that will allow you to be competitive in your field, I don’t think it hurts to also partner with a recruiter to try and work towards that new role.
They have access to a lot of passive hirers and can really open up some doors that otherwise might be closed.
Finally, what are some of your favourite things to do around sunny Brisbane when not at work?
This is going to sound pretty cliche but hanging out with friends and getting out of the house as much as possible! Brisbane has some pretty great little pubs and cafes so there’s usually a beer or two to be had!
I also spend as much time as possible with my partner and my dog Penelope. Brisbane is blessed with some pretty amazing river walks, so we love to get out for Saturday and Sunday morning walks followed by a coffee – Zymil Mocha (don’t judge my childish coffee choice).
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About me:
I’m a twenty-three-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.
Lachlan Kirkwood - Digital Marketing Specialist 