Video Job Market Booming, but Connections Help Miami FL

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Originally published at Internet.com

Not only is the market for online video taking off, but so is the market for video creators. Businesses and agencies are actively looking to hire people with filming and editing skills, but more than ever it's about who you know.

Two to three years ago, says Conor Brady, Group Creative Director for Organic, an online marketing agency, his firm's business mostly involved creating Web sites for its clients. Now, the company is much more occupied with video creation. Back then, he needed to convince clients to try online video; now, they approach him to ask for online video that's relevant to their businesses.

Organic is constantly looking for new candidates, Brady says, and hires typically come from two different, but complementary, worlds. Recent graduates who are self-taught in a range of programs like Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and 3D motion applications are "little renaissance units," he says. They've grown up in the wired world and understand the need for a wide range of skills. They're adaptable, and can lend their talents wherever they're needed.

At the same time, he also values people with backgrounds in traditional broadcasting, who tend to be better at working with outside clients and satisfying their expectations. Workers with broadcast backgrounds are also assets when online video campaigns need to blend with TV advertising campaigns.

Scouting Talent
The hunt for exceptional video talent isn't like a traditional job hunt. For one thing, says Jason Scheidt, Director of Marketing for online advertising company EyeWonder, the best people aren't looking for work-they're already employed.

Finding people who can jump right into his agency's flow, without taking time to ramp up and learn new applications, means searching out and luring away talented professionals. Scheidt says that his company has an incentive system to get employees to recommend talent, and that most of his motion application hires come from word-of-mouth. He's also hired several recent graduates from the Art Institute of Atlanta, since his office is located in that city.

Referrals are also important to Brady, who hires a lot of talent through personal recommendations. He balances that by searching out fresh talent on sites like Motionographer, where teams and individuals can post their portfolios online, or by looking to creative groups like The Art Directors Club.

While Brady declined to mention a salary range for online video creatives, he says that salary is typically based on skill set, so even recent graduates can expect a competitive salary if they know a range of valuable applications.

So polish up your skills and be ready to hit the ground running, video professionals. Video is taking off online and the jobs are out there.