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With increasing numbers of "senior" people now floating around the UK (and I guess international) exhibition scene looking for work, it's interesting that I'm increasingly hearing stories from people who are being turned down for positions on the basis that they are "too senior".

I can see this making sense in more prosperous times, as taking on someone to do a job thats below their pay grade means you are probably taking someone on who will just leave in a few months anyway - which is bad business in any sector, and in any economic climate. But there's unlikley to be a glut of "senior" jobs for a few years in exhibitions.... so the retention argument is surely on hold until then ?

In many other sectors there is probably also an argument about lack of engagement with the job, or it not providing enough of an intellectual or emotional challenge. But surely running tradeshows - especially in today's environment - that is intrinsically a challenging and engaging one - just change the industry you are working in and there is a whole set of new challenges to face and relationships to master. The boredom mostly comes when you stick to running the same show for several years, not from running shows per se.

So, how long before recruiters actually notice that the same climate that is forcing them into laying people off is also one which allows them to pick up highly experienced people to run some of their key shows - at least for a year or two - at a time when that sort of experience should surely be coming at a premium, not a discount?

Labels: exhibition recruitment