Here's a continuation of my article from a few months back on how the successful job search is really just a personal marketing campaign.
To recap, the same marketing techniques that have sell billions of dollars worth of products and services on TV, in print and via direct mail can also help you find a job.
All you have to do is look at the advertisements you see with an eye toward borrowing their best ideas for your job search.
Here are three ways to do that, and get hired faster by emulating successful marketing.
1) Define Your Target Market
Smart marketers don't try to sell to everyone. Instead, they clearly define their ideal prospects in terms of age, income, hobbies, etc. Then, they create advertisements that appeal to them directly.
Example: McDonald's wants to be the #1 choice for children, so they target them by advertising Happy Meals with toys based on popular movies. Result? Kid sees toy on TV, kid pesters parent, parent takes kid to McDonald's.
You can do the same with your job search.
Define, in as much detail as possible, the kind of work you want to do and the company you want to do it for. Then write your resumes and cover letters to appeal to that target market. Speak the language and say what they want to hear. Leave everything else out.
Focusing on a "target market" this way will bring immediate clarity to your search for the perfect job. And it will give you an edge over approximately 80% of other job seekers, who really have no specific idea of what they're looking for.
2) Develop a USP
A USP, which stands for unique selling proposition, is at the heart of all successful marketing. Any business that can't answer the question, "What can I get from you that I can't get from your competition?" won't be in business for long.
FedEx ("When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight"), Domino's Pizza ("Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes, or it's free"), and Avis ("We try harder") all built billion-dollar businesses on a good USP.
To develop your USP, answer this simple question: "Why should I hire you and not the other guy?"
Simple, yes. Easy, no. But you absolutely, positively can NOT expect busy employers to figure out your unique value. You must do that thinking for them.
Avoid trite claims like, "I'm hard-working and trustworthy." That's not unique. (And it could also describe a good hunting dog.)
Instead, focus on your unique combination of skills, knowledge and experience.
Example USP: "With five years of helpdesk experience supporting 400 users on three sites, I've seen and solved just about every problem imaginable. In college, I completed officer's training as an ROTC student while earning my MIS degree. This gives me a broader range of technical, leadership and problem-solving skills than typical applicants."
Here's a fill-in-the-blank statement for you to complete. When you do, you'll have your USP --
"Because of my ________, I can do ________ for you better than typical applicants."
3) Contact Employers Repeatedly
It's an old saw in advertising that you must contact prospects at least 7 times before they will buy. Why? Mainly because people are busy, and easily distracted by the hundreds of marketing messages they get every day.
It's the same in your job search.
Employers are easily distracted by hundreds of resumes and may lose sight of yours. Or they may not understand your true value the first time you contact them. By reaching out and touching employers at least 7 times (unless they tell you to go away), you demonstrate the following:
* you are persistent,
* you can manage details,
* you really, really like them and want to work for them.
As a result, you'll gain an edge over other candidates who sit back and wait for the phone to ring.
Warning: do not contact employers seven days in a row (that's stalking), or send them the same follow-up letter seven times (that's lazy).
Instead, give employers one more reason to hire you with each email, fax, letter or phone call. Examples: you could share a new bit of market research, or a proposed solution to a problem they're having. Be creative and prove you can do the job with each contact.
Now, go out and make your own luck!
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others.
As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - http://www.gresumes.com
You're at a job interview. You're doing great, answering questions... Read More
Options for Resume LayoutsThere are many options of available to... Read More
While more people are finding employment, more employed workers are... Read More
Ever dreamt of giving up the daily grind? Want to... Read More
10. Understand all of the opportunities available to you. Don't... Read More
One of the best things you can do to increase... Read More
I like Simon, one of three judges on... Read More
Powerful questions to get below the surface1. Ask for specific... Read More
The temptation to lie on a resume is great! How... Read More
The need to tell people about yourself may present itself... Read More
If you're looking for a way to earn a living... Read More
Headline from AP via Yahoo News! January 11, 2005: "Chrysler... Read More
It hangs from the ceiling above your bed while you... Read More
When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important... Read More
You're still reading?so I know my title grabbed your attention.Why?... Read More
The interview is the "beauty contest" part of the job... Read More
Jobs in speech writing are amongst the most difficult to... Read More
The Summary is the preview of your entire resume. This... Read More
A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in... Read More
One day I walked into my boss's office and said,... Read More
It isn't the end of the world, even if it... Read More
It's clear there are a number of common issues faced... Read More
When I was working more than 45 hours a week... Read More
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunities for New GraduatesThis... Read More
Chances are you already have many ideas about what it... Read More
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct... Read More
"WOW! I can work from home and make money? I... Read More
It has been over twenty five years since I started... Read More
What if there were a way to *prove* to any... Read More
Current trends in business are conspiring to create a revolution... Read More
Your job is to rise ABOVE the challenge. Do more... Read More
It's true. Things have changed. You need to know the... Read More
Let's be realistic here - hands up all of you... Read More
As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people.... Read More
Facing career transitions and daily life challenges can leave us... Read More
Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's... Read More
You're at a job interview. You're doing great, answering questions... Read More
Which of the following would you chose? Doing your lifework... Read More
My experience working with thousands of leaders world wide for... Read More
Having mistakes and gaffes in your job resume spell disaster... Read More
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, March 2004 had... Read More
When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important... Read More
Dear Job-Seeker:Just as Goldilocks was suspicious of the big bad... Read More
Do you want to change your job but don't know... Read More
When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what... Read More
INTRODUCTIONThis article will prepare you for the difficult task of... Read More
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world... Read More
After days, weeks, months or longer of interviewing, you have... Read More
Informational interviews are designed to get as much information as... Read More
You are one of the fortunate few who have not... Read More
The answer may be easier than you think, but there's... Read More
buWhy are so many people unhappy in their work situation?... Read More
Your resume is your sales document. It tells the world... Read More
Asking for money is so taboo in our culture that... Read More
Other than actually landing the interview itself and living through... Read More
I have something to say that's driving me batty. It's... Read More
Cover Letters: Are you telling them what they want to... Read More
When there is an opening to fill, a company has... Read More
You've heard the real estate cliché: the three factors that... Read More
An industrious black-tailed ground squirrel has his home beneath a... Read More
Marketing shouldn't be limited to advertising companies. Finding a job... Read More
Core value investing in your careerMany people walk through their... Read More
Purpose: Learn about the new Polygraph for management hiresHis heart... Read More
by Lesli Peterson, Business Analyst, VCGwith Phil McCutchen,... Read More
A winning CV has 2 objectives: To illustrate... Read More
Having spent the last few years of my career in... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |