We’ve all heard stories about job seekers securing interviews and even full-time positions through unusual methods, such as the man that printed his resume on a candy bar wrapper or the copywriter that purchased Google ads to target creative directors at ad agencies. (He ended up receiving two job offers). Most recently Time ran an article about a woman that used an email marketing campaign to target potential employers.
All of these examples have two things in common: hustle and creativity. Each job seeker came up with a unique way to market themselves to their target audience (employers). While these tactics may not translate to the C-level or executive job search process, there is still something to be learned from the core premise.
Here’s what marketing and your job search have in common, and how you can apply these principles to your application:
They both require unique selling points. What separates you from the competition? A soft drink brand might say they have a better taste and fewer calories than a competitor. What makes you different from other job seekers on the market? How do your skills make you more suited for a particular job? Think about your unique skills and how you demonstrated them in your last position. You can use these talking points in job interviews to demonstrate your value to an employer.
They both have a targeted audience. In marketing, “everybody” is not your audience. Marketers need to drill down and find the right people to sell to. In the same way, you need to decide what employers are the right fit for you. Determine what you are looking for in a role or in a company culture and only target organizations that line up with your vision.
They both require collateral. A marketing campaign might require a brochure, for example. In the case of a job seeker, a strong resume coupled with well-written cover letter can help introduce you to a new employer. You should also consider beefing up your LinkedIn profile and, if applicable, create a personal website or portfolio to showcase your best work.
They both need a strategy behind them to be successful. Deploying a marketing campaign with no strategy is a bit like tossing money down the drain. In the same way, if you are not strategic about your job search you could be wasting countless hours of time. Develop a clear strategy for effectively reaching decision makers and demonstrating how you can be a valuable asset to a company. A strong strategy will help you communicate better overall and keep your job search organized.
They both set goals. The goal for a marketing campaign might be to gather new leads or sell a certain amount of Product X. For you, the goal is a career. A goal for an IT professional, for example, could be, "I want to get a network engineering job at a Fortune 500 company by March."
They both have objectives and milestones. Just like a marketing campaign, your job search needs benchmarks that act as stepping stones to move you along in the search. Some objectives can include applying to a certain amount of jobs every week or networking with a certain amount of industry leaders each month.
You don’t need to be a marketing whiz to get the attention of your audience. A strong personal brand and some determination can take you far in a job search, but it’s important to remember that, just like in a marketing campaign, you may need to tweak your job search campaign in order to optimize your results.
Applying the principles of a marketing campaign to a job search is a great way to stay on step ahead of the competition.
If you are looking to hire an IT, Accounting, or Finance professional, or work in any of those fields and looking to advance your career, you can contact Equis Staffing via email at info@equisdifference.com or give us a call at (818) 444-0100.
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