You are your best marketing tool. Competition for the right position is intense and the single most effective way to find the job of your dreams is to adopt key marketing techniques and package yourself as the must-have brand for prospective employers. Think of yourself as Brand X, as a product with many attributes and points of difference that can be marketed and tailored to meet the needs of specific audiences.
Not only does locating Brand X stress the positive, it also ensures you are in the driving seat of your destiny. Follow these step by step guidelines to ensure you are selling yourself to the max and distinguishing yourself from the competition.
Magic brands
Think of some of your favourite brands. What do they have in common? They have a clear message, and a unique selling point. What is yours? What sets you apart from the competition?Discover Brand X
Locate the essence of you and how you are unique. Put aside any bashfulness and really think about your strong points. How would you describe yourself in five words both in the work environment and at home? Write this down. How would friends /colleagues/family describe you? Write this down.Unique You
Why are you different? What do you have to offer that makes you stand out. Are you insightful, organised, a good listener, brilliant at managing others, do you have a fantastic memory, are you articulate, do you get to the root of an issue before others? Make a note of your unique attributes.The best a (wo)man can get
Recall a couple of occasions when you have been at your best, firing on all cylinders, in full flow. What were you doing? How did you look? Confident, happy, in control, calm? What personal resources and key skills were you drawing on? (Organising, time management, listening, writing, communicating?) What is the best environment for you to thrive? Make a note of these factors.-
The Ronseal CV
Having created Brand X, start marketing YOU.
To create the perfect CV adopt the Ronseal approach and do exactly what it says on the tin: Keep your CV simple, concise and meaningful. Make lists of the attributes and skills you have located through the above exercises and make sure they are the first things, after contact details, a recruiter would read about you. Simple sentences or bullet points will do. Every word should count and you should be able to back up what you've written with examples. Target and Tailor
Adapt the CV and cover letter that accompanies it to meet the needs of the recruiter. Do not lie, but don't undersell yourself either. Make it easy for the recruiter to see you are right for the job. Reams of info about your current responsibilities won't cut it; they need to understand your skills and how well you use them. The same goes for application forms - these are opportunities to shine and sell yourself fully.The job hunting pyramid
Only 10% of jobs are found on-line and yet too many people devote all their time and energy to trawling only the internet for work. Remember the job hunting pyramid - 20% of jobs are found via newspaper advertisements, 15% via recruitment agencies, 25% via networking and who you know, and nearly a third (30%) via speculative approaches. Divide your time between all five job sources, targeting companies with your tailored CV and cover letter. If applying to a company speculatively and through your network, make sure you address it to the relevant person and let them see you have done your homework on their company.
Follow these rules and you will find you can land the perfect job, despite the economic climate or talk of business downturn.
A couple of sessions with a career coach will also help set you up for success. Helen Slingsby runs Career Breakthrough (www.careerbreakthrough.com), offering help on job change, career change, self marketing and other work related issues. She can be contacted on: 0118 984 4962 or via Helen@careerbreakthrough.co.uk.
