In my job search training I like to get job seekers to see themselves as marketers, with the focus on relationship marketing. The marketing basics are quite simple and I believe any job seeker who follows these basic principles will significantly increase their work opportunities. The three principles are;
(1) Know your product - You are the product, so make sure you know everything about yourself. This would cover; specific work skills, unique attributes, interests/hobbies and values. Your values are an integral part of who you are and working for an organisation where these are constantly compromised will only lead to unhappiness and stress. Think about Wall Street and the Charlie Sheen character!
You must also distinguish your work objectives both in the short term and longer term. Through defining your objectives you will give yourself greater knowledge and awareness of where you are heading, which is a good thing both for your career and also in a marketing sense, as employers respect job seekers who are clear and knowledgeable about what they want and where they are heading.
The last area you should consider is your job likes and dislikes. Draw up a list of the jobs/fields of work you do not like and then list all those jobs that you would like to do and could do, even if it meant getting some further qualifications.
It is said that there are over 1000 different jobs out there so leave no stone unturned in checking out all the jobs. The internet is handy for this. As an example, when I left the public service 16 years ago I kept on looking for clerical/management positions and did not look outside my area of experience. One day I spotted a job as an employment consultant in the disability field, something I would never have considered in my wildest dreams. I applied for the position and have never looked back since.
Once you have put together all the information about yourself then you need to put these together so that they form your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which will be your ongoing message being delivered to employers as a main strategy of your marketing campaign.
(2) Know Your Market - You must have knowledge of the market you are applying for work in. This requires research on; where jobs are advertised, employer expectations, experience levels, specific qualifications and standard hours of operation.
This also encompasses the values I talked about previously. What ethics and values exist in a certain field of work? Is teamwork a big part of the job or are you expected to mostly work on your own? What is the usual pay scale and how do they pay their staff?
I once took a few weeks off from my job in the public service to try my hand in real estate. I soon found myself back in the public service as I realised that a new agent in real estate has to wait months before anything close to decent money comes through, and you had to pay back the small amount the agency was bankrolling you when your sales commissions finally came through. I had failed to do research, to understand that as a real estate agent you are like a self-employed subcontractor to the agency and needed money in the bank or some other income coming in to help you get through the first 6 months. The other issue was that at the real estate company I worked for the agents were sharks and their morals were questionable, something I had problems dealing with.
The time spent in research, especially if you are looking at changing careers, will be beneficial and reduce any possible shocks to the system like I encountered.
(3) Know how to reach that Market - This relates to the various marketing strategies you need to effect. This will cover; cold canvassing methods including targeted networking, general telephone and face to face canvassing, marketing flyers (specific jobs), covering letter, resume and the job interview.
The market that you are aiming for should be targeted. I am of the school of thought that believes that creating your own job is the best way to operate. This has come about through direct experience I had targeting specific employers and marketing them for a job on behalf of job seekers with a disability.
Again, I have found out from my experiences that the best way to reach your market is not by sending out marketing material, resumes or emails. The best way to reach your market is via creating relationships with people at targeted companies - talking to people who work there, initially over the telephone but followed up through a face to face meeting. If done effectively you can get the job you want in the company you want to work for with no competition.
In summary, if you see yourself as a marketer instead of a job seeker then you will automatically approach your job hunting from a different perspective with a set of basic principles, that when applied properly will give you the best opportunity in you getting the job you really want.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/