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Your Job Search Is A Marketing Campaign (Part 2)
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
MORE RESOURCES: Employment opportunities Department of Taxation and Finance Search & Apply Lowe's Careers at USCIS USCIS Careers UNCO News Central Careers | Career Opportunities West Virginia University The Best Jobs in America in 2025 U.S News & World Report Money Jobs- Legacy Energy.gov Jobs, health and inclusion at Davos 2025. Here's what to know World Economic Forum Careers ontarioca.gov Plan your career pathway or job search with comprehensive online resources from Workforce Development Board kawarthaNOW.com Careers | Home USDA.gov The Right Way to Look for a New Job The Atlantic Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Nearly Half Of Workers Will Consider A Job Change If Ordered Back To The Office, Survey Finds Forbes Even Harvard M.B.A.s Are Struggling to Land Jobs The Wall Street Journal Jobs City of Rochester (.gov) Howard Levitt: Tariffs would lead to devastating job losses — without the usual safety nets Financial Post Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Anatomy of a jobs promise Financial Times Working for ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Newsroom Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them World Economic Forum Jobs and Training at FDA FDA.gov The Future of Jobs Report 2025 World Economic Forum Careers The Ocean Cleanup Careers Fred Hutch News Service Work for the City of St. Louis City of St. Louis Fake Job Postings Are Becoming a Real Problem The Wall Street Journal Jobs at Liberty University Liberty News Employment | Department of Corrections Governor Tom Wolf Careers BASF Career Opportunities UMHB Careers at Willamette Willamette University Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care The 15 fastest-growing jobs in the US, according to LinkedIn Business Insider Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Start your career journey with Illinois, a top leader in research, teaching, and public engagement University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Work With Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences Careers West Virginia Department of Education Careers at Union | Human Resources Union College Careers Washington State University Future of Jobs Report 2025: These are the fastest growing and declining jobs World Economic Forum Auberle's $1.5 million YouthBuild grant will change lives through training programs that lead to jobs Pittsburgh Union Progress Nursing jobs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Jobs and careers | Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs Jobs, inflation, and the Fed: How they're all related Yahoo Finance U.S. Job Growth Ends the Year Strong The New York Times Why elite MBA graduates are struggling to find jobs The Economist Job Search Results UnitedHealth Group Work for Us (U.S. National Park Service) National Park Service UF Health Careers UF Health - University of Florida Health UK employers cut jobs after Budget, official data shows Financial Times Careers at Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University Working at Siemens Energy: Careers & Job Opportunities Siemens Energy Career Services Cornerstone University U.S. payrolls grew by 256,000 in December, much more than expected; unemployment rate falls to 4.1% CNBC Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Physician recruitment agreements: Understanding signing bonuses, relocation expenses, or loan repayment incentives. Medical Economics Reservists (On-Call) FEMA Early Careers | Students & Recent Graduates | BCG Careers Boston Consulting Group State Job Openings CT.gov United Supermarkets Careers The United Family KPMG Careers KPMG Aviation to advertising, top 10 fastest-growing jobs in India 2025 The Indian Express BP axes 4,700 jobs in cost-cutting drive Financial Times Most Americans Feel Good About Their Job Security but Not Their Pay Pew Research Center Join our team FHI 360 Careers Olympic Channel and OBS Olympics The Hot Labor Market Has Melted Away. Just Ask New College Grads. The New York Times Careers at Discovery Education Discovery Education Work at the U.S. Department of Energy Energy.gov Students and graduates JPMorgan Chase |
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