I have several friends who recently found themselves in the market for a new job – and, fortunately, have successfully landed another job. Watching them through the process, I’ve concluded that finding a job in today’s job market can be like conquering a new frontier – and not just because the job market is flooded with stiff competition. The days of mailing in your resume and receiving a phone call to set up an interview are over. It’s actually very similar to the changes that have been happening in marketing your business. If you want someone to notice you, your business, or your product or service, you can’t do things the same old way. Today, searching for most everything from a new job to a new refrigerator begins – and sometimes ends – online.
Now you need much more than just an experience-filled resume, a cover letter and crossed fingers to land a great job. In order to get noticed, you need to think like a marketer. It requires looking at yourself as a brand that needs to literally grab attention.
Here are 3 quick tips I learned from my friends who went from under-employed to gainfully employed.
1. Networking and connecting is clearly the number one way to get the best job. People hire people they know. So, get to know more people. And, great networkers are capable of leaving something behind with everyone they encounter—a thought, a memory, or a connection. The key is to get face to face with a potential employer before, during and after the interview. They have to see for themselves why they NEED to hire you. Attend everything!
2. Forget the Traditional Resume. Try bucking the traditional resume format to include eye catching (but informative) headlines. This is one headline I saw used: “Responsible for a 20% Increase in Sales Over Past 5 Years.” Also make sure you speak in benefits and results. Put your picture on your resume. Turn your resume into your personal brochure filled with interesting reading for your prospective employer. Give them what they want to see, but stand out from the rest. What’s the downside?
3. Use video. If you really want to capture the attention of a potential employer, record a quick video. Use it to get an interview or as a follow-up after an interview. Instead of just emailing a resume or a post-interview thank-you note, include a link to a video of you. Carefully script your response and record the quick message using a Flip video camera or even a web cam. Post it on YouTube or some other service and send a link for the video to your potential employer.
Standing out is the way to be heard above the competition – in marketing and in your job search. Good luck!
Maribeth Kuzmeski
Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA is the founder of Red Zone Marketing, LLC, which consults to Fortune 500 firms on strategic marketing planning and business growth. She is the author of 4 books, has frequently appeared on TV and radio, and has written articles on marketing strategies for hundreds of publications including Business Week and Entrepreneur. She regularly speaks to audiences on topics relating to business development, marketing, and sales strategies. Maribeth is author of The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Wiley, September 2009).
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