Marketing Yourself During Your Job Hunt

If you want to portray yourself as a viable potential employee, then you need to market yourself well. This is generally referred to as “positioning”. Your self-marketing techniques will “make” or “break” your candidacy – and later on, they can do the same for your career.

There is a general myth surrounding marketing, where people generally misunderstand marketing as sales. A sale is just one part of marketing, while selling is considered as one of the most important tools of job hunting. By marketing yourself as a brand or a product, you will land the job that you want.

Marketing Strategy

Like any business, you should plan your self-marketing strategy well before you enter the job arena. Below are some questions that you should ask yourself in preparation:

o What is my position now and where would I like to see myself after 5 years

o What do I want from my career and where do I want my career to head?

o How can I convert my plans into actions?

o How do I succeed in my actions and how do I change them if I don’t get the necessary results?

Study the Market

Market research is very important to analyze the trends of the job market, as well as to gather details about the company you want to work for. You can also talk to a senior person from your field and ask for his or her opinion on the future potential of that job. To succeed in your job search, you must know your potential employers. This information will help you draft a good cover letter or even tailor your resume so you have the best chance of landing an interview.

Marketing Mix

Marketing focuses on the 4 P’s, which are product, promotion, price and place – this is called the marketing mix. These four points can be used to help you formulate a self-marketing strategy.

o Product- You need to examine your good and bad traits and make yourself indispensable or unique, so that you stand out from the crowd.

o Promotion- When it comes to your job search, promotion refers to the cover letter, resume, networking phone calls and interviewing. It includes all the tools you can use to get an initial interview call or job offer. So refine all your promotional tools and develop all of your skills. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping Your Job Search Confidential

Keeping your job search highly confidential is very important. Finding a better opportunity, while still in your current job is the best way to ensure financial stability.

You should avoid leaking your job search plans to your new employer, at least until you plan to leave. Doing this is not easy, but you can manage it if you follow some simple tips.

Online Stealth

Online job search sites have made job searching very easy and highly confidential. You can send hundreds of resumes at the click of a button. But while clicking, be aware; don’t end up sending your resume to your own boss. Poorly managed Internet job searches can have severe repercussions to your current job, so you need to be extra cautious while conducting one.

o Before posting your resume, find out about the Internet job search service that your current company’s human resource department uses – or you may find your resume on your boss’s desk.

o Don’t provide too much information on the net about your current job. If a job site demands more information, then there is a good chance that they may leak this information to other job sites without your permission.

Obscure and Discreet

Your resume can get you busted, so don’t include your business contact number or other business information on your resume. You should always list your home address with your residential number as well as your personal cell number. Create a separate email account for your job search and be cautious while responding to suspicious job requirements.

Never use company property like the office computer or printer to conduct your job search. It may be convenient, but it is risky and dangerous as some companies scrutinize employee computer usage – so use your personal home computer or visit an Internet café.

“Dress to succeed”, but you should always be tactful. Don’t suddenly wear a suit and come to the office – carry a change of clothing in a bag or cover it up with a jacket. Avoid interview calls during office hours. Schedule your interviews before or after hours or take a personal break. Read the rest of this entry »