Step-by-Step Plan for Marketing Yourself
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To market yourself
effectively, you must have a systematic plan which makes best use of all of the
resources
available to you.
It is a question of focused networking, zeroing in on
those people who would be involved in the hiring process at your level of
responsibility.
The key to making a success of your job search is taking a proactive approach to
the follow up. If you just send out x number of resumes or register
with a
few recruiters and expect that this will be sufficient, you may
miss out on some worthwhile opportunities. You need to think of
yourself as a salesman
for the product that is you - your experience, your
skills, your ability to get things done. Through networking and
seeking the opinions of people active
in your field, you will learn
about career opportunities that aren't advertised.
It can be difficult when coming from a culture with different values
to adapt to the realities of the marketplace. It can seem demeaning to some
people to have
to go out and "sell" themselves. Ultimately, it is the most
successful approach to getting a good job. If you wait for the call of the
recruiter, or employer
or counselor, you may miss the opportunity to connect.
Self-reliance is fundamental and a positive attitude will usually be
reciprocated. Remember that when
you are marketing yourself, you are asking for
the contact's time and attention. They may already be swamped with their own
work and you may represent a
distraction from that. Accordingly, it is vital
that if you are going to make direct contact with potential hiring managers, you
should select and qualify the people
you should be talking to and, acknowledge
the intrusion on their time, even if it is only by email.
The main idea to go forward with is that you are setting out to build
relationships. Every contact may either be of direct or
indirect benefit to you.
If you wanted someone to buy something you were
selling, you would want to be as pleasant as possible. The same holds true in
job-search. People want to
help others with whom there is a human connection.. Keep your goal always in mind. Your
next call, your next email may be the one that you need to
achieve your
objective.
It is important to be both flexible and positive. There is a
fine line between being flexible and appearing to be desperate. You must know
what your
needs are, financially and what flexibility you have in terms of salary
expectations to meet expenses in the short-medium term. Most employers
will expect
salary flexibility for entry-level positions and that is a
reality of the marketplace. Once you are in, your abilities will influence your
progress. Here are some
of the mechanics involved in job search:
Resume:
As recruiters, we see hundreds of
resumes. The key point is to have a focused document that will serve to
introduce
you to someone who either has the authority to hire you or who can forward you on
to someone who does. Make it easy
for the reader to review your resume by pasting the text of it in an
email. even if sending it as an attachment. With
the increasing risk of viruses, attachments may be automatically deleted by
the company's firewall, or the recipient
may have created mail-rules that automatically delete unsolicited attachments.
If you send an attachment, you must
put in some covering message to prove that it comes from a real person. You
are risking automatic deletion if you
don't identify clearly who you are and leave a telephone number for follow
up in the message. Sending an anonymous
attachment with a blank message is not an efficient use of your message or
resume.
- Create two versions of your resume, a regular .doc and txt saved version to send by email
-
E-Resumes: What Works Best
Your Resume: Your Career Passport
- Ensure your resume is error-free – spell-check it and review it manually.
-
Create a Skills Summary/Achievements
Overview section in the first 3rd
of your document with keywords
focused on your experience and the results you are most proud
of in terms of revenues generated or costs saved in your jobs.
- Edit and re-edit the points you want to make - avoid long narratives
- Explain gaps in employment - in these economic times downsizing and termination are common events
- Note your experience in reverse chronological order - most recent first.
- Create a Draft Message in Outlook Express that contains a copy of your resume for multiple send-outs
-
Consider not sending your resume as an attachment if
possible.
It is an extra step for the reader to open your attachment and there is
the perceived risk of viruses. Also, AAT
software (Applicant Tracking) may not read your attachment properly -
especially if there are lots of bullet
points, other symbols, bold and underlining, unusual fonts,
graphs, images, etc.
- If you send by attachment, save the document with your first and last name - you are easier to locate on a busy desktop
- Ensure that your email and tel ctc info is in your resume information.
Cover
Letter:
Your cover letter needs to
be brief and clear. Don't tell your life story. Stick to the benefits that
you can bring to the reader's
company. Choose your words very carefully and make sure that every word supports
what you are trying to achieve - having
the reader continue reading your resume information. Make the effort to
target your letter to a hiring manager who in the
reporting structure of a company would logically be involved in hiring you.
If you were in sales, find out the name of the Sales Manager;
if you were in
accounting, send to the Manager of Finance, and so on. Each message should be
directed to a
specific person for you to benefit from the contact that you make. Ask the
person to review your resume and suggest that
you will call in the next few days to see what his/her opinion is of your
experience. Don't ask for a meeting in this message.
People like to voice their opinions. They are less likely to speak with
you if they think you will be asking them to set up
a meeting as the prime purpose of your contact. Establish relations before you
consider asking for them to give of their time.
- See Cover Letters: Brief & Focused.
- Cover letters should not be attached to your message, they should be part of it, preceding the resume text.
- Don’t repeat contact information in the cover letter that is already on your resume.
- Address your cover letter to a specific person and title, not a dept.
Sourcing
Hiring Managers on the Internet:
The Internet offers many
resources to research names of potential recipients of your resume. Learn to
use your search engine
and you will be able to create a targeted list of contacts that are relevant to
your experience, your industry and your employ-
ment objectives. Seek out
Industry Associations, Clubs, Journals, Periodicals,
Educational organizations,
Job Boards, Discussion Groups -
and identify
all entities that are related to the work that you do and the experience that
you have. Those managers that you can't find
through the Internet or through
a Reference Library, you will be able to obtain through a company switchboard.
- See Making Contact: Using The Internet for more details
- Source the names of hiring managers/executives who would be involved in decision making at your level.
- Go to a company’s website, look up the Contact Us/Staff Directory/About Us or similar page to get email addresses.
- Send a copy of your message/resume to the company’s human resources manager or director as a courtesy.
- Get names and titles from the switchboard if they aren't in the website.
-
Don’t send to a general title like human resources
dept or general manager. See Scott's Directories
at a local Reference Library for more names and titles among
other resources.
- Always get a real name to send to, no exceptions and make sure the title is accurate.
-
Use your search engine or
one like
http://www.google.com
to find associations that
are active in your industry,
go to their websites and view their membership listings or directors for
more qualified names.
-
Search for a bi-lateral trade association or
chamber of commerce between Canada
and your
previous country of residence, either in the Yellow Pages or through
a search engine query,
ask for leads on companies and executives active in your
field or disciplines.
Industry Associations
-
Review the
Canadian
Directory of Search Firms for recruiters active in your field or discipline:
http://eluta.ca
Recruiter Directories
-
Check the Canadian
Directory of Recruiters: for more recruitment firm options.
http://www.directoryofrecruiters.com
- Check if there are any chat boards or discussion groups active in your industry.
-
Check the industry journals and publications
serving your industry for on-line career advertising.
Use your search engine.
Create
Job Search Agents:
Job Search Agents are useful
tools on most job sites that allow you to create profiles of the types of
positions that you
want to explore and to be advised by email of when these jobs are posted. It is
a 24 hour job hunting service working
for you night and day. It should supplement not replace your own efforts. Be
specific in the keywords that you choose
so that you receive only those postings relevant to your job search. If you are
employed, use the options that allow you
to protect your identity. See the following article for details.
- see Job Boards - Your Internet Postings for details. Job Boards
-
Job Search Agents will advise you of job postings
of interest 24 hours a day. This allows you to concentrate on
information gathering and networking.
Industry
Events Networking:
Industry Trade Shows,
Exhibitions, Conventions and other events are a great place to gather
information on hiring managers.
Exhibitor booths usually have business card holders with the cards of senior or
mid level managers and a well-worked event
will yield many useful contact names for follow up. Send them emails after the
show mentioning that you were impressed with
their exhibit and that their firm, products or services are of interest to you.
Don't ask for a meeting, offer instead your resume
for their review (pasted in an email, not as an attachment) and follow up in 48
hours or so if you haven't received a reply. It is
important not to be too quick in following up. After a trade show, it is
easy to get lost in the flurry of follow ups that exhibitors
normally do with potential customers. Wait a day or two to send
until the initial follow wave of activity has subsided for them.
- Check for industry events, expositions, trade shows through an association.
- Review who the exhibitors/attendees are as they often appear with names/titles.
- Drop by their booths and gather senior level business cards and/or marketing information.
Recap: Resume & Covering Letter
1. Have two types of resumes -
one saved as a .doc and one saved as .txt
2. If sending your resume as an attachment, also paste it in your message (.txt
format)
3. Create a Skill Summary that contains achievements/keywords directly related to your
experience
4. Explain gaps in employment and record jobs in most-recent-first order
5. Save a Draft Message for copying as you need it in your email program
6. If you must send an attachment, save it with your name and tel # in the file
name
7. Ensure that your email and telephone contact info is in your resume text
8. Don't send a cover letter as a separate attachment - paste the text in your
message
9. Don't repeat contact info in your letter that is in your resume
Recap:
Gathering Qualified Target Names
1. Focus on hiring
managers who would logically be involved in hiring at your level
2. Look for Contact Us/Staff Directory or similar pages on a company's site for
names
3. Call the company's switchboard to ask who is responsible for (X) area
4. Always send to a real person with an actual title, not a general dept
5. Check Associations active in your industry for member lists and directories
6. Check the Scott's Industrial Directories at your local Reference Library for
more names
7. Use your search engine to locate industry journals that often contain names
and emails
8. Review Association websites for upcoming Trade Shows/Exhibitions and visit
them
9. See if any chat boards or discussion groups exist for your industry on the
web
Recap: Creating Job Search Agents
1. Register your
career-alerts with as many relevant job boards as you can
2. You can usually create agents for more than one position title on the major
boards
3. Job search agents will advise you 24 hours a day by email of new jobs posted
If you utilize all of
the resources that are available, you will generate a momentum based on your
actions
that will lead you from one contact to another. Stay alert to hints of job leads
in discussing your resume
with a contact. Seek the person's opinion about any companies that may be
hiring. To make the best
lasting impression, send a thank you note for the person's time and
guidance.
Table of Contents for more details.
Published Articles on Job Search -
Insider's Guide To Job Search
Newcomer Resources and Orientation
click image to access Table of Contents page
| Self-Assessment - points to consider when you are looking to change jobs or take a new direction | Resignations - tendering your resignation so that you retain goodwill and seal your decision | A Guide to Successful Interviewing - extensive guidance on interviewing techniques and styles |
| Leadership - how effectively do you lead others and display the qualities associated with leaders | Counter-Offers - how short-term compromises can result in unwanted consequences | Interview Body Language - how your body language conveys your level of self-confidence |
| Office Politics - keeping relationships at work professional and avoiding being drawn into conflict situations | Recruiters - What to Look For - signs to look for in selecting a recruiter to represent you, especially if you are currently employed | Negotiating Compensation - determing what is important to you in negotiating your total package of compensation and benefits |
| Promotions - who gets promoted and why it isn't just how well you do your job that counts but also how you form strong relationships | Job Boards & Internet Postings - tips on using job board postings effectively as a search tool, a handy resource that works for you 24/7 | Assessing Potential Employers - points to consider in deciding if this is the right place for you to commit your time and energy to |
| Being Downsized - dealing with the shock of a termination and rising to the challenge it presents | Making Contact Using the Internet - using web resources to identify potential hiring managers | Questions to Ask Potential Employers - questions to determine performance expectations |
| Job Satisfaction - defining what job satisfaction means to you and your sense of self-motivation | E-Resumes - What Works Best - guidance on using e-resumes to their best benefit | For Recent Graduates - tips on self-marketing for recent Transportation program graduates |
| Overcoming Inertia - asking yourself the questions you need to move forward in your career | Your Resume - Your Career Passport - constructing a resume that represents you well | Changing the Student Perspective - changing the way you see yourself in line with the market |
| Step-by-Step Self Marketing Plan - walks you through a systematic approach to job search | Cover Letters - Brief and Focused - getting to the point in telling employers what you can do | Newcomers Job Search Resources - extensive links and resources for Newcomers to Toronto |
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