Creating A Personal Marketing Plan For Your Job Search
Few people like cold calling, aggressive sales, or marketing themselves. Overall, job seekers aren’t used to thinking about incorporating marketing into their job search. It’s not part of our ideas about what a job seeker does.
And if you’re unemployed, it’s tempting to accept any offer that comes along. We’re used to having a scarcity mindset rather than thinking of ourselves as undiscovered talent that any company would be happy to have. It’s time to change your mind about what you offer and learn how to employ savvy marketing techniques in your job search. To do this, you must….
Update Your Digital Footprint…. Continuously
Have you ever seen outdated information on your favorite brands’ websites? Even though these companies spend millions of marketing dollars and hire dedicated teams, they still sometimes fall short. The internet trades on immediacy, so you have to make the effort to ensure that your information is up to date. I’ve encountered many outdated LinkedIn profiles, websites, and online portfolios in my time online. This sort of neglect can harm your brand story and industry perception.
It’s all about perception in the digital world. When considering your job search, think of yourself as a product on a shelf in a busy store, vying for attention from shoppers. If you’re the product, how do you get a consumer (employer) to choose you?
Create Your Value Statement
When someone asks you, “What do you do?” or ”Tell me about yourself,” how do you answer? If find yourself unable to, it means that you haven’t thought about the value you offer. What gives you purpose and makes you feel fulfilled?
How have you made an impact on your industry? How would you like to be perceived by others? Your brand value statement is imperative to communicating who you are, what you do, and how you do what you do. Rehearse it. Know it. Believe it. Here are some examples of value/mission statements:
“To be a teacher and to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.”
– Oprah Winfrey
“To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.”
– Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company
“To use my gifts of intelligence, charisma, and serial optimism to cultivate the self-worth and net worth of women around the world.”
– Amanda Steinberg, Founder of DailyWorth
Now it’s your turn. Start with 3 to 5 short phrases describing what you value in your career, such as, “I value __________, I value ____________, and I value ____________.” You’ll use these phrases as the building blocks for your mission statement, which should include what you stand for, what you’re known for (past contributions), and the goals you still want to achieve.
Create Your Personal Marketing Plan
This plan should be an honest representation of where you are professionally and where you’re trying to go. Before any new product goes on sale, companies take months or even years to develop a marketing plan for reaching their target market. Start small. Once you defined your target market (desired industry, companies, location, etc.), create a 30-60-90-day plan that maps out goals and action steps.
It’s best to break your plan into categories like Training, Thought Leadership, Promotion, and/or Defining A Niche. Breaking it down will make it easier to focus on your goals without feeling overwhelmed. Here’s an example:
Believe in Yourself and Your Abilities
Everyone fails, even big companies. But no matter what’s happened in the past, companies have to believe that their new product will be the best on the market, and they plan carefully in order to make that happen.
Shake off those interviews that didn’t go well, the resumes that were rejected, and those “perfect” positions you didn’t get. You have to believe that you are a success, even though your current circumstances may not line up with your beliefs.
These tips will turn you into a self-marketing professional, accelerate your progress, and get you into the habit of running your job search like the CEO of a company. It may be extremely uncomfortable, but to “sell yourself” in your job search is necessary.
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