Are you ready to market yourself? You should be prepared

Melbourne Herald Sun, March 23, 2012

When you're working you see so many jobs where you could improve your work, your pay, your position. It's like they are all beckoning to you. Then if by chance you find yourself out of your job - it's amazing how these opportunities evaporate like a morning mist.

Suddenly you're back on the market, out in the cold, and it's not so easy to get back into the warm. Ok, my marketing friend, in these times of mass redundancies and weekly announcements from yet another corporation laying off hundreds of staff - how are you going to market yourself?

The reason why companies like to poach staff from others is because they know the employee is current. The candidate knows today's business, the personalities and the deals, so they can slot straight in - often in opposition to their pervious firm.

If you're not in this position, you need to make them think you are. So keep up your contacts, go to those boring industry association monthly breakfasts. Everybody is there for the same reason - to see and be seen by someone who could be of use to them. Sit near someone who works for the type of firm you're looking for, and be chatty.

Get abreast with the new media - these days recruiters and employers look at your Facebook profile (no photos of drunken nights!) and tap in to your Twitter. Is your resume on LinkedIn? Get your blog up to date and work-oriented. Ideally make the employer think they will be hiring extra muscle for their social networking drive.

Take a hard look at your resume. Does it make you sound exciting and desirable? Is the photo friendly and professionally shot or does it look like a depressed passport pic? (What do you mean you don't have a photo on it... Do it!)

In fact write more than one resume. The one looking for a marketing post needs to be different from the one looking for the advertising agency job. If you can, put in some case histories of successes including a few figures on sales or market share - or whatever is appropriate.

Here's one for the brave - put together a clever but brief Power Point presentation of your resume, for your laptop or iPad. But only if you can make it engaging, not boring.

In any case, get your story straight and make yourself interesting. Be able to talk confidently in the interview, but don't sound arrogant. Make good use of the bathroom mirror in the morning to practice your pitch. Remember to smile and be light - but don't tell a string of jokes.

Call your girlfriend who has style and understands fashion (this applies to the boys and the girls). Get her to search through your wardrobe and put together a couple of suitable business looks.

Even in these days of relaxed clothing rules, there is still such a thing as an "acceptable" look. It's an unspoken dress code but those with an eye for fashion can read it well. As can most prospective employers, even if they don't even realise that they are making such judgements.

Your tattoos might be very cool among your mates at the night club, but they send demerit points to a prospective employer. Cover the tatts - and lose the nose ring too.

What an employer is looking for is someone who is skilled, flexible and resourceful. And the best way to prove these points is by getting your marketing pitch and materials right for each prospect.

Here it is my marketing friend - your most important client. Get to work.

ray@ebeatty.com
Blog: themarketeer-raybeatty.blogspot.com