Think like a marketer, get noticed, and get the job. Here are three marketing strategies to use in the job search.
The job search is an exercise in marketing yourself. And, so you should be thinking like a marketer.
Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”
This is the job search in a nutshell. You want to create, communicate, and deliver offerings that have value for customers — in this case, potential employers – their clients and partners, and society at large. How do you communicate these things effectively? Start with some basic marketing principles.
Here are three marketing strategies that will help you get the job.
Have a strategy
Speaking of strategies. Successful marketing requires a strategy and so does your job search. You’ll be most successful if you have a goal and a plan for how you’re going to get there. Rather than just scrolling for jobs online and tossing your resume at them, decide what job(s) you want (which still may involve scrolling around to see what’s out there for which you’re suited), then map the steps you’re going to take to get there. This plan may involve networking, research, upskilling, updating application materials and online pages, and more.
Know your competition
As it is in business, so it is in marketing, so it is in the job search. You have to know who you’re competing against. This isn’t necessarily easy, since you can’t call up employers and ask to see the resumes of your fellow job applicants. But you can bop around LinkedIn looking for people with similar job titles to yours and compare your “about” section, your experience, and your skills to theirs. How do you stack up and can you improve your situation by rewriting sections, focusing on key skills, adding soft skills, and upskilling? Would writing articles help you stand out? This is key. How can you know how to beat the competition if you don’t know who they are?
Know your target market
Similarly, it pays to get to know your target market. These are the employers you want to work for. Research the companies and the hiring managers you want to connect with. How can you reach these people and get on their radar, so that they know who you are and will pay special attention to your application materials when they come through? In marketing, we do something called “personas” in which we create fictional representations of actual customers and devise real plans for reaching them. Figure out what your target market values and what matters to them, then find ways to connect over these things, on LinkedIn, in your cover letter, and in the interview.
These marketing strategies are a great way to get started on your targeted job search. Good luck!
