(ThyBlackMan.com) Have you been struggling to make progress in the job market? The chances are you have been told to keep on trying as it will all work out in the end, but often it can feel as though you’re banging you head against a brick wall. Sometimes just repeating the same actions isn’t the smartest way to proceed, because the real problem isn’t a lack of opportunities or you being under qualified, it’s that you’re just not selling yourself well enough. So how can you do better?
Build your brand
Just as if you were selling shoes or watches, you need to think of yourself as a product, and you need to build up your personal brand. When you go for a job you’re well suited to, you’re going to be up against many applicants with similar skills, so you need to identify your unique selling point and make the most of it. Develop a tagline that promotes it, like a movie tagline, and use that on your resume and social media sites. Get some professional quality headshots that present you in the right way for the type of jobs you’re after. Make the most of any awards or commendations that you have.
Develop a marketing plan
In order to market yourself effectively, you’ll need a marketing plan. Start by thinking about your accomplishments to date and identify
the options they offer you. How well do they tally with where you want to go and what you want to achieve in your career? If you need to make changes, work out the concrete steps that will make that possible
Identify your target market and do your research. What are employers looking for? Who are they choosing to hire and why? Some people have more than one target market and use a slightly different strategy for each.
Focus your resume
One of the things your market research will help you to do is focus your resume. Restructure it to highlight the most relevant points and minimize those parts of your work history that don’t reflect the interests of your target employers. Use positive, active language and make sure it’s clearly formatted and easy to read. Avoid jargon, which rarely makes a good impression. Include the picture previously mentioned – this will help employers to think of you as an individual and remember who you are.
Boost your visibility
Marketing yourself isn’t just about pursuing opportunities – it’s about creating a situation in which opportunities will come to you. Professional recruitment agents like Jason Hanold are always on the lookout for talent and they search professional networks, graduate networks and social media to see who stands out from the crowd. Hanold’s focus is on identifying people with strong leadership traits and he has some very high level companies among his clients. Because he takes his time to get to know each client’s corporate culture, jobseekers approached by him can be confident that the position they are offered will be a good fit.
Network, network, network!
Beyond targeting recruiters and employers directly, it’s important to get out there and network. Remember that everybody you know knows other people and that the chances are you’re just a few steps away from somebody who can help your career along. Don’t annoy everybody by talking about how you’re looking for a job, especially if you’re currently employed – you’re probably just a few steps away from your boss, too – but make sure people know about what you’re good at, and learn to build self promotion into small talk without being too pushy about it. Make sure you always sound positive and dynamic when discussing what you do.
Using this approach, anybody can boost their chances of getting the position they want and can improve their career prospects in the longer term, too.
Staff Writer; Charles Smith