You read the job posting, you have all the skills and the job is everything you are looking for. But are you what the company is looking for? Your resume can open the door to the opportunity but somehow you will need to close the sale by convincing the employer you are perfect for the position.
I understand that you aren’t a salesperson, however, I’m going to assume that since you are here on our website, you are in the creative industry. You know all about how a product should look, how to describe it, studying your audience’s needs and wants, and creating the whole package. Good products have flopped because of bad marketing and vice versa. Equally true, millions have been made from good marketing of good products.
When you are looking for a job, you are trying to sell you and the “4 P’s of Marketing” can easily apply:
Product
Your appearance, experience, abilities, attitude, and aptitude all make up your “product”. To improve the quality of your product, make a small investment in some classes, books, clothes, and a haircut. Learning to smile and good eye contact are free. Read our entire blog post on presenting the best product aka you!
Place
The companies where you submit your resume would be your “place”. Don’t forget that friends, family, and associations are also great distributors of your information as well. Learn more by reading our blog on Place: Be Everywhere Without Being Everywhere.
Promote
The ways you “promote” yourself would your resume, cover letter, any other written correspondence, as well as the interview and any phone conversations. Be clear and concise in all communications. Read more on how to promote yourself and create a strategy for your personal brand.
Price
Your “price” is your salary, compensation, benefits, and bonuses. Set this amount too low and you may appear incapable of doing a very important job or not as good as your resume appears. Set it too high and you may not even get an interview because the employer can’t afford you. We have an entire post on staying competitive in today’s market— read Price: Market Value and What You Are Worth.
Remember, not everyone will buy your product so feedback is very valuable. Use the feedback to make changes to your mix. Once you land that perfect job, you will need to continue to market yourself to reassure the employer they made the right decision.
With so many people looking for jobs, currently it’s an employers market and employers are looking for the ideal person. The question is, will it be you?
