| A Guide to Optimizing Your Career Search | | | | a result. Not so. |
| It's no secret that we live in a full-employment | | | | To be effective, your networking activities need to |
| economy these days, with unemployment rates | | | | be as targeted and purposeful as the planning, |
| running as low as 5% in most parts of the country. | | | | targeting and packaging activities that are outlined |
| As a result, many companies are starved for the kind | | | | above. This means a couple of things: |
| of A-level talent they need to grow their business. | | | | First, make sure you try to target people who know |
| For proven top Sales and Marketing professionals, | | | | people in your target industry and companies. If |
| that's great news. Right now, in fact, it's much easier | | | | you're looking for a marketing management position |
| to make a career move than it has been for the last | | | | in a manufacturing company, don't spend time |
| several years. So the time is ripe for you to land that | | | | networking with people in the financial services |
| next great position, whether as an executive, | | | | industry - unless their clients are your target |
| mid-level manager, or front-line contributor. The path | | | | companies. |
| to better career opportunities is just ahead. This | | | | Second, make sure that during your networking |
| detailed Guide is designed to help you pave the way | | | | meetings, you clearly articulate your ideal job, and |
| and land your dream job in Sales or Marketing. | | | | ask for their help to move you toward your stated |
| Six Steps to Making the Right Move | | | | goal. Make sure you rehearse an elevator pitch prior |
| What follows are a few tried-and-true tips to help | | | | to each meeting, which includes something like this: |
| you greatly improve your career search and make | | | | I'm looking to use my Sales and Marketing leadership |
| sure your next job is exactly the one you've been | | | | skills at a Director or VP level position within an |
| dreaming about: | | | | established software company in the CRM space. |
| 1. Develop Your Plan of Attack | | | | Who do you know that might be able to refer me to |
| If you're thinking about starting a search for a great | | | | this type of company or has contacts in that |
| position, it's absolutely essential that you take the | | | | industry? |
| time to build your own personal strategic marketing | | | | When you specifically articulate what you're looking |
| plan. Too many professionals enter the job market | | | | for and ask for people's help, they're usually happy to |
| with no game plan for their job search, other than to | | | | assist you with referrals that will send you in the right |
| prepare their resume; post it on major job sites; and | | | | direction. When you don't have a clear idea of what |
| initiate some networking activity. But to be truly | | | | you're looking for, you're probably wasting the other |
| effective at your job search, you'll need to be much | | | | person's time, as well as your own. |
| more focused and systematic than that. Before ever | | | | Job hunters should remember a few other basic rules |
| picking up the phone or sending out your resume, | | | | of networking:o As your networking progresses, stay |
| you need to figure out exactly what you're looking | | | | in touch with the key people you have already met. |
| for in a new position. Begin by asking yourself a few | | | | Keep them updated on your search, progress made, |
| things:o What do I really love to do?o What am I | | | | changes in your strategy, updated |
| especially good at?o What kind of work really excites | | | | résumé, etc. By bringing your |
| me? | | | | network along with you as your job search unfolds, |
| Easy questions to answer, right? Well, not for | | | | you'll have a much better chance of a getting a |
| everyone. But luckily, there are plenty of resources | | | | valuable referral from someone you've already met.o |
| out there to help you, including established career | | | | Be sure to remember that networking is about |
| counselors and outplacement firms that are known | | | | building relationships, and relationships require a |
| experts in career planning. There are also many great | | | | balanced give/get. When you network with people, |
| books available, such as the long-held classic, What | | | | you're asking them to share their time, contacts, |
| Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for | | | | ideas and suggestions. You're seeking their help. So |
| Job-Hunters & Career-Changers. No matter how | | | | whenever you "get" it, be sure to ask them what |
| you get there, having a solid plan and a clear set of | | | | you can do to return the favor.o Once you've found |
| job search parameters in place is a must. It'll make | | | | a new job, always follow up with people who |
| your job search a whole lot easier -- and a great deal | | | | assisted you in your search. Thank them. Make sure |
| more successful. | | | | to send them your new contact information and tell |
| 2. Focus Your Search | | | | them where you've landed.o Maintain your newly-built |
| One of the golden rules in executing an effective job | | | | network even after completing your job search. This |
| search is this: a laser tight focus. | | | | is an invaluable strategy for enhancing your career |
| First, take the time to develop a clear vision of the | | | | down the road. Many engage in networking only as |
| ideal job that you're looking for, in as much detail as | | | | long as it takes for them to find a job, then quickly |
| possible. This includes the target industry, company | | | | lose touch with everyone they met along the way. |
| size, location, company culture, job title, scope of | | | | Why not harness the power of those relationships |
| responsibilities, and anything else that is important to | | | | instead? It'll only help you in the long run. |
| you. The more you can precisely visualize and | | | | Apply these basic give/get networking rules properly |
| articulate the exact job you're dreaming about, the | | | | and you're bound to benefit from better leads, |
| better chance you'll have of landing it! | | | | better referrals and better job opportunities in your |
| Many experienced Sales and Marketing professionals | | | | chosen field. |
| come through our offices seeking a job, without an | | | | Also, be sure to explore professional online |
| adequate definition of what they are really looking | | | | networking programs, such as LinkedIn, Spoke or |
| for. In particular, executives who've done a lot of | | | | Jigsaw. These are great tools for rapidly building your |
| different things over a long career suffer from this | | | | connections during your job search. It's easy to sign |
| syndrome. When coached on improving their search | | | | up online for any of these - and you'd be amazed at |
| focus, they often worry that doing so will preclude | | | | the number of people in your own network who |
| them from being considered for another job that | | | | already subscribe. |
| they might be willing to take. In attempting to "cover | | | | 5. Ace Your Interviews |
| the bases" by saying "I'm wide open," they end up | | | | Good news! All your planning and networking (along |
| diluting their marketing message. The result is, we | | | | with your spot-on résumé) have paid |
| don't know how to help them, and nobody wants to | | | | off. You've been called in for an interview at a |
| hire them. | | | | company you've been dreaming of working for. Now |
| Next, build a target list of companies that fit tightly | | | | it's time to prepare. |
| within your ideal job parameters and focus on | | | | Start by learning as much as you possibly can about |
| penetrating that list throughout the course of your | | | | the company. What are its core markets? Which |
| search. This "Target Account Selling" methodology is | | | | customers doesit target? Who are the competitors? |
| a commonly accepted practice in most companies - | | | | What is the company's unique selling proposition, and |
| so why not adopt this proven technique for your | | | | management's vision? What does the leadership |
| career search? | | | | stand for? How does the company define its culture? |
| If you aren't sure of which direction to take, then do | | | | Next, prepare a set of questions about these issues |
| research. Informational interviewing is the perfect | | | | for the hiring manager. The questions you ask will |
| vehicle for helping you gain a better understanding of | | | | help you demonstrate your advanced understanding |
| a specific industry or company. Industry association | | | | of the company to the interview team, giving you a |
| directories are another great source of information. | | | | leg up on other interviewees who haven't done such |
| And of course, a number of excellent resources exist | | | | in-depth preparation. You'd be amazed by the number |
| online. You can start by visiting websites that | | | | of candidates who haven't prepared even one |
| aggregate job postings like to get ideas on who's | | | | intelligent question to ask about the company or the |
| hiring in your area that you should include in your | | | | opportunity! Don't let that be you. |
| target list. | | | | Additionally, make sure you've developed a clear set |
| Once you've built your plan of attack and zeroed in | | | | of responses for questions that you're likely to be |
| on your targets, then you're ready to put your story | | | | asked during the interview, such as:o What are you |
| on paper. | | | | looking for?o What core skills can you bring to our |
| 3. Package Yourself as the Ideal Candidate | | | | company?o How would working for our company fit |
| Let's say you're a top sales producer or marketing | | | | with your career goals?o Tell me how your |
| genius who wants to make a job change. How do | | | | experience maps to the position we're filling?o What |
| you ensure that you stand out as the best choice to | | | | was the most difficult situation you've faced in your |
| prospective employers? | | | | career, and what did you learn? |
| First, make sure your resume is clear, concise and to | | | | What-How-Wow! |
| the point. Be careful to articulate your unique selling | | | | As you prepare for a job interview, develop a series |
| proposition as the ideal candidate in a measurable | | | | of short stories around specific situations you've |
| way. Get rid of all percentage increases and replace | | | | faced, actions you've taken and outcomes you've |
| them with actual revenue dollars achieved, new | | | | produced in your previous positions. These stories |
| markets penetrated, resellers signed up, new | | | | should be aligned to the position you are seeking, and |
| customers gained or business impact produced. If | | | | showcase your unique selling proposition as a |
| you can't quantify the scope and scale of yourpast | | | | candidate. Prospective employers don't want to hear |
| Sales and Marketing experience in absolute terms, | | | | the answer to whether or not you're a good sales or |
| along with the responsibility you've had, then you'll | | | | marketing professional; they want to hear examples |
| undoubtedly miss the "hiring" boat. | | | | of how you've demonstrated your talent in different |
| Second, and equally important, tailor your resume to | | | | situations. Demonstrating your skills by telling true |
| align perfectly with your "ideal job." This means | | | | stories from your past will help you stand out in a |
| stating your precise job objective, and highlighting | | | | crowd. |
| your most important skills and achievements as they | | | | Most important, when you're asked questions, |
| relate to the specific position you seek. If you're | | | | provide succinct and relatively short answers. Don't |
| looking for a channel sales position, for example, then | | | | ramble on and on. Many Sales and Marketing folks are |
| make sure your channel sales experience and | | | | extroverts and enjoy making conversation. But |
| measurable achievements stand out in your resume, | | | | there's nothing worse than talking too long and |
| above all else. Be as specific as you can, relative to | | | | providing overly embellished rambling answers to each |
| the exact position you hope to land. Is it a | | | | question. |
| management position or an individual contributor role | | | | 6. Dream Your Way Into Your Dream Job |
| you want? Be precise. By doing so, you make it easy | | | | Scientific research has proven that top performers in |
| for Sales and Marketing recruiters, employers or | | | | all fields of life (sports, business, public speaking, to |
| people you're networking with to draw the | | | | name a few) practice positive visualization, and that it |
| information they need from your resume, and clearly | | | | has a huge impact on their ability to achieve their |
| see why you're qualified for the job you're seeking. | | | | goals. Indeed, most of us have experienced this in |
| Not following this advice is one of the biggest | | | | some way in our own lives. On the other hand, |
| mistakes we see talented Sales and Marketing people | | | | looking for a job can be a fearful experience for |
| make. Rather, they seek to list all of their experience | | | | many people, no matter how accomplished you have |
| in the broadest possible way, in hopes of being | | | | been in your career. |
| considered for any/every position that's available. In | | | | The single most important determinant of your |
| the process of "covering their bases," again, they | | | | success in finding your dream job is your attitude. If |
| dilute their effort. The result is that their resumes get | | | | you view your search as a struggle, it will become a |
| put in the "pass" pile. | | | | struggle. If you view it as a great opportunity to |
| Third, make sure you clearly highlight the exact | | | | move to an exciting next step in your own growth, |
| information about the industries and customers | | | | you'll most likely find that great opportunity! |
| you've been involved with. Perhaps you've sold to | | | | Focus, positive energy, visualization, determination - |
| Fortune 500 companies. If so, list examples and name | | | | these are a few of the skills and attitudes that |
| names. What key relationships have you developed? | | | | successful job seekers possess. |
| In a competitive job market, recruiters want to see | | | | During your search, take deliberate steps to nurture |
| demonstrated domain expertise and a strong rolodex. | | | | yourself to maintain a positive frame of mind. Things |
| 4. Work Your Network | | | | that help many job seekers include:o Regular trips to |
| When it comes to landing a fantastic new gig, the | | | | the gym or other forms of exerciseo Forming a small |
| power of networking is undeniable. As a Sales and | | | | support group of friends and colleagues you can talk |
| Marketing professional, you already understand the | | | | with along the wayo Limiting your search to a set |
| importance of networking in order to acquire new | | | | number of hours per week, with evenings and |
| business or find new prospects. So doesn't it make | | | | weekends set aside for relaxation with friends or |
| good business sense to use that same skill for your | | | | familyo Journaling |
| own personal gain? | | | | Remember, most companies today are starved for |
| By developing a very strong networking plan during | | | | A-level talent. So there's no better time than now to |
| your job search, you can greatly expand the number | | | | consider making a career move. By following the |
| of opportunities for new positions that come your | | | | simple tips outlined in this Guide, you'll gain a winning |
| way. | | | | edge in your career search - and greatly increase |
| In the world of networking, there are people who | | | | your chances of landing that perfect Sales or |
| know how you do it right and those who don't. | | | | Marketing position. |
| Those who don't, typically cast about in every | | | | For more information on how refine your Sales and |
| direction to fill their day with any appointments they | | | | Marketing Career Search - check out Cube |
| can get, and assume that they're being productive as | | | | Management's Website. |