SmartRecruitersFrom changing career paths to finding jobs on the other side of the globe, connections are everything – and you already have them. Charlie Nelson and John Hooper are joined by fellow Smartian Sienna Shattuck to share personal anecdotes on what really works for marketing yourself as a candidate.
Listen to this episode on iTunes as well.
The most famous example of candidate marketing comes from Adam Pacitti in 2012 when he had the zany idea to very literally market himself by purchasing a billboard advertising himself as a candidate.
It was £500 well spent. Within days his job search had gone viral and he was inundated with job offers.
This very loud example teaches us one thing, it’s not always a lack of skill or experience that keeps someone from finding a job, but the right packaging.
Adam had a degree in media production (with honors!) from Winchester University and experience in his field but it wasn’t until he found his hook that his job hunt went from sorting rejection letters to fielding offers.
An 8 ½” by 11” piece of paper can only capture so much of your unique sparkle so the challenge becomes making an impression, not just sending out a resume and crossing your fingers.
Perhaps you don’t want to be as extra as Adam. Your job hunt doesn’t have to be like the first episode of the ‘Bachelor’ where contestants ride in on horseback or dazzle the cameras with slight-of-hand magic just to make an impression in their allotted 10 seconds – think connections.
You are most likely already connected to the company that will eventually employ you.
Charlie tells his clients that at least 90% of their hires in any given year are somehow already related to their company. Businesses are putting more of an effort to build these referral networks but as a candidate, you can be proactive about finding and using these connections as well.
According to John an average of 270 candidates apply for every one open position a client posts but these numbers become less scary when you think of how powerful any sort of referral or recommendation in getting you an interview.
So after you’re finished putting the finishing touches on your resume spend time researching possible connections to the company.
Many people are reluctant to discuss their job hunt because they don’t want to admit they’re having a hard time finding employment but there are lots of ways to talk about your search without coming off as desperate. It’s all in the delivery.
Listen to the full podcast for strategies on launching your personal campaign for a job and look out for Episode Four.
Sarah Wilson
Matt Alder