Effective Job Searching Strategy

 

Traditional/Usual Approach:  More focus on activity

Ø      Volume Faxing

Ø      Response to Advertisement

Ø      Search Agencies

Result:  Unsuccessful (perception of discrimination, nationalization, etc.,)

 

Job Market:  Excess supply and low in demand; recession – resulting in layoff, hire freeze

 

Effective Strategy:  Approach based on being smart, creative and adopting the concept of target marketing your skills and service.

 

Product Analogy:  Children Education Investment Package

            Product characteristic:  Intangible

Need the product caters to: Security

ØFeasibility study

ØIdentify Market segment – survey to identify target market segments

ØProduct positioning and Differentiation

ØCompetition analysis

ØPricing

ØMarketing strategy

o        Distribution Channels

o        Key players identification

o        Advertising

ØExecution – Product launch

Seeking a Job – What are we actually doing?

Answer:  Selling our skills and service.  You are CEO/President of ‘I Incorporated’.  You are responsible to plan and execute all steps mentioned above to market your product – YOUR SKILLS AND SERVICES.

 

New Approach embodies rigorous planning and meticulous execution of the plan – Being smart/creative

               Step 1: Identify clearly what is your uniqueness/niche (everybody has uniqueness).  Clarity important

               Step 2: Identify industry/companies who could be potential targets

               Step 3: Find out the decision marker’s name (as much information as possible)

               Step 4: Targeting (objective: to get an interview)

o        Call decision maker

o        How to get past secretaries

o        Pitch

o        Company research

               Step 5: CV/Covering letter preparation

o        Your marketing instrument

o        Strategies to enhance and differentiate

               Step 6: Interview

o        Preparation, preparation, preparation (put yourself in the decision marker’s shoes)

o        Make it easy for the decision maker to make decision

o        Creating a position

o        Enroll decision maker as your mentor and get other contacts

o        Market your self

o        Close interview with some form of commitment

               Step 7: Follow up

o        Call back

o        Look back and see how your overall strategy is doing; modify if necessary

Other Channels:  Word of mouth, Walk-ins, news paper (don’t discard traditional methods)

 

Bottom line:  Approach does not guarantee a job, but increases the probability enormously.