Developing Your Marketing Materials <<Back | |
Effective Marketing Materials are critical to gain an audience with your
target companies for your ideal position. To be effective, your
marketing materials must be tailored and directed to meet the needs of
the hiring party. The basic documents that you will need are your
Résumé, Cover Letters, "Story" , and Profile.
A.
Resume:
The purpose of a résumé is to gain a meeting or an interview with a
decision maker. Your résumé must demonstrate that you have the relevant
skills and experiences for the position desired. It must also
demonstrate how the hiring party will benefit from hiring you. Your
résumé is a marketing document, not a historical document.
Creating your résumé starts with understanding the market and positions
that you are pursuing. The best résumés reflect market research. Look
for job postings on job boards or company's website in order to see what
skills and experiences are in demand. Ask friends to send you job
descriptions that match your goals. Use these to identify the skills and
experiences that companies are seeking, paying special attention to the
"buzz" words used within that company, industry and/or position. Next,
match your own skills and experiences with those that companies are
seeking. This becomes the basis for a résumé that markets you to your
chosen audience.
Résumé readers rarely spend more than 30 seconds skimming your résumé,
so it must be very easy to read and provide the needed information. They
are looking for three things:
1. Do you have the
skills and experiences to do the job?
2. Where have you
worked previously?
3. What have you
accomplished?
Here are some sample resumes to help you craft your own document:
The following guidelines are a great place to start in drafting your
résumé:
·
Your résumé is a marketing document used to convince the reader that you
are the best possible person for the position.
·
It must be very easy to skim (or read) and clearly show that you have
the skills and experience to do the job.
·
While capturing the depth and breadth of your former positions, it must
focus upon your achievements, preferably using quantifiable examples of
your achievements.
·
All information provided should be relevant to the reader and your next
position (do not feel the need to include information that is irrelevant
to the reader or the position).
·
If you are changing careers, it must clearly show that your skills and
experiences are easily transferable to the new position.
·
It must show the reader how you will benefit them (not how
they will benefit you).
·
It must be honest and accurate.
When formatting your resume remember that it should be no more than two
pages, typed, with no errors or mistakes. Here are formatting
suggestions for each of the résumé sections:
·
Heading:
Your complete address, phone number and e-mail address organized in a
logical manner that fits the style and look of your overall résumé.
Sample headings
·
Summary:
This is a brief summary (two or three sentences) that describes your
overall expertise and skills.
Sample summaries.
·
Professional Experience:
This is the detailed body of your résumé where each employer is
identified including your last job title, work location and dates of
service. Underneath each firm are your bulleted entries which emphasize
your experiences, results and skills.
Sample professional experiences
·
Education:
This is the section that specifies your academic degrees, honors,
activities and schools attended.
Sample education entries
·
Additions and Deletions:
Certifications and affiliations that are relevant to the position and
the type of work that you wish to perform should always be included. The
same is true for language and other special skills. Information that
should not be included are items such as salary history, personal
information or references.
·
Action Words
to include in writing résumés -
Sample action words
In today’s world of electronic job search, it is important that your
resume transmits well via email. Since computer and printer setups vary,
the way an MS Word document is delivered on email or at a printer can be
different than the version you think you sent. To prevent distorted
formatting including incorrect page breaks, different font or messed up
margins, it is wise to send your resume as a .pdf file. (“pdf” actually
stands for “portable document format.”)
Most employers’ databases and applicant tracking systems now accept .pdf
files, but if your resume format is rejected, try sending it as a “.doc”
file with very basic formatting. Avoid over-formatting and refrain from
imbedding graphics or pictures in a resume that you upload into an
employer’s electronic system. Do make a point of including the keywords
(including the likely title of the position you are seeking) in your
resume so that the system’s search can “find” you.
For additional information about submitting resumes electronically and
being found by electronic search tools, read Lisa Vass’ article entitled
“Resume, Meet Technology: Making Your Resume Format Machine- Friendly"
found at TheLadders.com.
B.
Cover Letters:
A cover letter is sent along with a resume to provide additional
information and highlight how you (the candidate) are relevant and fit a
particular need of the recipient. It typical serves as an introduction,
establishes for the reader what position (or assistance) you are seeking
and hopefully entices them to read your résumé. It is generally no more
than one page in length. The letter should highlight your relevant
skills and experiences in regards to the position that you are seeking.
It is also your opportunity to present qualifications that may not be on
your resume that match the needs of a position.
Traditionally, a cover letter was written as a formal business letter
with the resume as an “enclosure.” E-mail has changed the way cover
letters are used and delivered. When submitting a resume via email, the
body of the e-mail could serve as the cover letter. Brevity is essential
in an e-mail. Alternatively the Cover Letter and Resume may be submitted
as one file (a .pdf file will ensure that format is not compromised)
included as an attachment to an e-mail.
Heading, Address and Greeting -
The heading should include your address, the date, your phone number and
the e-mail addresses where you can be reached. Ensure that your voice
mail sounds professional (especially if you are using your home phone).
Additionally, ensure that all of the contact information is accessible
to both parties in a professional and confidential manner. The inside
address should be a standard business letter format including the name
of the addressee, title, company and business address. The greeting
should simply be "Dear Mr. or Ms. (last name)".
Body -
The first paragraph explains why you are contacting the reader.
It should identify the position that you are seeking and tell how you
found out about this position.
The second paragraph should describe your skills and qualifications that
are relevant to the company and position. This is the most important
part of your cover letter - it must entice the reader to review your
resume. You must clearly demonstrate to the employer how your interests,
education and experience fit the job requirements. Use the job
requirements (as listed on the job description) and match them to your
skills. Refer the reader to your resume for additional information
concerning your background and interests. If you have related experience
or specialized training, be sure to point it out. Show the employer what
you will be able to do for this organization.
The third paragraph is all about action! This paragraph should contain
your specific "next steps." This will demonstrate how you will follow up
to pursue the position. Polite aggressiveness is a very favorable
quality to have as a potential candidate. Make the next action step your
responsibility.
Closing & Enclosures
The closing is as simple as "Sincerely yours,"
If you need to copy this letter to another individual (especially
if the potential manager is not the designated addressee), do so by
simply typing copy: (name) at the bottom of the letter. To
include an enclosure such as a résumé, write Enclosures at the
bottom under copy.
C.
Your Story:
A very common question asked during most interviews and meetings
is "Tell me about yourself." You must have a great opening pitch to
"wow" the listener. Most people decide if they like you in the first 30
seconds and whether they are really interested in pursuing your
potential employment in the first five to eight minutes!
How you answer this simple
question usually makes the difference in a successful interview.
Your story should immediately show why you are a prime candidate for a
particular position or role. It relates your past experiences and skills
to the position that is open. It must also convince the decision maker
that you will benefit them in accomplishing their goals and objectives.
Here are some hints to assist you in creating your story:
·
Keep it short: 30 seconds to no more than one minute (prepare several
versions).
·
Show energy and passion for accomplishing the tasks of the position.
·
Talk about your skills and experiences that are relevant to the
position.
·
Demonstrate skills by providing examples of your success and
achievements.
·
Show specific examples of relevant accomplishments.
·
Add a "differentiator" that helps people remember you.
·
This is NOT the chronology of your life.
·
Practice your story with friends before using it in a professional
setting.
·
D.
Profile:
A profile summarizes your professional background and supports
networking by giving others a quick picture
of who you are and what type of position you currently hold or are
seeking during a search. A simple single-page hard-copy profile
statement is beneficial in many networking situations, especially when
initiating a networking conversation during a job search; it makes it
easy for your audience to understand your background and search
objective. A Profile is not a substitute for your résumé, however the
themes that you portray in all your marketing materials should be
consistent.
A Sample
Profile
is provided to illustrate the sections that may be included:
·
Heading
includes your name and contact information.
·
Search Plan Profile
is a statement of your job objective.
·
Recent Positions
is a top line summary of your most relevant 2-3 positions.
·
Targets
include a list of industry segments and companies that interest you.
This segmentation of targets can spur a networking partner to connect
you with relevant contacts.
·
Education
includes relevant degrees and institutions.
Modern
Online/Social Networking
sites now allow for easier access and
farther reaching networking. Having a consistent profile message, one
that matches your marketing materials, current situation and what you
want your networking peers to know, is all part of creating your
personal brand. LinkedIn, now
the most common professional networking site, has a very robust profile
section, and you should be aware that many employers and recruiters
search LinkedIn to source talent. (See Step CD6 on Online Networking.) |
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