How to Land That Job – Part 2

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As the hiring market picks up and new technologies put marketers in high demand, it is important to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. With that, welcome to our weekly blog series on getting that marketing job you’ve always wanted. Each week we will discuss a new tip or technique you can use to land that job you’re after. Last week’s topic was Where to Look.

This week’s topic = Your Resume

When I was in school, I took a communications course that seemed to focus solely on how to prepare a resume and write a cover letter. The professor made it abundantly clear that there is only one way to create a resume, and that whoever was doing the hiring would simply look the other way if you did not follow “the rules”.

Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works. And so too often people end up creating a boring, form-fitting resume that does not attract attention.

Your resume is the thing most employers see first. It’s the first impression that you’re making on the people who you hope will hire you. So why be boring?

First, let’s go over what to include on your resume. Your resume should tell your story from a professional point of view. Include any and all relevant information that the hiring manager should know about you in order to take the next step. This includes relevant work experience, specific areas of interest and great skill, education, professional training or certifications, and goals.

Next, let’s talk about the appropriate layout. There is none. Feel free to be creative with the look and feel of your resume. No matter what anyone tells you, it does not have to look like everyone else’s. In fact, the less it looks like all the others, the better chance you have of standing out from the crowd and getting an interview or call back.

Use bold text and design elements as call outs to highlight key information. Use columns and more than one page if you need to. Use different font sizes, even images. It’s up to you.

Having said all that, I must also say to keep it within reason. Don’t be so creative that you lose focus and include things that don’t help you get noticed or get the job. Limit text and work history to the most crucial and relevant to the position you’re looking to get. Short and sweet with powerful, active words will make it more likely someone will read your resume, rather than toss it in the trash.

And don’t ever forget the pertinent contact information. Because your resume is like an advertisement for you, and it needs a call to action!

Have anything to add? Keep the conversation going in the comments below…

Market Yourself – Part 2

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This is part two of the three part series this week on marketing yourself. Check out part one here. Part three will come tomorrow.

In part one of this series I said that the first step in marketing yourself in the digital age is to take control of your digital footprint. Once you define your personal brand, and take control of your reputation in a positive way, it’s time to use those tools to your advantage…to advance your career.

Step 2. There’s a job you want, an industry you want to be in, or a company you’d like to start. It’s time to apply the tools you’ve defined in Step 1.

First you can tackle your resume. What does yours say about you? Does it stand out from the crowd? Add in your website, your blog, your LinkedIn profile. It tells people that you have taken an active interest in your field and you are pursuing it in ways that make you more attractive as an employee.

Many in the technology, design, and marketing worlds are taking this a step further and changing the look and feel of their resumes to better suit the age we live in. But you don’t have to go that far to stand out from the crowd. In today’s world, specific continuing education opportunities you’ve taken advantage of, certifications you’ve achieved, and “extra-curricular” activities in your field can often look even better than where, and for what you want to school.

Next, you will interview. The interview is a chance for you to reinforce the brand with a potential employer (maybe client or investor) that you’ve built online and on paper. The more work you’ve put into it, the more confident you should feel going in. Let that confidence shine (see confidence tips from George Clooney here). Bring examples of your work without being asked. Tell them exactly what you’ve done outside of your 9-5 job to get to where you’re at in your career, and why you took that initiative.

Employers are looking for people who go above and beyond, and in today’s market they can afford to be picky. So be that person. Take an interest in your field, and be willing to get creative with it.

Finally, you should always be networking. Online, you can network in a number of different ways. LinkedIn is a clear choice for networking with other professionals in your field. Twitter is another great choice, because you can follow industry leaders in a less formal way, and share content you create.

You should welcome interactions with others in the field because the more connections you establish, the more doors you will open for yourself when you’re looking for a new opportunity.

In part 3 we’ll dig a little deeper into marketing yourself, and selling off of your personal brand.