MLT Career Prep Coach's Corner
Are you getting the word out on “Brand Me?”
By: Rishal Stanciel, MLT Career Prep Coach
How many times have you heard that networking is the key to a successful job search? Well it is absolutely a true statement. According to most job search studies, 65% of new jobs are secured via networking. Personally, I have secured 90% of my jobs over a fifteen year professional career through networking. When I consider that talking to people at my target companies about “Brand Me” and my career goals has led to over $1MM in income, it has really convinced me to be a strong advocate for the art of networking. Literally sharing “Brand Me” with my friends and colleagues, has resulted in securing key positions in my target companies. This has certainly made me a believer in the statement that networking is the key to a successful job search. You might ask, “How do I network “Brand Me?”
In the job search process, it is simply the method of GETTING THE WORD OUT about “Brand Me”. You must communicate who you are, what you have to offer, and what you are looking for to the right target audience in order to facilitate a successful job search. Your primary target audience is comprised of the hiring managers within the companies on your “hit list”. Your secondary target group represents individuals that can connect you with the hiring managers within the companies on your hit list. Just like with any brand marketing plan, you must identify all of the right vehicles to communicate your message to your target market and execute the plan. Your message can be distributed to your target audience in many ways including your 90 second pitch, cover letter, resume, introductory email, phone call, Linked In, Facebook, and any other creative way to communicate “Brand Me”.
Now that you have identified your primary and secondary target audiences and how to reach them, the next step is to Just Do It! This means talking to everyone you know about “Brand Me”, and effectively delivering your message succinctly and effectively. Ideally, you should have 20 to 30 conversations a week on a continuous basis with your target audience. If you are able to talk to everyone you know about your brand and ask them about who they know at the companies on your hit list, then you have effectively extended your network. This type of Word-of-Mouth Advertising is critical to any job search. In essence you have extended the reach of “Brand Me” and greatly increased the number of touch points against your target audience. This represents the art of networking. The ability to effectively network has as much to do with your Brand Identity message as it does with the vehicles utilized, and the persistence of your messaging.
Lastly, tracking the results of your job search plan is very critical. The results of your job search plan should be systematically monitored so that you can continue to evolve your plan, as well as utilize key learnings for future job searches. A simple Excel spreadsheet with your target audience, hit list, and touch points should assist in accurately tracking your results.
In summary, these are the five steps to Networking “Brand Me”:
- Develop the right Brand Identity message—Who are you?
- Determine the right target audience—Hiring Managers & People that know them at Hit List companies
- Decide on the right vehicles to communicate effectively
- Just Do It-Get the word out!
- Track Your results & Maintain your records for future searches
