After our last article you should have a list of businesses doing business in the area you’re looking for. This is a great start, please keep organized and save this information as you continue moving forward. The next step is to market and present yourself to these businesses.
The first step in marketing yourself is to forget you. This isn’t a step in your Zen meditation; it means that you focus on the employer and not yourself. The businesses you now have in front of you are looking to make money. This is the main focus of any business and the reason they have been created. You need to forget yourself and your goals and realize that to get hired or to contract with a business you must bring something to the table.
A simple example of this would be a salesman. Instead of presenting yourself and hoping that you could be a good fit for them. Do some research on their products and services and then based on your experience tell them what you can do for them. Be confident in your proposal. If you understand their business and understand yourself you should easily connect the dots for them. Once the dots have been connected, and they understand what you can do for them you’re ready for the next step.
Next you need to work on your resume, make sure that you create your image as a worker who is interested in helping this business grow and not just your pocket book. The more you focus on your abilities and experience and how that can help them grow the better your application. In writing your resume, be very specific on what you can offer and how it will help them. Avoid being general in your abilities and experience. Be creative and professional in your resume and application. Online resumes, YouTube postings and other new market ideas are out there. Research the best options for your personality and market. You need to stand apart from the other applicants.
After creating your resume and presenting it to the businesses you’re interested in the number one rule is follow-up. Never assume that they will get back to you, never assume that they aren’t interested in you. You have a lot to offer them, how could they not want you. Make sure they know how interested you are in their business and never stop following up with them.
After presenting yourself to them, make sure you set the next step. An example of this would be sending your resume and then letting them know that you will be following up with them Tuesday at 3:30pm. Be specific with the time and date so they know how serious and organized you are in the process. This will also force them to be prepared for your call and get your application processed. After this step you’ll be prepared for the phone interview and setting a face to face interview. We’ll discuss this in the next article.