Your Job Search -- a Marketing Campaign?

By Kevin Donlin
Posted Sunday, February 20, 2005

The successful job search is really just a personal marketing campaign. And the same techniques used in infomercials and junk mail can help you get hired, too.

I'll prove it to you.

First, let's define marketing. I like this definition: marketing is finding and getting customers.

That sounds like a job search, doesn't it? Finding and getting a job.

So, why not break from the pack -- and find a job faster -- by adapting and adopting some of the world's most effective marketing techniques?

Here are three ways to do it.

1) Start Your Resume With a Headline

In his 1963 classic, "Confessions Of An Advertising Man," David Ogilvy wrote that five times as many people read a headline as do an entire ad. So if your headline is weak, you've just wasted 80% of your advertising dollars.

How does this apply to resumes?

Since employers often have hundreds of resumes to read, it makes sense to give your resume a "headline." Because you want to grab the hiring manager's attention and keep them reading.

So, how do you create an arresting headline for your resume? This tip is (or was) one of my top resume writing secrets, so pay attention ...

Start your resume with a summary section, no longer than two sentences. In the first, tell the employer what you want to do for them. In the second sentence, fire off your biggest gun and briefly hint at the best thing you've ever done on the job.

Here are three real-life examples of resume "headlines" that got my clients hired.

SUMMARY

Accomplished senior management professional with over 15 years of financial and project leadership experience in traditional and high-tech sectors. Increased operating cash flow by more than $50 million.

SUMMARY

Experienced marketing and business development executive with more than 15 years of achievement in Fortune 500 and start-up environments. In current role, nearly doubled sales in two years, to $130 million.

SUMMARY

Seeking network administration/technical support position where extensive, award-winning experience will add value by improving efficiency and reducing support costs. Regularly cited for superior work ethic.

There's no point in holding back in your resume. Because, unless readers are hooked right away, they won't make it past the opening lines. So your resume "headline" should literally shout the greatest benefit you can give to employers. This will keep them reading. Try it!

2) Include a P.S. in Your Cover Letter

Open your junk mail today. You know, those letters that sell credit cards, magazine subscriptions, 10 CDs for a penny, etc.

Look at the bottom of each sales letter. Ninety-five times out of 100, you'll find a P.S. there.

Why?

Because over the last 100 years, direct-mail copywriters have found that a P.S. almost always gets read. So they put a compelling sales message where they know it will get read -- in the P.S.

You can do the same thing -- and increase the number of calls you get from employers -- by including a provocative P.S. at the end of your cover letters.

Here are some examples to get you started ...

P.S. If you do not have a current need, please pass my resume on to someone who wants to turn a $400,000 loss into $800,000 profit in two years, as I did for my current employer.

P.S. Please call me at (612) 555-0000 to find out why my supervisor recently said: "I have absolutely nothing but great things to say about Dan. His strengths are troubleshooting problems, taking care of situations in a timely manner and always willing to go the extra mile ... Dan is a great team player."

P.S. If you don't see a fit at this time, please pass my resume on to someone who needs to increase qualified deal flow more than 300% and sales closing ratios more than 25%, as I have repeatedly done.

3) Give Employers a Free Trial Hiring managers are like buyers of expensive items: They want the product to work, and they don't want to get burned.

Smart marketers have known this for years. Example: look at how exercise equipment is often sold on TV -- it comes with a free in-home trial, so you can send it back within 30 days if you don't like it.

Why not adopt this same technique, and offer a "free trial" to wary employers? It's worked for other job seekers. Here are two ways it can help you get hired ...

a) Take another look at temporary work.

Fact: many companies use temp agencies to fill full-time openings. According to "Job Hunting for Dummies," by Max Messmer, 38% of temporary workers are offered full-time positions at the companies where they are assigned. So temping can make sense in today's job market.

b) Start work before the job interview.

If you're looking for a sales position, for example, you can research, assemble and bring a list of sales leads to the interview. Imagine walking into a hiring manager's office and saying, "I've already started working for you. In fact, I have a list of 100 people who are interested in your product."

Try these proven marketing techniques today. You'll gain an almost unfair advantage over other job hunters, who aren't as creative as you.

About the Author
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others. As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - (http://www.gresumes.com)