Everyone looking for a job needs a plan – a job search marketing plan. Our plans might be different but that is fine if you have a plan.
Leigh March is doing something unusual in her job search marketing plan to differentiate herself from the job search competition!
Leigh’s name came up when I reached out to my first and second level LinkedIn connections who have the words “seek” or “in transition” in their LinkedIn profiles. I sent her an invitation to connect, with a note asking what she is doing to find her next job. We started a lovely conversation!
Leigh created a movie using iMovie with voiceover describing how her digital marketing experience can help companies solve problems. It is very clever! She sends that video to folks she reaches out to, then she sends her resume if there is further interest. The video sparks discussion, which is necessary to build relationships on LinkedIn. She also has a video and graphic resume!
It is hard to imagine that anyone would have a problem with Leigh’s approach but Leigh estimates that about 5% of people are not nice. That has been tough. But Leigh considers every bit of feedback.
Sometimes she discovers that the person making a negative comment has a less professional LinkedIn profile than hers, which makes her feel confident! She takes negative feedback with a grain of salt. She said, “When you put yourself out there on social media or network, you have to accept the bad with the good and not be discouraged.”
Some feedback offers ideas she incorporates into her job search marketing plan. Sort of a crowdsourcing approach to job search marketing plans!
Regardless of the feedback, Leigh finds this is a great way to start conversations with people she doesn’t know yet. Leigh says, “The video has opened the door to several networking opportunities, which in turn has created several liaisons in companies of interest.” She is tracking her progress, her outreach and her successes. Setting goals and tracking progress is a solid part of her plan.
I applaud this creative job search marketing plan! Leigh’s approach demonstrates she is strong, has interesting ideas, and is not afraid to step out into the limelight.
You don’t have to specialize in digital marketing to create an outreach plan that is a little different. I am not a digital media specialist, but I learned how to create videos and animate PowerPoint presentations just by looking at YouTube videos. You can too if you want to differentiate yourself from the other folks competing for the job you want.
What are you doing to differentiate yourself from others in your job search? Do you have a job search marketing plan or are you just floating along, sending your resume to the black hole of job postings?
In your job search marketing plan, don’t forget to prepare for video interviews.