Last night, I had a chance to hear John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and (soon to be released) The Referral Engine. I was so excited to have the opportunity to meet John, as his highly acclaimed book has long been on my “to read” list. (It also seems to be on the “recommended” list of many of my colleagues’ blogs.) John has a great blog as well, dedicated to helping small businesses find “simple, effective and affordable” marketing solutions.

I also have to give a shout out here to the Atlanta Business Marketing Association and Kris Elliot (@regusatlanta) from Regus Atlanta Office Solutions for hosting a terrific event in their beautiful office space! (Win one year of fully furnished office space at one of their 23 Atlanta locations enter HERE!)

I had a feeling that I’d get some great ideas to share with you from John, and I was not disappointed! The fact is (can’t say this enough): Job search is nothing more than marketing YOURSELF. And John’s definition of marketing absolutely hits the spot:

Getting someone who has a need to know, like and trust you.” What a great way to define the point of the job search!

All too often, job seekers fail to connect and land because they don’t focus on what the organization or employer wants. Big mistake. Find this information by studying the job description, thoroughly reviewing the organization’s website and social networking sites and making good use of information from people you have met via informational interviews.

What are their problems? (Their “pain points.”) You need to understand those problems before you can try to solve them. (Follow THIS LINK for a story that helps explain why!)

Job search is not about you. Your resume is not even all about you – it is an opportunity to make connections between what you offer and what the organization desires. If you ignore those all important NEEDS, it is unlikely that you will connect with an employer in this very competitive market.

Take a good look at your resume. Are you taking into consideration who will be reading it and what appeals to him or her? Do you make an effort to connect your skills and accomplishments in a context that resonates with your audience? What can you do to incorporate information with the “hooks” to appeal to the jobs you are hoping to “catch?”

Stay tuned for more that John shared that really resonated for me and related to job search!

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  • http://www.ducttapmarketing.com/blog John Jantsch

    Hey Miriam,

    Great to meet you as well and your point about job seeking being the marketing practice of getting someone to know, like and trust you is so right on. To take it a bit further the opposite is true – as someone looking for a job it’s in your best interest to get to know, like and trust the organization you might join. If you can’t do that, it just may not be the right place for you.

    John

    • Miriam Salpeter

      John – Thank you for your comment! I agree 100%. In this tough market, it is a lot to ask job seekers NOT to accept a job if the culture and “fit” are not right, but those who do follow their instincts always wind up much better off. That’s why I am such a fan of building relationships and networking, rather than simply applying for jobs. There is nothing better than engaging with people in organizations of interest to determine what job avenues to pursue.

  • Pingback: If you stay in traffic, it’s going to take you a long time to find a job. Or: More marketing tools to find a job | Career Management Alliance Blog

  • http://www.comerecommended.com Heather R. Huhman

    Miriam,

    As always, you provide some great insights here.

    I completely agree with the job search not being just about the candidate. Rather, candidates must *show* me and not simply tell me that they truly want to work for me. What do I mean by this? Well, just like you said, job seekers must thoroughly know their target companies’ needs and wants and create value propositions based off those needs to deliver to these companies. I would rather hire a candidate who is passionate, knowledgeable and presents value to my company than just another self-proclaimed “qualified” candidate.

  • http://justni.com/ job marketing

    The best information i have found exactly here .Market is a lot to ask job seekers NOT to accept a job if the culture and “fit” are not right, but those who do follow their instincts always wind up much better off. That’s why I am such a fan of building relationships and networking, rather than simply applying for jobs.
    .-= job marketing´s last undefined ..Response cached until Fri 18 @ 12:16 GMT (Refreshes in 22.67 Hours) =-.