If you want to succeed in your job search or move forward in your career, you need to make it easy for others to help you (and help others in return). Years ago, one of my mentors shared a helpful tip with me: if you want to manage your career path successfully, you need people to
- Know you
- Like you
- Want to help you
Sounds simple enough, but when it comes to career transitions, it’s not always easy to know how to get others to lend a hand. So, how can you make it easier for people to help you? The answer is simple: don’t rely on your resume alone. Instead, create a Marketing Plan and a Branding Slide or Professional Spotlight. This takes the pressure off people and keeps the focus on what you need them to know about you to best help you.
What’s a Marketing Plan? Basically, it’s a document that gets specific about what you’re looking for. It’s your opportunity to get down to brass tacks with yourself about must-haves and dealbreakers for your next role. It’s not something you hand out like candy at networking events, but it is something you can send to connections who indicate they would like to help you in some way. Here’s what to include:
- A brief professional summary that showcases your personal brand and tagline
- Sample job titles for your preferred, targeted positions
- Several key accomplishments that you’re particularly proud of
- A short, concise list of your target companies, grouped by industry sector
- Specific “ideal job” preferences. Be honest about geographic location, type of organization, and work model.
Now for the Branding Slide or Professional Spotlight. Think of this as your one-page marketing piece. It’s something you might hand out at networking events or send to your connections. It’s made to grab attention and showcase you at a high level (it’s not a place to regurgitate your resume). So, what should they include?…
- An identifying title that clearly describes your role. Ex. Financial & Operations Executive or Change Management Artist, Designer, & Coach
- A brief professional summary that showcases your personal brand and tagline
- Some of your top skills
- A few of your top achievements that demonstrate the skills you bring to the table (numbers are always good here)
- You can include a couple of testimonials from previous companies, managers, or clients (keep it brief; you don’t need to include the entire testimonial)
- A few previous roles of significance
- Use visual elements and design to capture attention
Remember to share your success stories in a clear, concise, and convincing manner. It’s ok to be creative here. You’re giving them a taste of your skills and the kind of person they’ll be working with. Be memorable in a professional, positive way! Your network is a valuable resource, so nurture and expand it.
And don’t forget to thank those who help you along the way.
Peg Lewin is Career Transition Specialist and Owner of Learn, Launch, Land, recognized for helping people strategically navigate career transition, intentionally manage career growth, and LAND their ideal job.
With proven success in strategic planning, business transformation, and human resource development, her expertise spans multi-industry, Fortune 100 companies. As a process improvement expert and passionate change catalyst, her focus is to always enable fast, sustainable, high-performance results. Connect with Peg for more insight on shifting your career search to get better results: peg@careerpath.coach or (513) 235 – 6055
If you’d like to learn more about Professional Spotlight design, see some examples, or have me take a look at your own, please reach out to me!
