Looking for a new job is arguably easier today than at any other time. The continued success of the recruitment agent and job-seeker websites that update every few minutes, mean that new positions are better promoted than ever before.
In addition, recruitment agents are constantly improving their marketing techniques in a bid to attract both their key audiences – client companies and quality candidates.
Among the candidate group, recruitment firms need to attract those people who are and have been seriously looking, and those whose feet are only just starting to itch or who perhaps just had a bad day at the office and ‘fancy a change’.
If you take your career seriously, one bad day shouldn’t influence long-term career decisions. A change of company or role isn’t a move to be taken lightly. Making the wrong choice can be frustrating and expensive.
So, having identified that you are very much in the ‘serious about my career’ camp, what should you do when looking for a new job? In short, you need to market yourself as a firm would – professionally and properly.
A mini SWOT
First, you need to consider your key strengths and weaknesses – the SW of a SWOT analysis. If you’re really serious, you can also consider the changing marketplace and look at O and T, opportunities and threats, and what direction you want to go in. Mortgage advisers have more choice than most other professionals.
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You need to decide, for example, what type and size of firm you want to work for, how you want to be remunerated, where you want to work, whether you want leads to be provided, if it’s important that your prospective employer has an IFA division, etc. Research the market and put together a short list of firms you want to talk to.
Approaching targets
With your targets clearly in sight, consider how you are going to approach them. At this stage, marketers develop the key messages about their product or service and then look at what methods will work best – direct mail, advertising, telemarketing, PR, etc. The chances are they’ll employ a mixture of methods. They may even decide to use intermediaries to sell their products.
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For you, the choices aren’t really any different. Using an intermediary – the recruitment agent – is clearly a good move, especially as it won’t cost you anything. But be selective. Agents, with some justification, will advise you against sending your CV to every firm which advertises in the trade press. Pick and choose which recruitment firms you register with and make sure you decide which jobs they put you forward for.
Don’t take yes for an answer
As a serious job hunter, you also need to take a more measured approach. You know the type of company you want to work for and you’ll even know the names of some of the companies that match your criteria. Ask the agencies if they ever work for the firms on your target list. If they say yes, ask for recent examples of roles they’ve filled for them and how often they’ve worked with them – remember, many firms use more than one agency.
It’s important not to rely on one method. Consider approaching the firms direct. If you’ve been through the research phase thoroughly, your reasons for wanting to work for them will be clear and you should be able to put this message across simply – whether it’s in writing or over the phone.
A different perspective
There is one difference though between you marketing yourself and a firm marketing its services. By making contact with a company on your target list, you are still in research phase. Unlike most companies, you aren’t definitely going to sell. You are trying to decide if that firm is right for you.
If the job and company are right, make sure you get the right price for your services. If it’s not right, be professional about saying ‘no’ – it’s a small industry and the person who interviewed you today may be sitting behind a desk at another firm on your target list tomorrow.
If you’re serious about your career, don’t leave it to chance – take control and market yourself professionally.
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