For those on the job hunt, you know that any advantage you may have over other candidates is huge — it can even make the difference between starting your dream career and heading back to the drawing board.
Some advantages, like work experience and the college you graduated from, are hard to create on demand (you can’t suddenly have 5+ years of additional relevant job experience) when looking for a new job.
One advantage that you can create on your own is learning how to market yourself for a new job. Even if you aren’t a marketing professional, it pays to spend some time creating demand for yourself — even building a unique professional brand.
Here are 5 ways to market yourself to an employer!
1) Create a Website
No coding experience? No problem! User-friendly tools like Squarespace and Wix have made it simple for job hunters to create a digital presence without needing to hire a professional web developer or agency.
Using a DIY web design tool, you can create a beautiful website that essentially acts like an online resume and/or portfolio. It can be short and sweet (a single page website) and provide the basic info, like who you are, a copy of your resume, and even some links to your work.
Or, you could create an entire online portfolio, packed full of success stories, recommendations, and copies of your work. If you are in the creative space (designers, developers, writers, etc.), this is the ideal option for you.
2) Develop a Professional Social Media Presence
No, you don’t have to go from retweeting pictures of cats to suddenly sharing the latest news in your industry. Instead, you should create a professional Twitter account and update your LinkedIn profile to use for more professional communications.
For example, if you are on the job hunt, you could use your professional Twitter account to share news stories in your space, provide some relevant commentary on them, and even interact with some companies online. This shows potential employers and recruiters that you are plugged into your industry, and in some cases, could even be considered more of a ‘thought-leader’ than just another employee.
When you craft that perfect resume, you can include links to your professional social accounts so the hiring team can get to know you more.
3) Attend Networking Events
“Networking” is a term that probably excites 10% of the people reading this post, annoys around 40%, and downright terrifies the other 50%. It can be an overwhelming activity, but if done well, it can be the best way to market yourself for a job.
Your ability to network is going to vary depending on your industry and where you live. For example, a finance professional in Chicago will probably have more networking events to attend than a machine operator in Racine, WI, may have. The quantity of events you attend doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you are attending, and what you do when you are there.
If you are looking for an industrial job, consider attending a local manufacturing or engineering trade show and visiting some tables. This will give you the chance to learn more about companies in this space and may even give you an ‘in’ at a given company.
For those looking for professional or business careers, you may have some luck at a big conference. Take in some sessions and keynotes, learn a bunch, and meet people who work in your space!
Finally, you can always look to attend a local networking event. These are often put together by local staffing agencies or career groups.
4) Create a Video
Like many of these tips, the type of video you create will depend on your industry, personality, and skill set, but the general idea is pretty simple: get in front of a camera, explain who you are, and share that video with potential employers.
This can be really simple and basic, made directly with your phone, for example. Or, you could go a bit bigger and spend on a professional-quality video. Either way, it is the content of the video that matters most.
What is that content? Think of it as a video resume. Introduce yourself, share your skills and work experience, and tell potential employers and recruiters what you’re looking to accomplish, i.e. the type of position you are looking for and the industry you are excited about.
This video could be shared on that personal website mentioned earlier, or just provided to employers when they receive your resume. Get creative, be yourself, and smile!
5) Work with a Staffing Agency
Let’s say you spend the next few days scouring the internet looking for new jobs to apply for. Chances are you will find a ton, apply for a few, and even hear back from a couple. While that is great, and we encourage everyone to be using a job board, recruiters at staffing agencies often hear about new opportunities before they are ever posted online — making it extra important to find a staffing agency you can work with.
In doing so, you’ll be getting your name in front of more companies and hiring managers than ever before. Plus, you’ll be backed by a recruiter who wants to see you succeed — meaning, you’ll have full access to a pool of resources like interview coaching, resume writing, and more.
Working with a staffing agency is one of the best ways you can set yourself apart from other candidates and market yourself for a job.
Next Steps
If you are interested in learning more about partnering with a local Milwaukee staffing agency, tell us more about yourself here. You can also take a look at our Milwaukee job board and check out some helpful blog posts below.
Happy job hunting!