5 Effective Ways to Market Yourself

Unemployment is at 9%. But if you include people who’ve dropped off the rolls and people who’ve only found part-time work, that number is closer to 16%.

With ferocious competition among job seekers, it’s crucial to find any way to stand out of the crowd. Here are five effective ways to market yourself in a tough job market:

Get help

Unfortunately, how we view ourselves is often much different than how we appear to others. Searching for a job can be a judgmental process, so it’s valuable to have external help.

The first impression you make is with your resume. A powerful, concise and appropriate resume is essential for getting that first interview. Using a resume service is the easiest way to get your resume on track. These professionals can help you write a resume that gets to the top of the pile instead of the trash can. They can also guarantee the finished product will be industry appropriate and error free.

Get Tweeting

Social media is powerful, prevalent and free. Of course, Twitter is much more relevant in some industries than others.

Someone looking for work in contracting may not need a Twitter account at all, while an individual looking to work in the PR industry needs to demonstrate a mastery of social networks.

Use your Twitter feed to follow companies you’re interested in. They’ll most likely tweet about job openings, so you’ll be among the first to learn about hiring. You can also follow notable professionals and get streaming advice on what it takes to succeed in that industry. Ideally, a few of these established professionals could serve as advocates in your job search and help you connect with the right company.

Get Linked

Sure, there are tons of job websites but many come with a fee to join. Obviously, job seekers are looking for any way to avoid spending money. Additionally, job sites can be guilty of pigeon-holing individuals by making them choose from a list of industries, positions, etc.

However, a social network gives you greater personalization by allowing you to market yourself as “Jeff” instead of the generic term “Indianapolis Designer.” And in a job search, any way you can establish your personal brand is a positive.

LinkedIn is the most well-known social site for professional use. You can upload a resume, get recommendations from past employers and—here’s the best part—search areas by industry and company to find actual people. You never know when you can come across a recruiter or hiring manager who could take an interest in your abilities.

LinkedIn can also be a valuable tool to study companies or people. When applying or interviewing for a job, a candidate should have as much knowledge about a prospective company as possible. With LinkedIn, you can look at the past positions of a company’s CEO, find the Twitter account of the HR person and know the alma mater of the person interviewing you—all valuable benefits.

Get Clout

Web presence is key when it comes to getting the attention of employers. A first-class personal website would be a wonderful thing to show a potential employer. However, building a personal website takes the time, tech skill and money that many people don’t have. Luckily, blogging platforms like WordPress are free and very user friendly.

If you start a new blog, make it about your industry. Explain trends and express opinions about them. Have your resume and all your contact information visible. This will make you seem like someone who really knows a lot, or is at least interested in learning about a particular industry.

Get Clean

There’s a lot of junk online. People post things on Facebook without thinking about the consequences. They’re could be some really unflattering photos of you online: that drunk tweet, that weird company picnic photo, that obnoxious quote in your hometown newspaper.

Start by searching yourself online and cleaning house as much as possible. If you insist on keeping those drunk photos on Facebook, at least check your privacy settings to make sure they won’t be visible to prospective employers.

This post was written by Thomas Gibbs, a freelance writer and frequent contributor at TheMarketingRobot.com

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