GXYSEARCH.JOB SEEKING ADVICE.

A marketing-orientated approach to identify and secure the job you want.

GOAL FOCUS.

• What is your ideal outcome? Be realistic!• What are your priorities? Start from your dream job and work backward.• Ask yourself, What do I need in order to get me where I want to go?

THREE PRINCIPLE CHALLENGES.

1. Demonstrating that you can add value.2. Standing out from your competitors.3. Breaking through the current employment market.

CHALLENGE ONE.Demonstrating that you can add value.

• This can be difficult at a graduate level because often you won't have any experience- if you don’t have any experience.... GET SOME!

• How can you get experience with full time study commitments: • work experience, volunteer work, part-time work within the industry,

entering competitions, social media (particularly through marketing networks i.e. posting blog comments, twitter connections) etc.

• Understand what your customer needs.• Getting top marks at uni is great but at the end of the day, you need to

understand what your potential employer needs, and then demonstrate you have the ability to solve their problem.

CHALLENGE ONE.Demonstrating that you can add value.

Example:

Customer’s challenge: Poor search engine optimisation results.Your strategy: Think like your customer.Customer need: An employee with a great knowledge of SEO.

I GOT A HIGH DISTINCTION AVERAGE

I DEVELOPED A SEO STRATEGY FOR KELLOGS NUTRIGRAIN,THE RESULT WAS THAT NUTRIGRAIN RANKED AN AVERAGE OF 2nd IN ORGANIC GOOGLE SEARCHES FOR BREAKFAST CEREALS

VS.

SUGGESTION: READ THIS BOOK.

CHALLENGE TWO.Standing out from your competitors.

• Your resume is your tool to get you an interview• Think of it like it’s your advertising campaign.• Apply principles of marketing- remember your target market.• Be creative- think outside of typical formats- i.e. ONLINE.• Include a digital folio.

• Think – WHAT MAKES YOU GREAT?• What can you do better than anybody else?• What is your competitive advantage?

• Make your resume easy- in general, resumes will be looked at- not read. Don’t expect your resume to be read start-to-finish.

• If information doesn’t stand out it will be missed.

CHALLENGE TWO.Standing out from your competitors.

• Have an online presence.• Have a blog – document your marketing journey. Make your blog your live

work book. What have you learned / observed? Where have you seen sucessful campaigns?

• If not your own blog- comment on others. Engage with brands. Experience them.

• SOCIAL MEDIA- master it. • Build online connections- Employers will check you out on Linkedin, Twitter,

Facebook- make friends or follow influential people.

CHALLENGE TWO.Standing out from your competitors.

• Have an INTEGRATED APPROACH to your job search• Wrap your message around the industry.• Look at the lives of professionals / experts in the industry- what professional

memberships do they have? what functions do they attend? how do they continually improve and develop- emulate them.

• Leverage every opportunity to gain exposure to industry experts and influential people.

SUGGESTION: READ THIS BOOK.

CHALLENGE THREE.Breaking through the current employment market.

• Choose your job- don’t just apply for roles that you see advertised- this is random!• Ask yourself, where do I want to work?• Who is the decision maker I need to speak to?• How can I get to them?

• Go aggressively after you target.• 6 degrees of separation.

YOU ARE HERE

THEY ARE THERE

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR’S,OLD BOSS

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOURS,OLD BOSS’S,LIBRARY TEACHER

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOURS,OLD BOSSES,LIBRARY TEACHER’S,BROTHER

CHALLENGE THREE.Breaking through the current employment market.

MARKET YOURSELF.• There may not be a position available at that specific time, • However, if you keep up a regular touch system• You will be top-of-mind when a position becomes available.

IDEAL SCENARIO.• When there is a vacancy, the job won't even hit the market• i.e. You won't need to compete

AN EXTRA TIP.Maybe the secret ingredient (?)

• Find a mentor – speak to those who have experienced the process first hand.• Listen and learn- what would they have done differently?

ONCE YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES.

GET THE BASICS RIGHT.

INTERVIEW WELL.

• Know the company & it’s culture- this will help you to impress them & help you to decide how to dress on the day- employers like people who are like them!

i.e. most candidates that are hired on their cultural compatibility to the business!

• Track down somebody in your networks (i.e. on Linkedin or facebook) who has dealt with the person interviewing you, ask them about their personal style.

• Look at the companies website- know their competitors websites- learn about the company and it’s competitors.

• Know their product or service intimately. If you can- purchase it. Try it.

LEAVE AN IMPRESSION.

• Follow up after your meeting via email- this is the chance for you to demonstrate your marketing skills.

• Put together an email or power point presentation outlining how you would approach the role.

BE FLEXIBLE.

IF IT DOESN’T WORK.

CHANGE. YOUR .APPROACH.

SUGGESTION: READ THIS BOOK.

AN INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE.

“Hey, Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating…. Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades…. There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING”

Commencement Address by Paul Hawken, University of Portland, May 3rd, 2009