We've all heard the expression about 'being all things to all people'. It's a great expression, but very difficult to achieve, especially in the world that job seekers face today. Enough about how tough it is out there and how stiff the competition is: let's focus on what to do about one aspect of job search: marketing yourself to targets that are likely to quickly recognize that your strengths, knowledge, experience and personal style are a good fit for their organization and that you can be an asset to helping them reach their company goals.
Looking for a job is more complex than looking for a car or a family pet, but some of the basic principals are the same. Finding that best-fit, the situation that 'feels right', is important in all these scenarios and is likley to have long-term ramifications. There are some basic criteria to consider, and not all companies or sectors will meet the criteria in your particular situation. Let's review why targeting firms that may meet most (it's unrealistic to require all) of your criteria may be the best way to reach your objectives.
Do your target companies need what you have to offer? This may sound basic, and in many ways, it is; but it's a question some job seekers do not fully explore. Spend the time to research the organizations you want to target and ask yourself some of these questions: Do they already have too many people with functional skills and experience that are very similar to yours? Are you a resource to help them overcome weaknesses and capitalize on opportunities? If you can, complete a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to see how you can position yourself to help them take advantage of the opportunities and determine if their stated business goals are in concert with what you bring to the party. What life-stage are these firms in? If they are starting-up or in aggressive early growth, do you have the style and experience to be of real value, or do you have more to contribute in a more mature, established company where growth objectives are less aggressive and more focused on skills that can maintain a strong position in the market?
All companies have demographic and 'corpographic' characteristics. We may initially think of companies in terms of size, revenues, global or local scope, but this is not sufficient. We should also think in terms of composition of workforce, company philosophy, and characteristics such as whether or not the firm has a team environment, is a socially responsible firm, promotes from within, bases individual reward more on results than effort, or has a business model which is likely to produce success on a sustainable basis, to name a few.
We should also consider how an organization expects its managers to manage. Do managers receive education and developmental training in how to MANAGE, not only how to supervise? Is there a mechanism for two-way communication? Are managers coaches and mentors as well as day to day managers?
There are numerous other criteria to consider. Determine what criteria are the most important for you. Do your research to determine what firms need you the most and target them first. Certainly, you should continue to opportunistically network, interview, and follow leads from organizations that may not be on your first-pass list, but a focus on potential employers who immediately recognize the value that you could bring to them can be an approach to some conversations that may just help you have success in finding that best-fit situation.
If we can articulate what is best-fit for us in an automoblie or a family pet, we certainly should expend at least as much effort articulating best-fit for our next career step. Turn yourself into a marketer, using the principles that have sustained consumer goods marketers throughout their life cycle in delivering value to their target markets. If business giants like Procter & Gamble successfully use target marketing to uncover opportunities, why not give it a try in your own self-marketing campaign?
