By Barbara Safani, M.A., CERW, CCM, CPRW, NCRW – FTT Research
FTT Research helps job seekers accelerate their search campaigns by providing timely and detailed reports on company targets and decision makers within a candidate’s preferred industries, job functions, and geographies.
Every smart business owner has a business plan. The plan keeps us on-task and accountable for our actions throughout the year. So doesn’t it make sense for our candidates to have a business plan for themselves to keep them focused and productive during their job search?
This business plan, often referred to as a self-marketing plan, serves a dual purpose for the job seeker. It encourages the client to research, reflect on, categorize, and streamline relevant targets and search for decision makers within these targets. It also serves as an excellent piece of marketing collateral during informational interviews and networking meetings because the plan crystallizes the goals of the job seeker and makes it much easier for the person your client is networking with to offer specific and valuable advice.
The information needed to create a well thought out marketing plan can come from several sources. During the intake phase of the coach/client relationship, you can ask questions relevant to the client’s search goals to gather the necessary information. By asking clients to describe the culture of the organization they would like to work for, the coach can gather information about industry, company, geography, and size preferences. This conversation will help you guide the client towards a short list of potential company targets. For clients who are struggling with defining their targets, you can teach them how to use tools such as Zoom Info, Hoovers, Wet Feet, and the Vault to identify company targets or you can refer your clients to a market research service.
The key attributes of a sound self-marketing plan are listed below.
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