I love TV! All of it! Sitcoms, drama, reality, news, history… Even a particular soap opera, I reluctantly cringe to admit. There are also quite a few commercials I’m fond of, like these for Doritos and ETrade. The entertainment industry and marketing giants have mastered the art of making even the flimsiest pointless toys make my kids scream, “I WANT THAT!” When you are conducting a job search, and even more critical now when unemployment is at a 25 year high, your commercial has to make recruiters and hiring manages also say, “I WANT THAT!” There are 2 factors essential to achieving this.
Define:
- Who you are professionally and,
- what makes you great.
Who you are
One of the biggest blunders I see people make is not having (or at least displaying up front) concise and specific answers to these 2 most important questions. They are critical for making that first impression when your commercial airs, so to speak. Whether it be in the form of a cover letter, resume headline, on-line profile, networking conversation or the classic elevator pitch, it must clearly address these 2 fundamental elements. Too many mistakenly keep their professional descriptions either too vague (not enough specific information) or too unfocused (too much irrelevant information). I imagine the intent is to appear qualified for any number of positions, but it achieves the opposite. As a recruiter, when I post a job opening, it contains specific requirements and qualifications. I’m not looking for a jack-of-all trades who might be a good fit. I’m looking for the puzzle piece that fits perfectly. The more focused you are about your professional identity; the easier it will be to describe #2...
What makes you great
This is no time for modesty or self deprecation, nor is it a time for empty egotism. Quantify what makes you great according to the key performance indicators for the particular field you’re in. Whether it be sales rankings, revenue generated, money saved, high productivity, problems solved or notable recognition, it should contain specific and objective information. Anybody can (and most do) say that they are self driven, results oriented, motivated team players. Blah blah blah...
Here’s a great way to get started. 15 Second Pitch helps you create a self-marketing pitch in about 5 minutes. You can build upon it further if your “commercial” is successful in driving the recruiter to consider your “product.”
Here are 2 of mine:
I am a human capital consultant specializing in recruitment. I manage efficient and effective talent acquisition processes for clients. I have depth and breadth of experience with various selection tools and technology platforms hiring across several different industries and job levels. I aim to deliver an exceptional and legally compliant recruitment program with the best balance of cost, quality and cycle time, matching candidates to positions with the best potential to succeed.
I am a career coach specializing in entry level to middle management professionals. I create resumes and offer coaching on personal branding, networking, job searching and interviewing. I draw on my 14 years of experience recruiting, assessing and selecting candidates to help job seekers effectively market and position themselves for the specific career they desire. I help you earn what you’re worth, get paid to do what you know and enjoy, create beneficial relationships with those who can be an asset to your career and to help you get hired more quickly and easily than you might be able to do on your own.
They are still, and always will be an evolving work in progress.