Think Outside the Box When Looking for a Job

Standard job boards and searches are no longer effective, reporter David Migoya states in a Feb. 3 Denver Post article ("New Way Forward" pg. 7B). As the article notes, fewer than 10 percent of all jobs are found on job boards, and 80 percent of job seekers focus their efforts there. So, how can you, the Metro State Alumni, increase the likelihood of finding a job?

According to Migoya and the various experts he quoted in the article, you need to think outside the box and look for different solutions. While you still need to have excellent writing and interviewing skills, you also need to be able to market yourself.

"The key is in personal marketing, selling yourself to a specific job with a specific set of criteria," writes Migoya. He then continues to encourage job seekers to focus on being specific about how to really help a company by making and saving it money and minimizing its risks.

These are good suggestions. You certainly need to be able to convey how you can help your potential employer. But how can you actualize Migoya's suggestions? First, consider creating what Metro Alumni and owner of Your Brand Plan David Sandusky calls a "personal brand plan." You need to know exactly what you are all about--what your expertise is, what jobs you are looking for, etc. If you clearly understand your personal brand, you will be able to convey that brand to potential employers.

Once you create your personal brand, find ways to convey that brand to potential employers. Hands down, the most effective and affordable way to do this is through social online media platforms such as: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Blogger, etc.

Not only can you create profiles on these free sites, but you can also network extensively with former colleagues, classmates, friends, and really anyone and everyone who shares an interest or industry with you. You can post your resume along with articles you have written or accolades you have won. On some sites you can even request that people recommend you. As well, you can position yourself as an expert by commenting on subjects you know a lot about. The options are limitless, and the only commitment is time. But if you have that free time now, what do you have to lose?

As Sandusky stated, "People who aren’t engaging their community in conversation and developing their network are going to find it difficult to do business in the future." Social media, he adds, is required for an individual's ability to be successful. So, figure out who you are and what your expertise is, and then spread the word in the best, most viral way possible--by utilizing online social media platforms.

See "Personal Brand: marketing may be the key to finding a job during hard times" for more info.

Personal Brand (aka Your Brand Plan): marketing yourself may be the key to finding a job during hard times

By Lizzy Scully
This is the first of a three-part series...

Business owners write detailed brand strategies when developing their organizations. Without a unique brand identity that communicates the essence of the business, customers would have nothing to identify with. So shouldn’t most job seekers brand themselves as well?

“Definitely,” says Metro State alumni and Your Brand Plan owner David Sandusky. “People need to understand who they are, what they stand for, and what their voice and purpose are.”

Business plans fail because people don’t understand their brand first. It’s no different with individuals, Sandusky adds. “Your brand should reflect your core values and passion. That is what gets potential employers on board.”

The next step is marketing your brand, says Sandusky. And what is the most productive way to do that? “Establish a communications strategy using social media platforms,” he says. “It is required for your ability to be successful. The new definition of marketing and public relations is online. People who aren’t engaging their community and developing their network are going to find it difficult to do business.”

Sandusky recognizes social media platforms can be intimidating for Internet newbies. But, they are very easy to use. Just click on one of these (the most popular social media platforms) and sign on: Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace. Facebook is the most popular site with more than 350 million users, while LinkedIn is the most commonly used by professionals who are networking for jobs. If you’re still confused, send an email to the Office of Alumni Relations Social Engagement Manager, Lizzy Scully, at escully@mscd.edu. Or, visit the Office’s social media site, and click on any of the social media links.

“It’s new and scary,” says Sandusky, “but people’s lives turn around entirely when they realize what they are supposed to be doing.”

See next month’s Enewsletter for the second of this three-part social media series, “The rise of the citizen journalist: blogging 101.”