Originally published by Forbes.com
Recognized leader in digital transformation, partner at Highbridge, founder of Martech Zone, public speaker, author, podcaster & consultant.
Five years ago, I wrote an article on what to do when you get fired. One piece of advice I offered was to forget resume submissions and get off the couch. Fast forward to today, where tens of thousands are losing their jobs through layoffs, especially in the marketing and technology industries. Throughout my family and my personal and social media networks, I'm seeing the frustration of good people as they complain about finding a job, submitting their resumes and going through the interview process—all online.
I've been a business owner for almost 15 years. Before that, I was on the leadership team of several large companies and startups, and I want to provide some advice for you. The most fantastic jobs I've ever had and the best employees I've ever hired never came through a recruiter, a human resources department or from an application. They were found either through my network or through cold introductions.
Hired
While working at my office one day, a young gentleman knocked on our office door and asked if I had a few minutes to speak with him. He'd recently graduated with a graphic design degree and brought his physical portfolio. He told me he was researching agencies in the area, was impressed with our work and wanted to help us with our graphic design efforts.
We sat down and he asked several questions. After carefully listening, he started to provide feedback on our client work and our own branding, all of which had been outsourced. He opened his portfolio and even showed me some rough logo designs for my company. I was blown away by his personality, politeness, presentation, and the fact that he dared to show me how I might improve our visual designs. I hired him, despite never having a job opening. Months later, we rebranded with his designs. Today, he does package designs for one of Silicon Valley's top virtual reality companies.
Landing Your Dream Job In 2023
I can assure you this isn't just anecdotal. I'd encourage you to speak to successful entrepreneurs and leaders at organizations and ask how they got to where they are and how they found their best employees. Outside of a few industries, I'd argue they did not come from job applicants.
I believe submitting a job application in the marketing industry today is minimizing—not maximizing—your chances of finding an amazing position. Many talented people with solid experience at strong brands are now competing for the position you want—and will likely be at the top of the selection list by recruiters, human resource directors and other teams scouring resumes. So, here's my advice for you to land your next dream job:
• Build your value. Take the time while you're not working to dive into new technologies within your industry. Take courses and get certifications—there are hundreds of free resources online. Learn jobs that are adjacent to yours. For example, if you're a public relations person, learn search engine optimization (SEO) or how to craft advertising campaigns.
• Update your online profile. Update your LinkedIn profile, ask colleagues for written recommendations, and, if it's relevant to your work, build a portfolio site for yourself. The first thing any good organization does when they meet a prospective employee is to research them online, so ensure you're present. You don't need to hire anyone to rewrite your content—tools like ChatGPT or Google Bard can be fantastic in helping you to personalize and craft engaging content.
• Build your clout. There are thousands of publications online where you can contribute articles about your industry. Take the time to craft articles you think would be impactful to leaders in your industry, and include that you're open to employment opportunities. These articles can reach the right people and be used to bump up your resume and online presence.
• Research regional companies and leaders. Using regional news organizations and LinkedIn, find local companies that are getting accolades for their work, have announced growth plans or are a cultural fit for you. Dive into LinkedIn to identify who works in the departments you're interested in and whether or not you have mutual colleagues that could introduce you.
• Attend networking events. Once you have a targeted list of companies and people you'd like to meet, attend regional networking events where they are speaking, sponsoring or may be in attendance. Walking up to someone and telling them you've read a lot about their company and want to introduce yourself isn't creepy; it's assertive and exactly what networking is about.
• Listen. Any great salesperson will tell you that the key to selling isn't talking; it's listening. As you ask questions about them and their organization, you can better craft personalized responses that showcase your value and how you can help them and their organization.
• Ask and give permission. Be honest about your motivation to meet them and let them know it's absolutely okay to tell you there isn't any opportunity. If they tell you there's not, ask them for one or two colleagues at other companies or departments that may be worth speaking to.
• Ask for advice. If there is no opportunity, ask them what steps they would take if they were in your shoes to improve their chances of finding a great position with their company or the next. You may be surprised that you already have the qualifications or certifications they discuss.
This Is Your Job
There isn't anyone that's going to reach out to help you or reach out and stop you. If you're unemployed, it's now your job to take these steps to attack this busy job market and pursue the job of your dreams. Go get 'em, tiger!
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