Your Personal Marketing Plan
Monday, November 20, 2023
Troy Heiner
If you are currently looking for a job, you might think the first thing to do is update your resume. There's actually something else you should do first, before working on your resume, your cover letter and LinkedIn profile.
Hello everyone,
I hope this finds you well. Last week found me challenged to bring you a series of Maverick recommendations for creating your Personal Marketing Plan, as I experienced my share of technical difficulties and operator error. For those who missed it, let's dive into the key takeaways that are pivotal for anyone looking to navigate the complex waters of career transition effectively.
Before I dove into how to go about crafting your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile, I provided a deeper exploration of why the group exists. The primary focus of our group, as I highlighted, is not just to amass information – that's readily available. It's about forging a deeper understanding from our collective knowledge and creating intelligence to propel us forward. The collective wisdom in this community, born from diverse experiences, is invaluable in our pursuit of meaningful careers and fair compensation.
Drawing from my 37 years in the intelligence community, I emphasized the priceless nature of intelligence and community. In our quest for fulfilling careers, we're not just seeking information; we're crafting intelligence – the kind that helps you pinpoint the right job and earn what you deserve.
Now, let's get into the heart of this week's "intel":
How To Turn Your Resume Into a Targeted Job Magnet
- Create Your Ideal Job Description: Don't start with your resume. First, imagine your perfect job. Then write a detailed job description, like what you'd see on job boards. This crystallizes what you want so you can then tailor your resume directly to it. I showed how I used ChatGPT to generate an ideal job description from a list of autotelic experiences, which are things where you were in flow and had the most fulfillment. Once you have the ideal job description, you would write your resume so that you were the ideal candidate for that position.
- Match Keywords to the Actual Job Posting: Once you find a job to apply for, compare your ideal job description to the real one. Identify any additional keywords the employer uses that you'll want to work into your resume.
- Write for Robots, Not Humans: Today, a robot or algorithm likely scans your resume before a human does. Use standard headings and avoid creative formatting that can confuse these systems. Here’s a link you can use to scan your resume to see what keywords a typical Applicant Tracking System would extract from your resume. https://www.jobscan.co/resume-scanner
- Use Numbers to Quantify Achievements: Back up your skills with measurable wins. Numbers demonstrate concrete examples of how you successfully applied a skill.
- Lead with a Brand Statement: Open your resume with a short brand statement that identifies the value you offer. This acts like a tagline to convey your personal brand.
- Focus on Transferrable Skills: Emphasize skills that translate across jobs, like leadership and problem solving. These carry more weight with hiring managers than niche technical abilities.
- Cater to the Company Culture: Research the company culture and values. Try working words from their branding into your resume, showing you'll align with their culture.
Several months ago, fellow group member Steven Winters and I hosted Laura DeCarlo, author of “Resumes For Dummies”, on his YouTube channel, and we discussed numerous other tips for perfecting your resume. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgExtxgSgzc
The resume is only part of your Personal Marketing Plan. If the resume is primarily written for robots, you still need to address the human decision maker, and that is what the Cover Letter is for. Here is a link that will help you create a killer cover letter for every job application you submit.
https://www.workforgood.org/article/3-elements-of-a-killer-cover-letter
Last, but not least, don’t forget about optimizing your LinkedIn profile. It’s more than just turning on your green #opentowork frame on your profile picture. Here’s a link to some guidance that LinkedIn suggests. https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/blog/profile-best-practices/17-steps-to-a-better-linkedin-profile-in-2017
I’m happy to help any member of the group work on any of these components of their Personal Marketing Plan. I am also working to grow my professional contacts with people who specialize in resume writing and LinkedIn profile optimization. Because first and foremost, this group is a community that doesn’t depend solely on the information I can gather, or the knowledge that I have. The more connections I make, the more intel you have for navigating your current job hunt and beyond to a successful and fulfilling career.
Stay tuned for more insights and interactive discussions. Together, we'll continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of career transformation, armed with intelligence, innovation, and a community that supports each other’s growth.
Warm regards,
Troy Heiner
Hi, I Am Jane Doe
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