CM Access

For those who’ve ever been to a job fair, you are probably aware of the rather deflated feeling you get as you’re leaving the huge auditorium/gym/conference room: a whole lotta nothing.

That’s not to say that job fairs aren’t a great way to learn, or that they’re not worth your time. They certainly can be! But are you working the room, or is the room working you?

It can be intimidating, especially when passing by booths that are manned by extremely outgoing company representatives, eager for the next person to talk to about their outstanding management trainee program, or their fabulous opportunities in the stockroom. But what other opportunities might you be missing by simply judging each exhibitor on their visual promotions, on their “list of opportunities”, or their reps’ first impression?

I see the job fair as almost the same thing as a trade show. Have you ever been to one of these? (A bridal expo is a good example of a trade show too.) It’s essentially a place for people to get exposure for their product/service/brand and to generate sales leads that will result in increased revenue. Trade shows are more effective when they get incredibly specific: almost any industry you can imagine has an expo for vendors and buyers. And since the job search is the “marketing me” process for you, the job seeker, this can be a great way to get some exposure of your brand!

Philadelphia has job fairs coming up in the next few months, and I thought in a good opportunity to share some tips about working the room, and not letting the room work you!

The general idea is this: (and kudos for reading this all the way to here!) The job fair can feel disappointing because there are so many others just like you. So make yourself stand out! You know you want to hit up that booth with the chocolate covered strawberries–make them want to write “call her!” on your resume the second you walk away. Be remarkable!

Technorati Tags: job fair, trade show, remarkable, follow up, be unique, research

This will probably sound like a rant, but if perhaps, just maybe, someone reads this and takes a couple of minutes to change something about their standard job search habits, then I’ll have done my job. We (my former self included) can get so stuck in our habits, and the easy way of doing things, we don’t see what could be a more effective way to get results.

I always ask how the job search is going, and what resources are being utilized for that process. The answer almost always includes “CraigsList.” And that’s fine. But it also includes the following comment: “but I don’t get many responses.” Here are a few of the possible reasons, directly from the horse’s mouth:

Suggestion: Do NOT send a resume attachment to a CraigsList posting without any information in the body of the e-mail. What makes a prospective employer interested in giving up 5 minutes of their time to open the resume, when you clearly didn’t spend 5 minutes of your time to write some more information about why you’re the right candidate?

Suggestion: Please proofread your resume and your cover letter, AND your email. If there is a misused word, or misspelled word, or grammatical error, you’re significantly lowering your chances of being called back.

Hope this sheds some light! I don’t intend for it to be harsh or mean, but maybe it will give you some motivation for ways to get a bit more response when you’re applying to the black hole that CraigsList can be!

Technorati Tags: CraigsList, job postings, resume submission, e-mail applications, job search habits

Probably not, since your mother likely didn’t have the same job search strategies and tactics that are quickly becoming the staple for any job seeker. (I mean, typewriters?? come on!)

But what I’m referring to in particular is e-mail. There are all sorts of uses for the e-mail when seeking a job, or maintaining professional relationships and networking connections. But there’s also varied opinions about how to most effectively use this relatively new communication tool.

Jeffrey Gitomer is a nationally-reknowned sales guru, and author of “The Sales Bible” and “The Little Red Book of Selling”. You might say, “why is a sales guy’s input relevant to my job search or career development?”

Answer: Your job search is the marketing and sales of you.

Gitomer’s suggestions for using e-mail are simple: it should be used in conjunction with other forms of communication — in person, over the phone, hand written; it should add value to the recipient; it should not be instantaneous, but it should be short.

This applies to a job search in a very straight-forward way: think about who you’re writing to, for what reason, and whether you would read it if you were in their shoes. Do they know who you are? Are they expecting some form of communication from you? Are you adding value with interesting industry facts, ways you can help their business, and not just something you “thought was funny”?

I am guilty of writing wordy e-mails because I like to write in general. But they don’t need an introductory paragraph, or a closer. This is precisely what causes e-mail tone and etiquette to get confused, because the other end of the spectrum is that they are so short they become impolite. This isn’t a good way to err either. They should be very concise. If you don’t know the person, more explanation is necessary. But don’t go overboard.

E-mail shouldn’t be instantaneous because that’s when mistakes can happen. If you don’t stop and think, and reread and edit your e-mail, you could send to the wrong person, or with typos, that could significantly alter the reader’s perception of the sender: YOU.

It’s always great to discuss the etiquette involved in a business setting, but sometimes you wonder who to ask, and what if their perspective isn’t quite the same as yours? CM Access offers this kind of support, we’ll work through it with you, to assess the situation when thanking an interviewer, when making first contact, etc. We can be that buffer, that perspective, that editer, for you.

I find Gitomer’s information on this and other sales-related topics increasingly relevant and motivating. Give it a shot! Let me know if your e-mail tactics change and get you some more results!

Technorati Tags: sales tips, job search strategy, e-mail etiquette, Jeffrey Gitomer

Lately there’s been a lot of discussion about how video (viral or otherwise) is being integrated into marketing campaigns, and our online life in general.

I certainly love that with broadband, I can watch TV shows at any time I’d like, rather than having to commit my life to a network’s whims. I love that I can iChat with my sister across the country, in real time. And I know several people who are really getting into video e-mailing, with programs like HelloWorld making it easier than ever. And places like VidRez offer video resumes for anyone.

I’m not sure I’m ready to lose the certain amount of privacy that written communication still affords us. Most of us have never been on TV, let alone written, directed, and starred in our video.

But for video being integrated into marketing campaigns, it needs to get to a better place than the YouTube-platform, user-generated SuperBowl competitions. And now it’s getting into politics, with YouTube partnering with Senator McCain’s campaign.

Is it useful? Is it effective? Are consumers really being more inspired to recognize brands, or urged to make a purchase, based on a video they saw on YouTube?

I’m sure the debate will go on, and I’m hardly qualified to stage it, but the variety of uses for video sharing is a very interesting case. I think the more effective uses of video are not the general mish-mash that can be sorted through on the generic site, but instead how it’s integrated into a larger strategy, placed specifically on certain areas of a webpage, and used in conjunction with other tactics. And there’s also a big difference between a 3 minute video that someone seeks out, and an integrated Flash video within a superior, dynamic website.

I’d have to say this is my current favorite: effective use of entertaining video, in so much as it reaches consumers on a higher level. The Renegade Marketing group is really working toward the successful side of using video. Would love to hear what you think!

And while I’d love to support the effort of Southern New England chapter of the American Marketing Association made to work in the new media space, I’m not sure the value or effectiveness of this youtube video“>video quite hits the mark.

And videopodcasting is another topic of note. Not a podcaster myself, I haven’t quite the perspective to comment, but with the iPod capabilities to carry video, it seems to be a natural evolution of the popular subscription and personalization abilities we now have at our fingertips. And from what little I know, this guy gets it. (Though, is there anything Robert Scoble doesn’t get?)

It’ll be fascinating to see how video evolves as our use of the internet, instant communication, and marketing tactics adapt. If nothing else, we’re all going to be a lot tougher critics because the content of new pieces will need to consistently surpass all others for creativity and concept.

Technorati Tags: viral video, HelloWorld, ScobleShow, YouTube, video, Renegade Marketing, iChat, Flash, MenWithCramps, video resumes, VidRez