One of the most important documents a marketing professional will ever create is their CV and one of the most important online platforms they will ever use is LinkedIn, writes Karen Dunbar of The CV & Interview Advisors, so it seems like a no brainer that you would want these to work for you and that starts with marketing yourself to ensure you stand out from your competitors who may have similar experience and qualifications as you.
The Cobbler’s Shoes Syndrome
Despite marketing professionals being able to promote and sell a range of products and services, it is ironic that when it comes to selling themselves, so many marketers really struggle to do this, usually because it is much more difficult to turn the spotlight on yourself. However, with a few simple tips and techniques, it will be possible for you to use your already amazing marketing skills to create a world-class CV and LinkedIn profile.
Your Value Proposition
The first thing to consider when it comes to marketing yourself in your CV and LinkedIn is to understand what your main value proposition is. What is it that you can offer your future employers or clients? Do you specialise in a niche area or are you passionate about driving customer acquisition in a certain industry?
Whatever your main proposition is, this should become the primary focus of your CV and LinkedIn profile.
Target Audience
Secondly, you need to know your audience. When you are working on a campaign for a new product, one of the first things you would do as a marketing professional is determine who your target audience is. The same applies to your CV and LinkedIn. What kind of companies are you applying to work for? Who will be reading your CV and LinkedIn profile? What are their needs? Once you determine this, it makes it easier to shape your message and capture the attention of the reader.
Content and SEO
The third tip is to determine your messaging strategy. Think about the evidence or case studies you can provide to back up your value proposition and identify the most important keywords in your industry. Keywords are an essential part of the process due to Applicant Tracking Systems and online algorithms that filter CVs based on the keywords they contain. In addition, think about the design of your CV and LinkedIn profile. Is it visually appealing? Does it capture the reader’s attention? Does it reinforce the message you are trying to present?
Spread the word
Finally, get your CV and LinkedIn profile in front of people. No matter how incredible your CV and LinkedIn are, if no one gets to see them, then it makes no difference anyway. Networking through LinkedIn and other platforms is a great way to build your connections and get your CV in front of the right people.
If you would like to learn the blueprint to writing a high-impact, interview-generating LinkedIn profile that dovetails with your CV, you can register for our upcoming free webinar here:
UK Job prospects at six-year-high
Here’s some good news for jobseekers in the UK, including those working in sales and marketing. Job prospects for the final quarter of this year look their brightest for six years, a study has found. Jobs are being created in business services, engineering, finance, and green energy. In fact every sector apart from construction is hiring more people than they’re firing.
10 ways to stay motivated when job-hunting
Receiving rejection letters, emails and phone calls can be a tough part of the job-hunting process. Worse still are those days of hearing nothing at all from potential employers, even when you have slogged over countless application forms.
How do I return to marketing after a career break?
There are numerous reasons why marketing professionals might take a break from the profession, and return later in their life. There may be family commitments, a desire to work abroad for a while, or to try something different such as teaching or setting up an e-commerce business.
