Manage Your Career Successfully

By Author: pangsiyan
Total Articles: 130
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Despite a low unemployment rate and dizzying array of career titles in bookstores

— "Making Your Way to the Top", "Get the Job You Love" and "Manage Your Career

Suecessfully"—many hardworking job seekers struggle through their job searches.

An effective search campaign starts with a researched plan. Part of your plan must

include a good positioning statement. This well-crafted statement should serve as

the keystone of your search and convey sufficient dynamism to capture a reader's

attention. The good news is that your positioning statement will help you

throughout your search, starting with your resume and through to networking, cold

calling and interviewing. The components of an effective positioning statement must

be focused on the needs of your target audience and answer the following questions:

Who are you?

What do you do?

What can you bring to the organization?

Once you've mastered these fundamental issues, you're well on your way to

conducting your search from the driver's seat.

Crafting Your ...
... Statement

A good way to start crafting this statement is to figure out what you want to call

yourself. Envision yourself making a cold call or introducing yourself in a

networking situation. What do you say after "Hello"? To pique the reader's or

listener's attention, you'll need one "meaty" piece of information, particularly an

impressive result or accomplishment. Other salient information might include unique

technical or computer skills and possibly descriptive phrases of your work or

management style. Always tailor this information to the needs of your target

audience.

Networking and Cold Calling

Candidates also can pull pieces from their resumes' positioning statements to

develop short introductions for networking and cold calling. Consider the former

owner of a private-label sportswear importer in Fairfield, N. J. , who sought an

executive-level position. He referenced his outstanding results with his startup to

pique the listener's attention. This material appeared on his resume;

Entrepreneurial executive offers successful record of directing cost-

effectivemanufacturing operations, using both outsourced and domestic contractors

...

Proven ability to develop accounts from zero-base and market to mass merchants,

department stores and specialty shops ... Built a start-up garment company,

producing brand-name and private-label styles, into a $ 20 million enterprise.

According to the executive, the ability to mix and match marketing points from his

positioning statement helped him feel comfortable in networking with senior-level

contacts.

Interviewing

A well-thought-out positioning statement also will give you an edge in an

interview. Hiring managers and recruiters appreciate candidates who understand

their market and where they fit in. Your response to the traditional "Tell me about

yourself" question should be an elaboration of your marketing points, supported by

specific examples or anecdotes that bring them to life.