3 Job-Search Success Factors

Three factors largely determine the success of any sales letter. By adapting these 3 factors to your job search, you can gain new insights -- and a new job. Heres how

By Kevin Donlin, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: July 8, 2008 - 4:00 PM

Ive written before that your job search is like an advertising campaign: to be successful, you must sell yourself to employers and convince them to buy by hiring you.

When it comes to advertising, you can learn a lot by emulating copywriters -- the people who write words on paper that persuade other people to buy.

And among the best copywriters, its a rule of thumb that 3 factors largely determine the success of any sales letter. They are, in order:

1) The list (the people you mail to);

2) The offer (what you want prospects to say Yes to; this includes the price, payment terms and perceived value of your goods/services);

3) The creative (the actual sales letter, which includes the copy, graphics and packaging).

By adapting these 3 factors to your job search, you can gain new insights -- and a new job.

Heres how

1) The List This is paramount. The more people who know you and look upon you with favor -- the bigger your list of qualified prospects -- the faster you will get hired.

Think of it like this. If your daughter is a Girl Scout and asks you to buy a box of cookies, guess what? Youre going to buy. Why? You are #1 on her Prospective Customer List. More than anyone else, you know your daughter, you trust her and you want her to do well.

Lets switch to your job search. Whos #1 on your Prospective Employer List? And how many people know you, trust you and want you to do well in your career?

You cant improve what you dont measure, so your first step is to write down the names of everyone in your network. If youre average, you should come up with 200-250 names.

Then make a plan to contact 10 people per day for the next 30 days. Let each of them know exactly what kind of job and employer youre looking for. At the end of each conversation, ask: Who else do you know that I should be talking to?

Doing this will make positive impressions on the people you know, while systematically expanding the size of your network -- your list -- at the same time.

Repeat until hired.

2) The Offer The second job-search success factor is your offer. What are you offering to do for employers and at what salary? The more attractive, the better.

In advertising, one of the best offers is, Send no money now. Well bill you later.

Now, if you wrote in your cover letter, Pay me no salary now -- Ill bill you later, youd get lots of calls. Yes, its an attractive offer, but no, its not in your best interests financially.

Still, lets run with this idea

What if you revised your cover letter to include examples of how much money you have made or saved for employers? What if your offer were this: Im a bargain. I consistently make or save far more money than I get paid in salary. What if you backed up your claims with specific dollars? Do you think that kind of offer might convince a few hiring managers to call you? You bet!

(For more on how to determine your specific value, see my earlier article, "Stop Being A Job Seeker.")

3) The Creative Your creative includes your resumes and cover letters, of course. But it also includes every word you say while networking and in interviews, as well as your packaging -- the clothes you wear, your grooming, how you interact with others, etc.

In other words, pretty much everything you write, say or do after getting out of bed each day can affect how quickly you get hired. It all adds up to form your employment creative. Everything counts! Act accordingly.

Okay now.

Ive given you 3 advertising success factors that you can adapt to your job search. Dont stop there, however. What other sales, marketing and advertising ideas could you borrow today and use to get hired tomorrow?

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and creator of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search assistance to more than 10,000 people. Author of "51 Ways to Find a Job Fast -- Guaranteed," Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others. His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available at www.gresumes.com/instant

Recent Jobs : Career management stories

PR Career Prospects On The Rise - July 8, 2008

PR Career Prospects On The Rise - Unlike the out-front nature of advertising, public relations helps build awareness and shape public opinion in more subtle ways. That may be one reason why the profession’s long-term career prospects are looking good. More