Career Advice: What ARE You Looking For?
The other night I was talking to a friend of mine, Peter Dixon, about his cool new cd, "Shady Planet." It hasn't been selling as well as he had hoped, so I, as Mr. New World of Marketing, was suggesting some things he could do to promote it.
For example, I mentioned starting a blog or, better yet, a video blog, in which he talked about music (he knows a lot about music of all flavors), songwriting (he's a melody machine), the making of this cd, and other projects he's been involved with (one of his former bands, Combustible Edison, recorded for SubPop).
Since writing a blog can be sort of time-consuming, I said he could simply start by hunting down music blogs that talked about his old band, or even his new cd, and leave a comment, start a conversation, whatever. As I put it, bloggers are always looking for content and, in a way, he is content.
My basic message was that you don't need a big record label or a press agent to make this stuff happen; you could do it yourself. But before he acted on any of my brilliant ideas, I told him, he needed to decide what he wanted. For example, if he wanted to sell cd's, how many did he want to sell? His exact course of action will naturally depend on whether he wants to sell 500 or 5,000. I thought he should also create a profile of the type of person who he imagines would buy this cd and start thinking about where these people might hang out (both on-line and off-line). Etc. In my view, the more specific he can get about his actual goals, the easier it should be for him to devise and execute a plan that gets him where he wants to go.
In this case, as in many others, however, the big question is: Where SPECIFICALLY do you want to go?
I should interject here that I am not speaking from experience. I've never ever sold a cd of my own making (though I have given some away... if you want one, send an email!). I'm just applying basic marketing principles to what is essentially a marketing problem: How do I get people to know about my product and then how do I get them to buy it?
Indeed, and the whole reason I'm talking about this here, these same principles can be applied to the pursuit of your career goals. Where specifically do you want to go?
When people come to Aquent seeking our assistance in finding work, we always ask them, "Can you tell me three companies in the area where you would like to work?" Aside from giving us general info about the type of work environment you prefer, this actually helps us create a targeted plan for getting you work.
The devil is in the details, they say, usually meaning that it's the details you overlook that will get you in the end. The flip-side is that attention to these details gives you greater control over and certainty about the outcome. The kicker is that there is always another level of detail to attend to.
For example, you start out with a career goal: "I want to be a product manager." OK, what types of products in what industry? Next question: Where would you like to work? Specifically: which company in which industry selling these products? Next question: What is the name of a person or persons who hires product managers at that company? What is that person concerned about, interested in, or focused on?
If you can't answer that last question, and it is a toughy, do you know anyone already working there as a product manager? Do you know anyone who maybe works someplace else but has a contact or a colleague or a connection to the target company? Can these people give you insight into the needs and desires of your "audience" (that particular hiring manager)? If they can, how are you going to position yourself to this person so that he or she understands you are the answer to their prayers, just what they were looking for, etc.?
You get the picture.
Of course, you could just go on-line, find some job ads, and shoot your resume across, or, frankly, just post your resume and hope someone finds it. People do actually get work that way. But isn't it better to feel like you're making it happen, rather than hoping it happens to you?
Image Courtesy of Living in Monrovia.
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