Memorable

Memorable, a photo by Filipão 28 on Flickr.

How To Make Yourself Memorable For Your Job Search

If you’ve been actively job hunting for a while, by now you’ve gotten over any fears of letting the world know about it.

Or have you?

Job candidates are always told to hone their resume-writing skills, and they are reminded to finesse their interview skills all the time. And every Monday morning they don’t hesitate to answer job ads online—the lowest-hanging fruit that rarely achieves results unless they’re a senior engineer or a credentialed actuary.

But you have to rise above the typical noise that the throngs of job hunters make.  So how do you ride that fine line between boldly tooting your horn about what a great hire you’d be, and sounding annoying?

When you market yourself to Hiring Managers, a dose of humility goes a long way. You should focus on solving their business problems. Stop thinking about how good the job will look like on your resume, or how getting it will get you the 2-bedroom with the view.

A successful job search is the second cousin to a successful sales pitch--especially when it doesn’t sound like a sales pitch at all. The smartest salespeople know that if they engage their prospect in meaningful dialogue, the prospect will reveal their biggest concerns. The sales person, in turn, will offer customized solutions to address his needs.

Notice that I used the word customized. Listen to what the Hiring Manager’s biggest problems are, and show him what you’ve done that can specifically relieve him of his pain.

The most successful salespeople are almost always subtle. They bring up only the specific features of their product or service that are appropriate to the customer. As a job hunter you can subtlely show off your accolades, starting with your resume. List your metrics—your measurable on-the-job results—in the upper third of your resume. Continue to focus on your metrics in your dialogue as well. When you explain to a Hiring Manager that you surpassed your quotas by 120% and established 25 new accounts last year, driving $1. 2 million in new business, you’re bragging in a low key way. With metrics you’re speaking the Hiring Manager’s language, and he’s starting to picture you in that vacant seat on his team, taking away his pain and solving his problem.

Once you’ve put your metrics out there, forget your track record and shift the conversation to the future. At this point, forward thinking is needed. Like a good salesperson, you’re only as good as your last deal, so you need another way to stay memorable. Make new connections to others in the Hiring Manager's organization, reinforce your brand and stay visible. Join the company's talent community on their Facebook corporate page and be a part of the dialogue. Comment sparingly on blogs and articles, and include your LinkedIn URL in your signature. Trust me, folks will check you out if you make honest contributions to the conversation.

This concept of self-marketing is a subtle shift in how to position yourself as a job hunter. You don't want to do is come on too strong--but the last thing you want to do is blend in with all the other job hunters. Which version of you is more memorable: when you're a guest at the party or when you work the party like you're the host?