THE BEECHMONT CREST CAREER GUIDE:
SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN THE CORPORATE JUNGLE
Chapter 3: Organize, Market, and Sell Yourself
Narrow down your target market
When a company markets a new product to consumers, they always have a particular segment of the population in mind. The more specifically you define your target market, the more effective your job search activities will be.
For example, suppose that a company were to define the target market for a particular product as “American males.” This group includes teenage males in the suburbs, 20- to 30-year-old men living in the inner city, and 40- to 60-year-old men who reside in rural communities. There is a lot of disparity among these groups—their consumer preferences, what media they expose themselves to, and what types of marketing messages to which they are likely to respond. Therefore, a consumer goods manufacturer would probably decide to focus their marketing efforts on just one of these groups—or develop a separate marketing strategy for each of them.
In the same manner, you have to define your own target market. What types of companies have a need for your skills and qualifications? What do these companies manufacture? Are your skills more likely to be useful to a small, entrepreneurial organization, or to a large company with thousands of employees? Who are the customers of the companies that most need your skills?
These items are more than just academic questions. You won’t have the time, resources, or endurance to market yourself to every potential employer. Narrowing down your true target market takes some research and introspection, but the process will enable you to begin your job search activities with a “pre-qualified” list of potential companies. This, in turn, will enable you to apply you efforts in the most efficient manner possible.
Copyright 2006 Beechmont Crest Publishing