To be an exceptional job candidate in today’s media-immersed world, personal branding is a must—especially in marketing. Why would a company hire you to develop a brand strategy if you can’t even brand yourself?
Last week, I attended the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference here in St. Louis, and fell into a session led by a panel of marketing experts, who confirmed the above. With graduation just around the corner, their discussion about the job search as a marketing pro especially grabbed my attention.
Check out the top insights from marketing experts at Daugherty, Perficient, and Mizzou’s Journalism School, among others.
1. Brand yourself through social media
Use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook as an extension of your resume, demonstrating your passion in and knowledge of a particular area.
“LinkedIn is the first thing I look at as a recruiter,” said panelist Jerry Bernhart, of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, who added that a sloppy or neglected page is an immediate turn off for a recruiter. LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool—you wouldn’t, for example, attend a Weston Career Center networking event without copies of your resume or business cards (at least, I hope not). LinkedIn is your digital resume.
Each social platform caters to different audiences and conversations, and you can stand out from your peers by using them correctly.
2. Prove yourself as a strong writer and communicator
As a business student, you need to be able to effectively (and persuasively) communicate with clients and prospective employers. There is an art and subtlety to compelling marketing.
“It’s not about hiding the fact that it is advertising, it’s about being really great at it,” said panelist Brad Best, Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication at Mizzou. “Too often people go tactics first,” he said, when marketers should start by outlining goals, creating a strategy, and then work on the ‘how.’
If you’re interested in content marketing, for example, brand yourself as a knowledgeable source by blogging. Write about which metrics matter in Google’s algorithms for preferential search or how to get the most from a Facebook ad campaign. You’re providing tangible proof of your communication skills, knowledge, and experience, while creating a great digital footprint for yourself.
3. Cultivate technical know-how
As a marketing student, you’re not expected to code apps or build new websites. That said, fundamental knowledge of basics like semantic coding or even graphic design can go a long way for your marketing career. The “jack-of-all-trades” students are “unicorns” for recruiters, said panelist Stuart Draper, of Stukent.com.
The content part of your content marketing strategy may be great, but understanding the behind-the-scenes factors that influence search engine rankings can give your content a boost. “Google is your professor,” said panelist Musonda Kapatamoyo of SIUE. Take a few hours to learn more about HTML or Google Analytics. Proving you are hungry to improve, learn, and add value to a company is a highly attractive quality. Luckily, Olin has provided that resource for students, staff, and faculty for free: Lynda.com.
Obviously, this list focuses on digital marketing and doesn’t address every way a marketing student can get ahead of the competition, but it does highlight some great ways to stand out when applying for marketing positions. What do you think about the panel’s recommendations?
“It’s important to be known for something specific in the minds of consumers,” Goodman said. “In marketing language, brands need a clear position in the minds of consumers. While Rawlings is strong in football, they are stronger in baseball and they probably decided to focus on what consumers know about them, which is baseball.”
Only six actors are used, requiring the cast members to play a variety of roles. At one point a man burst onto the stage dressed in a clown suit, when only moments before, he had delivered an impassioned speech about honor.
