If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you get there?
In order to conduct an effect job search (assuming you know the types of positions you are targeting), it is equally important to know exactly who you are trying to reach. A clear picture of your target market allows you to focus your search on specific organizations. Without this focus, you may spend valuable time pursuing contacts and conducting research on organizations that are not likely to lead to the right position. A clear focus can shorten your search by weeks or even months.
Your target market is the group of organizations you plan to reach.
Think of your job search campaign as a sales and marketing effort. If you were planning to introduce a new product, you would first identify the customers you would want to reach. The same is true of the job search. Your target market is defined by four factors:
- Type of organization/industry
- Location of the organization
- Culture of the organization
- Size of the organization
First, consider where you would be happy working
Here are two questions to ask yourself:
- What organizations am I most interested in?
- What organizations are most likely to be interested in me?
It is not enough to know what organizations interest you; knowing more about those that would find your skills, talents and value a match to their needs is also key to your landing that right fit more quickly. Think of this as an opportunity to select and target organizations that are most consistent with your career plans and personal preferences. This might take some brainstorming, but it is worth taking the time needed to get it down.
Focus your search with a target list
Once you’ve defined your target market, make a list of the 50 most desirable targets in that market. This will help you organize your daily activities by avoiding the pursuit of random opportunities. Specifically, if you have a target list, you will be able to answer these questions:
- What will I do today/this week?
- Who will I talk to?
- What will I talk about?
You should constantly research, talk to and talk about your targets. Constantly refine the list; prune out the less attractive to focus more energy on those most desirable.
(continued to Job Search Campaign Strategies: Defining Your Target Market Part 02)
