Job Listings for Friday, 2.29.08

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Happy Leap Day!  Hope these listings yield success…

Enjoy the weekend!

L

Job Listings for Thursday, 2.28.08

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Have a great day!

- L

Job Listings for Wednesday, 2.27.08

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Happy Wednesday!

- L.

Job Listings for Tuesday, 2.26.08

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

Here are some leads to start your day with…

Have a great day!

Laurel

Best Practices: The Pressure To Market Yourself

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Every week, perhaps even more often than that, look for my post titled Best Practices.  These posts will touch upon topics relevant to freelance marcom professionals.  My hope is that the posts will give us an opportunity to discuss what works and what doesn’t.  Here is the first post in the series.  Please throw in your two cents – I look forward to your comments!   - Laurel

So you’re a marketing communications professional.  You’ve written dozens of articles, created hundreds of direct mail pieces, and crafted snappy ads.  So why is it so hard to market yourself?  It reminds me of my office days.  In the middle of meeting deadlines, editing proofs for a print job, writing a newsletter, and putting together a PowerPoint, I’d find a birthday card on my chair.  It was someone’s birthday.  Write a message, cross off your name, and pass it along.  Cake cutting is at 4:00.  It would have been fine to just write what other people wrote, “Happy Birthday!” or “Enjoy your special day.”  But was something more expected of me?  Was it a reflection of my worth as a marketing director?  I’m hoping it was all in my head. 

But when you’re trying to land a job, the pressure is obvious and somewhat merited.  If you’re such a good marketer, your pitch for a job should be great.  Of course there are the basics: no typos, highlight your qualifications especially the ones that pertain to the job, be brief, concise, compelling.  But how do you stand out?  You don’t want to seem desperate, overbearing, or obnoxious.  How do you say, “I’m the best person for this job,” without actually saying it?  My guess is to tackle it like any new client or product.  Who’s your audience?  What are your selling points?  What makes you different and better?  Why this product (you) versus another?  Is it as simple as answering the questions any marcom professional asks when they launch a campaign?  It doesn’t necessarily remove the pressure, but it might help craft a better pitch…

What do you think?  Is there greater pressure for marcom professionals?  What works for you?