When a candidate contacts me about helping him/her find a new or better position, the first thing I do is review their resume.  Next, I find out what they have done, or haven’t done to market themselves.  In today’s market and with current technology, a candidate must begin changing their game plan from a job search to a self-marketing campaign. Consider yourself as an entrepreneur that has just started a new company.  This company is YOU!  And, YOU offer services for hire with zero budget dollars for marketing YOUR services.

Let’s begin by drafting a marketing plan for this new enterprise that will focus on using the  internet, networking meetings, churches and other affiliations.  Developing a plan can prove to be the most challenging task.  Your plan should be multilevel; identifying different types of media to use and selecting target companies, geographical zones and industries of interest that fit your background and experience. 

Types of  media to consider using are social networking sites such as Twitter, Plaxo, Ecademy, MySpace and Facebook, and LinkedIn; the numero uno site for recruiters. 

Next is what I call seeding.  Although I am a city boy, I am a country boy at heart and live vicariously through these analogies, so please humor me.  Seeding involves planting your resume in as many fertile plots as can be found, without a charge.  These include, but are not limited to:  CareerBuilder, Monster, JobFox, Itzbig, Dice and Smuz.  Seeding also involves joining blog groups and other online networking sites that will allow you to share your profile with others at no cost to you except for your time.

I would like to break for a second from our initial topic of discussion to discuss another topic near and dear to me, paying a recruiter fee for help with your job search.  There are thousands of recruiters out there who will gladly accept your resume and profile to market that to their clients at no cost to you.  There are also recruiters out there that will present to you an “offer you cannot refuse,” an idea that if you pay them they will guarantee you a job within a certain time frame.  I say, I will rent their crystal ball for any amount of money!  In other words, don’t spend your money with a recruiter who charges you for a job search when all it takes is your time and effort to e-mail your resume to every recruiter or firm in town who will NOT charge to help you in your job search.  Now let’s get back to the last step in this transformation of your psyche from job seeker to marketing guru.

The last and most critical step in this metamorphosis is out of the box thinking.  Now I know that is an over used cliché however, it fits well with the last step in the process of using Social Networks.  I know of a man in Houston that started writing articles and posting them on different blog sites about his profession, and he was offered a position with Ford.  With a little bit of research, you can find social networking groups within 20 miles from your home that you can attend on a weekly basis.  Most large churches offer counseling services or open groups for discussion of work related topics.  Industry related organizations are a great place to network as well.

In conclusion, YOU as the business owner your goal is to positively affect YOUR bottom line to secure a position!  Don’t rule out any idea to market YOURSELF for an opportunity except, making copies of your resume and putting them up on the board of every Starbucks in town or putting them on the windshield of every car in the parking lot of the company you want to target.

Samuel Meredith, PHR, serves as the Secretary and Treasurer of The Meredith Group. Mr. Meredith has a resume that spans over 10 years of high volume staffing and recruiting in both an international and national scope. Sam leads the firm's international search efforts along with the Sales/Marketing and Finance/Accounting sectors.  Sam is working toward a MS degree in HR Management through the business school at Tarleton State University.