Previous experience: Presidential candidate

Shawna Simcik //October 23, 2012//

Previous experience: Presidential candidate

Shawna Simcik //October 23, 2012//

Regardless of your vote this electoral season, one of these candidates will be “in transition” after the November election. I smile thinking about how this dynamic experience might read on their individual resumes. “Previous Experience: ‘President of the United States from 2009 to 2012;” or “Additional Experience: ‘Candidate for President of the United States.’”

Whether you are the 44th president of the United States, previous presidential candidate or an individual contributor looking for your next position, there are three key components of any job search.

1. Get Clear on Your Value: No matter who gets your vote, each presidential candidate brings a very strong message on the value that they will bring to their position as President. Governor Mitt Romney’s value is, “As president, I will safeguard America and secure our country’s interests and most cherished ideals.” President Barack Obama’s value proposition is, “Grow the economy from the middle class out, not the top down. We can’t just cut our way to prosperity, and we can’t go back to the same failed policies that caused the economic crisis and punished middle-class families.”

If you were hired by Company X, what value would you bring to their organization? News flash – the job search is not about you; it is about the company which needs your skills, abilities, talents and knowledge. Your value might be, “As (insert position), I will take business strategies that are stuck in a cycle of inefficiency and drive them to achieve higher profit margins while establishing a culture of accountability.”

2. Focus on Your Differentiators: Our presidential candidates highlight their differences in all of their marketing material. They don’t emphasize their tasks and responsibilities as many of us do within our own marketing (resume, LinkedIn). For example, the job description for President might read, “Appoint judges and grant pardons.” This is not a differentiator for Barack Obama’s resume. Rather it might read how he appointed judges differentially, better than the competition and brought more value to the United States based on the pardons that he granted.

This is an extreme example, so here is another: An administrative assistant files paperwork, answers the telephone and greets customers.  However, our assistant at Innovative Career Consulting answers the telephone courteously and solves problems for our customers before they reach the relationship manager. She not only files but organizes our paperwork creating efficiencies in our workplace that drive productivity. Do you see the difference?  

3. Market, Market, Market: I might blow up my television if I have to watch another presidential commercial and don’t get me started on the 20 phone calls that we receive every evening for the election; however, these candidates know how to market! Once you have a clear message on the value that you bring to a company and how you are different from every other job candidate, it is time to hit the streets!

Create a marketing plan that includes where you will market (networking events, associations), who you will market to (Hiring Managers, Influencers) and spice up your marketing material. Marketing material might include your resume, cover letters, LinkedIn profile, Twitter profile, business cards and thank you cards among many other marketing avenues.