Marketing professionals love what they do, and they’re good at it. When you’re applying for a top job, you’re in the running with many other marketing professionals who offer similar skills, backgrounds and experience. How do you stand out?

Harness your passion for your work by marketing your most important product: Yourself.

Applying marketing strategies to your job search showcases your abilities with a real-world example of your work. It empowers you throughout the process. And it can help you rise to the top of employers’ “to-hire” list.

Here are six marketing strategies that work on the job search:

Identify your audience.

Who is your audience? Where are their pain points? How does it benefit them to hire you instead of someone else?

Every great marketing campaign keeps these perspectives in mind, and so should your job search.

Know your competitive advantages (and disadvantages).

It’s tough to tell your audience how you’re the solution to their needs when you don’t know your own “product specifications.”

Examine your work and leadership experience, education, training, network and passions to build your own Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Create both a list of accomplishments and a one-sentence expression of your USP. The short version is particularly useful on your resume and in your LinkedIn profile.

Tailor your USP as needed.

Each employer looks for slightly different traits in its next marketing professional, which means you’ll need to adapt your “campaign” accordingly. With each job posting, note keywords and phrases, and edit your resume and cover letter to emphasize how you bring what the employer needs.

Polish your promotional tools.

On the job search, a “promotional tool” is anything that helps you land an interview and a job. Your toolkit includes not only your resume and cover letter, but your interview skills, online profile and professional network. Keep all of these in top shape, with consistent, focused emphasis on your USP.

Distribute strategically.

Distribution is key to successful marketing, but it’s also overlooked. To find the best jobs for your USP, you’ll need to get smart about distribution, too.

Create a weekly job search schedule that ensures you hit each of these distribution channels regularly:

• Job boards and recruiter websites
• Connections with your professional network
• Online job searches
• University career centers or alumni offices
• Recruiting firms that specialize in placing professionals like you in jobs

The trick to good distribution is regularity and pacing. Don’t try to do it all in one day; instead, plan so you can hit every channel regularly without overwhelming yourself.

Know your price.

What are the skills, experience and approach you offer worth to employers? Use tools like Salary.com and Glassdoor.com to see what compensation and salary options are. When considering a job offer, look at the value of the total compensation package, including benefits, retirement, time off and other options. Your recruiter can help you evaluate and contextualize job offers so you’re getting a true reflection of your professional value.

The recruiters at SMR Group Ltd specialize in connecting marketing and sales professionals to great job opportunities in the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. To learn more, contact us today.