WorkLiv "Marketing Yourself for Success" Phase1

WorkLiv International, LLC developed the Personal Independence Series to assist job seekers at var-
ying stages in their career. Each of the Personal Independence Series’ four programs address inter-
ests and job-search challenges unique to the respective career stage. Personal Independence: Market-
ing Yourself for Success points transitioning workers/professionals in a successful career direction.
Many professionals face change as they are either forced out of a position or learn their chosen career
no longer interests them. While most people can easily find employment, it is especially important at
this stage in one’s career to find the desired job at the salary needed. Marketing Y ourself for Success
goes beyond the traditional job-search methods to assist participants in:
 Overcoming the emotion of losing a job.
 Identifying their career direction.
 Maximizing their job search.
 Negotiating the best offer.
 Transitioning into a new work environment.
 Succeeding on the job.
 Creating a Work Life Balance.
This workbook contains detailed direction in each of the above-mentioned objective areas to assist
participants in fully benefiting from a well-planned marketing effort.
Contact WorkLiv to learn more about other Personal Independence Series’ programs, including Entering the
Job Market, Exploring the World of Work, and Achieving Worklife Success after 55.
WorkLiv is the proprietor of Marketing Y ourself for Success and its corresponding curriculum. Program con-
tents cannot be reproduced without the permission of WorkLiv.
1347 Canyon Park RoadBountiful, UT 84010(Call us Today! 855-9-WORKLIV (855-996-7554)
www.WorkLiv.cominfo@WorkLiv.com

Phase 1: Personal Intake
Phase 1: Objective 2
Well-Being Assessment 3
Concerns 5
Past Experience 6
Career Direction 11
Work Preferences 13
Assessing Options 15
Assessing Option Viability 17
Marketing Checklist 19
Phase 2: Developing Marketing Materials
Resumes 19
Cover Letters 22
Salary History 27
References 28
Personality Assessments 28
Applications 28
Portfolios 28
Phase 3: Generating Leads
Networking 31
Cold Calling 32
Advertised Leads 33
Agencies 34
Phase 4: Initiating Contact
Approaches to Contact Initiation 39
Networking Contacts 42
Cold Calls 45
Advertised Positions 46
Working with Agencies 59

Phase 5: Selling Yourself
Know the Organization 63
Portfolio Preparation 64
Interviewing 65
Follow Up 68
Phase 6: Accepting an Offer
Reviewing the Written Offer 83
Market Comparison 85
Points of Negotiation 88
Discussing the Offer 92
Decision Making 93
Accepting or Rejecting an Offer 93
Phase 7: Transitioning
Integration 97
Success 98

1

2
Phase 1 Objectives
Successfully finding the job you want at the salary you need can be accomplished in one word—
Marketing! There is a direct correlation between the amount of effort you put into your job search
and the time it takes to find your ideal job. This effort requires more than merely sending resumes in
response to advertised positions, which is impersonal. Rather, it requires you to market yourself
through documentation, references, network contacts, telephone conversations, and face-to-face
meetings. Unfortunately, many job seekers are uncomfortable in a sales situation, especially when
selling themselves.
Personal Independence: Marketing Yourself for Success introduces methods for minimizing the anxi-
ety of marketing yourself while maximizing your ability to find the ideal job. The first step in this
process requires a personal intake to assess what you have to offer an employer and what you want in
a job. Phase 1 introduces you to the following assessments:
 Well Being
 Past Experience
 Work Preferences
 Career Options
 Viability of Your Career Options
The information ascertained in this phase will be critical in your ability to complete the program, as
well as your success in getting the ideal job.

Well-Being Assessment
Career transitioning is a highly stressful process. The uncertainty of the future, coupled with the as-
sociated financial stress, can create a roller coaster experience. Having generated strong leads, you
will be up one day. When those leads end unproductively, you may be extremely down. For this
reason, it is important to gage continually your overall state of well being.
A productive job search is one in which you:
 Spend an average of 25 productive hours per week conducting your job search.
 Contact an average of 30 individuals per week to generate job leads.
 Send resumes to most of those individuals contacted (even if they themselves do not have em-
ployment opportunities).
 Schedule a minimum of one interview per week once you’ve initiated your job search.
The above-mentioned activities are what you should be minimally doing to conduct an effective job
search. While you may find yourself avoiding and procrastinating your search , the stress of being
unemployed may leave you anxious. The best solution is to recognize the search as your current job
and schedule your work hours accordingly. Work your scheduled hours, then do what you want
without the burden of guilt.
Should you continue to have difficulty engaging in your job search, you may need professional cop-
ing assistance. There are certain indicators that would suggest professional help is needed. A survey
of your emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well being is provided on page 4. Respond to the
statements and use your responses as a benchmark to gage your well being at a later time. Resurvey
yourself weekly to note changes. Should your responses dramatically change, it is time to seek out-
side assistance.
3

Emotional Assessment
Yes No
1. I feel overall content with life.  
2. I am able to easily engage in my day.  
3. My mood is steady without major swings.  
4. I am slow to anger.  
5. I am able to carry out my daily objectives.  
Mental Assessment
Yes No
1. I am able to stay focused.  
2. My ability to remember things hasn’t changed.  
3. I am alert during the day.  
4. I am able to think rationally.  
5. I can focus on both short- versus long-term objectives.  
Physical Assessment
Yes No
1. I am able to get a good night’s sleep most nights.  
2. I engage in physical activities a minimum of three days a week.  
3. I eat a healthy diet.  
4. My eating habits have not changed.  
5. I am in overall good health.  
Spiritual Assessment
Yes No
1. I continue to fulfill myself spiritually.  
2. I have a strong support system.  
3. My relationships are healthy.  
4. I feel grounded.  
5. I feel good about who I am.  
4

Concerns
Job seeking is intimidating for most people. This is due in part to the lack of familiarity with job-
search skills. For this reason, many job seekers keep their search impersonal by not communicating
with prospects, which is the least productive way to maximize the outcome. Respond to the follow-
ing questions to determine the job-search instruction with which you feel you need the most assis-
tance. “Agree” signifies that you understand the concept, with “Disagree” signifying that you need
further instruction. Share your responses to ensure that you leave the program well prepared.
Agree Disagree
1. I know the type of job I’m interested in pursuing.  
2. I know my target industry.  
3. I have a well prepared resume.  
4. I know how to customize my resume for impact.  
5. I know how to write and customize cover letters.  
6. I have a prepared salary history.  
7. I have identified and coached my references.  
8. I have completed a master application.  
9. I have identified my network contact list.  
10. I know how to communicate with and fully utilize my contacts.  
11. I am comfortable making cold calls.  
12. I know where to find advertised positions.  
13. I know how to most effectively respond to advertised positions.  
14. I am familiar with the use of agencies.  
15. I have a prepared portfolio.  
16. I know how to prepare for an interview.  
17. I am comfortable with the interviewing process.  
18. I know how to appropriately follow up after job interviews.  
19. I know how to negotiate a job offer.  
20. I am comfortable transitioning into a new job.  
5

Past Experience
Assessing your past experience will help you determine future career direction. Whether or not you
intend to pursue the same job in the same industry, this information will be used in all aspects of your
marketing effort. If you aren’t certain what type of job you want to pursue, this assessment will be
used to make that determination. Two areas of assessment relative to your past experience include:
1) Skills and 2) Achievements.
Skills
Your work skills can be categorized into four areas, including:
1. Functional Skills
2. Self-Management Skills
3. Interpersonal Skills
4. Transferable Skills
Functional skills are those that relate to the functions you’ve performed. Examples in-
clude: accounting, typing, computer programming, sales, etc. List the functional skills you
have utilized in your past work experience.
6

Self-Management Skills are those that refer to characteristics of your work behavior.
For instance, possessing a strong work ethic, taking initiative, and being reliable would de-
scribe your self-management skills. List your self-management skills on the lines below.
Interpersonal Skills are those that describe your ability to work with others. List your
interpersonal skills on the lines provided.
7

Transferable Skills are those that can be transferred to jobs and industries other than
those in which you have previously used them. For instance, writing is a skill that can be
transferred to most jobs in any industry. Identifying transferable skills is especially im-
portant when increasing your employment options. Use the provided lines to list your trans-
ferable skills.
Achievements
Achievements refer to what you have accomplished in your past work experience. The iden-
tification of achievements will be important to your marketing effort as employers are in-
creasingly interested in learning what you have done rather than what you say you can do.
Identifying your achievements on request in an interview is difficult when it catches you off
guard. Therefore, it is important to recall your past contributions before talking with your
contacts. An assessment of your achievements should also be used to determine new options
for your future direction.. Responding to the questions listed on pages 9 and 10 will help you
identify your achievements.
8

What awards/recognitions have you received?
What certifications and/or licenses have you acquired?
Described a time when you increased productivity by improving processes.
Describe a time when you cut costs and decreased waste
9

P h a s e 1 : P e r s o n a l I n ta k e
10
Describe a time when you resolved a problem. What was the result?
Have you ever increased profits? If so, how?
Describe a situation in which you saved time or reduced man hours.
Describe a time when you improved customer service.

11
Career Direction—Pursuing a Similar Position
Pursuing the same career as you previously held will be made easier as you have an understanding of
what employers are seeking. Depending on the number of positions available in your chosen profes-
sion, you may need to increase your job possibilities and options by looking at the various functions
and titles you could assume while essentially performing the same job. Additionally, you should
identify your past experience as it relates to your chosen career. Identifying your most marketable
skills and achievements as they relate to the job you are seeking will be vital to the creation of your
marketing materials.
Skills
Achievements

12
Career Direction—Pursuing a Different Career
Transition brings with it opportunity. With opportunity comes the indecision of facing which career
you want to pursue. Even if you’ve determined your direction, you may feel that pursuing such a
career is a dream rather than reality. Identifying the skills and achievements you would like to trans-
fer to your next position is beneficial information in determining your career direction.
Skills
Reviewing your skills listed on pages 5—7, list those skills you would like to use in a future
position.
Achievements
Identify your certifications, licenses, credentials, and accomplishments you’d like to use in
your next position.

Work Preferences
Before beginning your job search, you should first identify your work preferences. Work preferences
are important to your overall quality of life. Some preferences are absolutes—you would not be sat-
isfied with a position long-term if those preferences weren’t in place. Others are variables that would
be nice but aren’t necessary. Note your preferences relative to each item listed. Next, check the ap-
propriate box noting whether this preference is a “Need” or a “Want.” Referring to these preferences
will help you later decide whether or not to accept a job offer.
Need Want
Location
What are your location preferences? ____________________________  
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Position Title
What title are you seeking? ___________________________________  
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Scope of Responsibility
What level of responsibility are you seeking? _____________________  
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
13

14
Need Want
Qualifications
What qualifications must the position have? ______________________  
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Organization Size
What size of an organization do you prefer? _____________  
__________________________________________________________
Organizational Culture
What cultural preferences do you have? _________________________  
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Work Schedule
What is your preferred work schedule? __________________________  
__________________________________________________________
Salary
What is your preferred salary range? ____________________________  
Compensation
What compensation are your seeking? __________________________  
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

15
Assessing Your Options
Review your responses to the skills, achievements, and work preferences assessments. Use this in-
formation to brainstorm jobs you would like to pursue, as well as the industries in which you’d like
to work. Keep in mind what you enjoy doing. Do not discount any possibilities at this point.
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences

16
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences
Job Possibility
Skills Used
Achievements
Interest
Work Preferences

17
Assessing Viability of Your Options
After brainstorming job options, you should discover the viability of pursing those jobs. In other
words, you need to learn if the position matches your skills, achievements, interests, and work prefer-
ences. You also need to learn if employers are seeking individuals in this position. This requires
research. Methods of researching include:
 Directly contacting organizations to determine need for this position.
 Researching the positions available and the qualifications needed on the Internet.
 Scheduling information interviews during which you talk with a professional who is currently or
has in the past worked in this position.
 Spending a day on the job.
You will continue to discover options as you investigate job leads. The more options you have, the
more likely you are to find an exciting opportunity faster. Respond to the following questions on
page 18 when determining the viability of each option.

18
Assessing the Viability of Your Options
Yes No
1. Does this position match your “Needs?”  
2. Does this position match your “Wants?”  
3. Are you qualified for this position?  
4. Does this position interest you?  
5. Would this position require retraining?  
6. If yes, is the retraining feasible to pursue?  
7. Are there other options that are more appealing?  
8. Is this opportunity negotiable to better meet your needs?  
Identify why you responded “No,” to any of the above-listed questions. Next, determine if your neg-
ative response would inhibit you from pursuing this option.

19
Marketing Checklist
Your personal intake is extremely important in determining the direction your job search will take. If
you have not been able to fully complete the assessments at this time, you may need to further re-
search options and evaluate yourself professionally. This information will be used in subsequent
phases to direct your marketing effort. In conclusion, check the following items to confirm you have
adequately completed this Phase.
 I have assessed my state of well being.
 My state of well being is not inhibiting my job search.
 I am periodically assessing my well being to ensure future productivity.
 I have noted my job-search concerns.
 My concerns have been addressed and alleviated.
 I have determined those skills I wish to use in a future position.
 I have determined the achievements I wish to use in a future position.
 I have identified job options.
 I have identified the viability of my identified job options.

20
Notes

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