This document discusses networking, sales, and job searching. It provides advice on using networking to increase job opportunities by expanding your contact base and establishing expertise. It also discusses that networking can help notify others of your job search and identify hidden job opportunities. The document also discusses that networking involves using social media, personal contacts, informational interviews, and networking events. Additionally, it discusses that marketing yourself, rather than selling yourself, may have better connotations for job seekers and involves highlighting your relevant skills to employers' needs. Finally, it provides tips for an effective elevator pitch or sales pitch during a job interview to promote your achievements and benefits you bring to employers.

1. Networking, Sales,
and Your Job Search

2. WHAT IS “NETWORKING?”
Build Your Network
 1. act of linking computers: the act of linking
computers so that users can exchange
information or share access to a central store of
information
 2. practice of gathering of contacts: the
process or practice of building up or maintaining
informal relationships, especially with people
whose friendship could bring advantages such
as job or business opportunities

3. NETWORKING HELPS…
Why Network?
 Increase your contact base for employment
opportunities
 Establish your expertise in your field
 Notify people you are seeking employment
opportunities
 Identify opportunities in the Hidden Job Market

4. BUILDING YOUR NETWORK
Multiple Avenues
 Social Media
 LinkedIn
 FaceBook
 YouTube
 Personal Contacts
 Informational Interviews
 Networking Events
 Job Fairs/Hiring Events

5. WHAT IS “SALES?”
Your Skills and Experience
 "The holistic business system required to
effectively develop, manage, enable, and
execute a mutually beneficial, interpersonal
exchange of goods and/or services for equitable
value."
 In order to gain desirable employment, you
must sell your knowledge, skills, abilities, and
experience

6. BAD CONNOTATION?
How Do You Feel?
 The Term “Sales” creates a negative reaction to
many job seekers
 This is often because the idea of sales is
associated with thoughts of
 High-pressure car sales
 Telemarketers
 Door-to-door salespeople
 However, when you shop at your favorite store,
on the internet, or even at garage sales, you are
engaging in the sales process

7. HOW ABOUT MARKETING?
Better than “Sales?”
 Since many people have a visceral reaction to
the concept that they need to sell themselves to
employers, we often lighten the concept by
telling job seekers to “Market” themselves
instead
 Marketing is an ongoing process of planning
and executing the marketing mix (Product,
Price, Place, Promotion) for products, services
or ideas to create exchange between
individuals and organizations
 Marketing is a part of the sales process

8. HOW TO SELL YOURSELF
Marketing
 Identify the knowledge, skills, abilities, and
experience the employer is seeking
 These are the areas you need to highlight—
those skill sets that meet the needs of the
“buyer,” or your prospective employer
 Address how you are (not were) proficient and
experienced in these areas in your cover letter,
resume, and during your interview
 Be confident, be competent, and rehearse

9. DON’T FORGET OTHER AREAS
Think Outside the Box
 Use Social Media to market yourself
 LinkedIn
 FaceBook
 Twitter
 YouTube
 Market yourself within your network
 Family
 Friends
 Business acquaintances
 Former co-workers/employers

10. TECHNIQUES
How Do I Do It?  How you present your knowledge, skills,
abilities, and experience matters
 Content is important, but the presentation of the
content itself is more important
 Think of beauty cream: Do you buy the
ingredients, how it’s made, how it’s packaged,
and how it is transported?
 No: you buy the model endorsing it, the promise
of how it will help you stay beautiful, and the
advantage of how it will make you more
acceptable

11. MARKETING 101
The Elevator Pitch
 Advertisers market what interests the target
audience
 In limited time they must get 100% of your
attention
 This is just like your 30-second commercial
(elevator pitch)—you need to offer your benefits
in short time to make someone interested in you

12. THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES
How Would You Answer?
 What would you tell an interviewer in the first
five minutes?
 Most people would focus on:
 What they have done
 Things they know
 Projects they have completed
 These answers:
 Tell the interviewer what is already in your resume
 Offer no “Wow” factor
 Put you on par with the other interviewees

13. THE FOCUS
Your Sales Pitch
 People fail to realize:
 They need to sell themselves in a few minutes
 They need to offer the benefits of being hired
 They need to offer something different than normal
 Instead, the pitch should focus on:
 Why your candidacy matters
 The benefits you bring to the table
 Why the employer needs to select you

14. WHAT TO PROMOTE
Examples of Excellence
 Ensure you focus on:
 Targets you achieved
 Projects you have converted
 Profits you have brought on board
 If your job is internally focused, focus on:
 Improvements you have created
 Success within the team
 How your position and presence helped the company

15. YOUR PERSONAL BRAND
Your Professional You  Your self-impression = how people perceive you
 Business cards
 Documents
 Blog/Website
 Social Media Sites
 Email address
 WARDROBE!

16. DEVELOPING YOUR BRAND
You Are Not Your Job
 Align Who You Are with What They Need
 Save job titles for job titles
 Engineer
 Sales Manager
 Administrative Assistant
 Instead, market yourself using what you can
give an employer
 Dynamic Change Agent
 Human Resources Leader

17. THE APPROACH IS SIMPLE
Marketing and Sales
 Market your product (you)
 Sell what sells (your demonstrated
achievements)
 Avoid going into intricacies (save the how for
follow-on questions)
 Talk about what the employer wants to hear
 Talk about what you would want to hear if you
were to interview for this position

18. QUESTIONS?