Career Marketing

Getting Known

Break into print

Every report or article reaches an audience; whether colleagues, your boss, your users or higher management. You can then go on (confidentiality permitting) to write articles for the wider world: e.g., the computer press. You may even go further, and write a book. However large or small your audience, you have an opportunity to make an impression, which is better than being unnoticed. Also, you may gain the status of being an expert in your subject, and therefore the person to be contacted. No matter what your school grades were for English, you should be able to put out a professional piece of work, particularly with the help of the previous article (or a course) on effective writing, and the computer-based thesaurus and spelling checker. Here are a few ideas on how to get started:

find topics from successful work you have already done
keep a clip file
don't write from scratch if you can adapt useful material from something you've already written
develop a 'how to' list -e.g. of how to do things better
make a gripes list - then discuss the problem in your article and suggest solutions
recall a person or experience
identify the target audience
produce spin-offs
create a one-page outline

Networking and joining on purpose

There may be only 10 to 20 people at most whom you must know and influence in order to accelerate your career marketing efforts. These may be colleagues, mentors, someone from another department, leading people in your profession. Networking is useful for job search, accelerated career climb, and professional fellowship. Join organisations where you are likely to meet these people, and cultivate those whom you find challenging, energetic, useful, knowledgeable, or whom you could help with their career. Don't spread yourself too thin. You need maintainers (e.g. administrators) and 'propellers'. List the kinds of people you need, and which you have already found. Add networking targets to your goals or achievements list.

Join professional and other organisations which concentrate on areas of interest to you - you will find people with enthusiasm and knowledge. Don't join purely for what you can get out of it - you will be rumbled and resented. For accelerated career growth, it is advantageous to join groups whose average age is several years older than you. Local groups tend to be run by small cliques. It can take 18 months to be accepted, so be patient. Be selective, as groups are time-consuming. Go for balance.

To get the most out of joining, join committees, but only as many as you can realistically handle. Follow up when someone shows interest. Don't flaunt membership.

Getting qualified

Getting qualified not only earns you respect, but is also good for networking and getting known.