subject: Bang Your Own Drum [print this page] Bang Your Own Drum Bang Your Own Drum
I still stand by that as a good answer. However, there is something else
When a company is hiring they are doing it for a business purpose. We need to have a Head of Marketing so that our company continues to be promoted, we remain in our client and prospects focus and so that we gain new opportunities to generate revenue. This is an easy one to see; we all know that without revenue a company falls into decline. What if you work in the post room? The same thing is true; your role still enables the company to function. All manner of things still arrive via traditional mail and some of it is extremely important. The bottom line is this. If your role had no significance then your company would not allocate headcount and salary. I always see an organisation like a car; you might be more familiar with the steering wheel and your seat but without the filters and plugs it wouldn't function. Every part is as necessary as every other to make the whole thing work.
So, back to the hiring company. When they are looking for someone to do E,F&G of which you are most proficient, but you don't emphasise that within your CV, you deprive them of the opportunity to add your skills and improve their efficiency within the market. When you are marketing yourself it is not about you singing your praises. It is about you advising someone else as to the full range of your skills and abilities, so that they can find the help that they most urgently need (you!)
When you put together your covering letter you are not doing it to bang your own drum. You are doing it to let the particular organisation you are applying to, know how you can help them and therefore answer their question. The same age old question that we all have; what's in it for me.
So, next time you are preparing an application stick a post-it above your screen, or wherever you are working, with that key line on it 'what's in it for me' and then tailor all of your answers to it. Do I have experience in E,F&G? Well, this is what I can do for you on that subject...
Are you frustrated by your career success (or lack of it)? Are you really good at what you do but you just can't work out how to get someone to realise? Is it sometimes difficult to get taken seriously where you are? Do you just wish you could find your dream job and be happy?
There's nothing wrong with you. Most people have felt like you do at some point in their career. The good news is that a problem well-stated is a problem half-solved. It just takes a different way of doing things to create the different result that you are looking for and working with someone that has helped hundreds of people get their dream job and find happiness. Email us at churchillbrook@gmail.com to set up a time to chat and we'll see if we can help!
Julie is the Lead Consultant at Churchill Brook where she offers both individuals and groups coaching on all manner of career issues. A qualified coach with twelve years as an international headhunter she is ideally placed to help you with any career challenge you might be facing. She has also worked extensively with clients on programmes of career enhancement, so whether you are looking to find a new direction, find a new job, get that next promotion or just fall in love with the role you already have she is able to help you get there faster than you would on your own.
