Techniques for writing an effective resume and cover letter are discussed in Chapter 2. Once you have reviewed that material and prepared these important documents, you will have created one of your self-promotion tools.
The one-minute infomercial will demand that you begin tying your interests, abilities, and skills to the people or organizations you want to network with. Think about your goal for making the contact to help you understand what you should say about yourself. You should be able to express yourself easily and convincingly. If, for example, you are contacting an alumnus of your institution to obtain the names of possible employment sites in a distant city, be prepared to discuss why you are interested in moving to that location, the types of jobs you are interested in, and the skills and abilities you possess that will make you a qualified candidate.
To create a meaningful one-minute infomercial, write it out, practice it as if it will be a spoken presentation, rewrite it, and practice it again if nec-essary until expressing yourself comes easily and is convincing.
Here's a simplified example of an infomercial for use over the telephone:
Hello, Mr. Johnson? My name is Susan Roberts. I am a recent graduate of State College, and I wish to enter the advertising field. I was a business communications major and feel confident that I have many of the skills I under-stand are valued in advertising, such as writing, creativity, speaking, and delivering effective presentations. What's more, I work well under pressure. I have read that can be a real advantage in your business!
Mr. Johnson, I'm calling you because I still need more information about the advertising field. I'm hoping you'll have the time to sit down with me for about half an hour and discuss your perspective on advertising careers. There are so many possible places to get into advertising, and I am seeking some advice on which of those settings might be the best bet for my particular combination of skills and experience.
Would you be willing to do that for me? I would greatly appreciate it. I'm available most mornings, if that's convenient for you.
It very well may happen that your employer contact wishes you to communicate by E-mail. The infomercial quoted above could easily be rewritten for an E-mail message. You should "cut and paste" your resume right into the E-mail text itself.
Other effective self-promotion tools include portfolios for those in the arts, writing professions, or teaching. Portfolios show examples of work, photographs of projects or classroom activities, or certificates and credentials that are job related. There may not be an opportunity to use the portfolio during an interview, and it is not something that should be left with the organization. It is designed to be explained and displayed by the creator. However, during some networking meetings, there may be an opportunity to illustrate a point or strengthen a qualification by exhibiting the portfolio.
Set the Tone for Your Communications
It can be useful to establish "tone words" for any communications you embark upon. Before making your first telephone call or writing your first letter, decide what you want the person to think of you. If you are networking to try to obtain a job, your tone words might include descriptors such as genuine, informed, and self-knowledgeable. When you're trying to acquire information, your tone words may have a slightly different focus, such as courteous, organized, focused, and well-spoken. Use the tone words you establish for your contacts to guide you through the networking process.
Honestly Express Your Intentions
When contacting individuals, it is important to be honest about your rea-sons for making the contact. Establish your purpose in your own mind and be able and ready to articulate it concisely. Determine an initial agenda, whether it be informational questioning or self-promotion, present it to your contact, and be ready to respond immediately. If you don't adequately prepare before initiating your overture, you may find yourself at a disadvantage if you're asked to immediately begin your informational interview or selfpromotion during the first phone conversation or visit.
Start Networking Within Your Circle of Confidence
Once you have organized your approach-by utilizing specific researching methods, creating a system for keeping track of the people you will contact, and developing effective self-promotion tools-you are ready to begin networking. The best way to begin networking is by talking with a group of people you trust and feel comfortable with. This group is usually made up of your family, friends, and career counselors. No matter who is in this inner circle, they will have a special interest in seeing you succeed in your job search. In addition, because they will be easy to talk to, you should try taking some risks in terms of practicing your information-seeking approach. Gain confidence in talking about the strengths you bring to an organization and the underdeveloped skills you feel hinder your candidacy. Be sure to review the section on self-assessment for tips on approaching each of these areas. Ask for critical but constructive feedback from the people in your circle of confidence on the letters you write and the one-minute infomercial you have developed. Evaluate whether you want to make the changes they suggest, then practice the changes on others within this circle.
