Guerrilla Marking for Job Hunters 2.0 - Jay Conrad Levinson [75]
7. Record and distribute CDs. You can easily make a compilation CD of your radio or TV interviews.
8. Become an editor. If you are the “salt of the earth” type and prefer to play solid supporting roles, consider editing a magazine or e-zine. About.com has a cadre of more than 475 people who edit 50,000 topics.
9. Volunteer. Join a civic organization like the Shriners or Rotary Club and give back to your local community. This selfless act will provide many networking opportunities and make you feel great while you’re doing good. Be aware, though, shameless self-promotion will get you a ticket to the exit door. Make certain that your fellow volunteers view you as a “giver” to the community and not as a “taker,” or you’re wasting your time.
GUERRILLA TIPS
• Be humble. In calling attention to your deeds and achievements, take care not to become an obnoxious braggart.
• Encourage other people in your industry to participate. You can build your credibility and goodwill while building an indirect support network.
• Make all pertinent articles, seminar brochures, and newspaper clippings available to your boss and coworkers, and anyone else who may help advance your career.
• Involve other members of your company as you see fit, if their contribution will make the TV program, radio show, or written article more interesting.
• Whenever you perform any kind of public service, take a backseat to your employer. It reflects well on you as a loyal team player, which ironically is just the thing to attract job offers from other employers.
The secret to self-promotion lies in letting others do your talking for you. Once others see what you’re doing, get out of the way and let them do the bragging. Doing this makes you easy to find whenever a recruiter or employer is looking for someone in your industry. Job offers will fly your way.
■ HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH A SOUND BITE
You don’t need to be a public figure to introduce yourself to the media. Contact local newspaper, radio, and television reporters—particularly those who cover business topics—and describe your professional expertise. Offer to comment on topics and questions in your field of work through interviews or written articles. Be friendly, not pushy. Become recognized as an expert.
Keep in contact with reporters; chances are good that they’ll call you when a story breaks. When you do get a chance to comment, be clear and concise. Particularly for radio and television, you’ll be edited into sound bites (segments lasting only seconds) that are inserted into the story. Your prospects for being aired are greater when you reach the point quickly and quotably. Subscribe (free) to Peter Shankman’s HelpaReporter.com web site that helps reporters connect to new sources for articles through his daily e-mail of reporters’ article queries.
■ WRITE AND PUBLISH
Getting published gives you an important, added credential. Writing articles for trade, professional, business, or specialty magazines is a good way to get exposure. And it is easier than you think. Most editors are hungry for writers with a good technical grasp of their field. If you demonstrate expertise, an editor will often polish your writing for you.
➤ Become an Author and Authority
Start small with your local paper or business journal, writing articles about what you know. Give it a personal spin and take a side. Write how-to articles that are relevant to your industry. Editors often need them for filler. Try writing a couple and have your friends read them and tell you if they are interesting. Then take a course, or borrow or buy a book on writing short information pieces.
Editors at magazines like Fortune, Time, or Newsweek will not take a chance on a first-time writer, so don’t waste your time trying. You need to build a portfolio first. Just get the first few articles