A Personal Marketing Brief (PMB) is a fabulous networking tool … perhaps the perfect networking tool. First, allow me to introduce you to the PMB, then I’ll you why I think it’s so fab.
A PMP is a 1-page career communications tool that briefly summarizes and showcases your career search targets, preferred companies, industries, and job functions, career brand, experience pedigree, and achievements. If all of this is going to fit on one page, though, it has to be concise with lean, descriptive language.
As you can see this document briefly showcases tons of details in an easy-to-read format. This one happens to focus on my business, while your PMP will focus on you. But imagine your PMP presenting your target position types, industries, and companies; your preferred job functions, company sizes, and geographic locations; your work history and achievement snapshot; and your career brand in just 1 page.
Why is a PMP such a fabulous networking tool? Well, consider these strategic ways you could use one:
- Send your PMP to your networking contacts to give them direction about what you’re looking for career-wise. Too many job seekers think that networking consists of sending their resume to everyone they know and waiting for the leads to pour in. The truth is that most of your network may not understand enough about the nitty gritty details of your experience and achievements, let alone your brand, to effectively refer you to leads, contacts, recruiters, or companies. A well-written PMP educates your network about you and what you want, thus helping you to find it faster.
- Use your PMP to introduce yourself to recruiters. Unless you’re applying for a specific job opening advertised by a recruiting firm, it’s actually premature to send them your resume. Why? It’s TMI — too much information, too soon. After all, you cannot pre-load more key words in your resume if you can’t target a specific position. Recruiters love the brevity and easy-to-read features of PMPs. And they often excerpt content from PMPs to showcase in the candidate briefs they compile for client companies. Sending a recruiter your PMP means you’re potentially saving them work.
- Introduce yourself to hiring managers in target companies with your PMP. If you’re targeting Apple, for example (and who isn’t these days), you’re going to have a tough time getting your resume to rank high no matter how well it’s written — there are simply too many candidates applying. Rise above the rat race by sourcing the name of the hiring manager in the department you want to join and forwarding that person a copy of your PMP. They’ll grasp your potential impact on their operation much faster and may well request a copy of your resume.
- Attach your PMP to your LinkedIn profile. It’s often premature or even unwise to attach your resume to your profile. But if you’re a free agent, it’s exceedingly smart to attach your PMP instead. This document will give your profile visitors a superlative big picture of your experience while helping them hone in on key achievements, traits, and credentials.
In short, Personal Marketing Briefs help recruiters, contacts, and hiring managers to focus on you without being distracted by your whole work history.
Here’s to your networking success!
Cheryl
About Cheryl Lynch Simpson