Packaging Yourself 101: Buy Me...Please!

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

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Topics: Career Development

The essentials of smart job getting can be reduced to the following four timeless and proven marketing commandments.

1. Identify buyers.

Don't let myths and bad experiences stop you from pursing companies of all sizes. I can't tell you how many silly stories I've read about why we should look for jobs in large or small companies, depending upon the advice job experts were peddling a the moment.

Then there were the obligatory warnings about family-run companies. Forget them, said prevailing wisdom, because the patriarch founder will never let an outsider ascend to a top job. So what if you've got the business smarts of Jack Welch. Do you want to fall for that silly myth? There are hundreds of successful regional family-owned and managed, privately held companies that have promoted non-family members to top jobs because they're very good at what they do. It's that basic.

Avoid rigid thinking so you can objectively look at all kinds of potential buyers. Be open-minded when it comes to evaluating corporate cultures as well. Even historically stodgy, conservative companies are spinning on their heels and radically altering their image.

And don't say you'd never consider relocating. Yes, it's a gigantic step. What could be more obvious. It means leaving family and friends, not to mention those incredible games of touch football …

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