One of my best Twitter pals, non-profit pro Ryan Turner of Change Matters (@ansinanser on Twitter), had an insightful question on my recent post about using promotional products to attract top college graduates. He asked whether grads should use promotional products when marketing themselves to employers. Hmm… never thought about that. But the idea has significant merit. Here’s why.
If You’re Aiming for a Marketing Job, Prove You Can Market. What better way to prove your marketing skills to an employer than to leave them with an example of how you do it yourself? It doesn’t have to be expensive either. There are scads of low cost ideas:
Show how creative you are with a Magna-Seal mailer "resume."
- Direct Mailers with a Magnet. Show off your creativity! These full color mailers are a little over $1 for 250 of them (plus sales tax, if applicable, and shipping). A nice leave-behind when visiting job fairs and recruiters. Think you’ll stand out from the stack of white paper resumes? I would say yes. Plus, you could mail them to human resource managers or head hunters. Note that additional postage will apply; consult your local post office for details.
- Calendars. As noted in the previous article, recruiters still use calendars for job fairs… in spite of the fact that many of us are using the calendars on our mobile phones. There are some reference calendars, however, that just can’t be easily duplicated on a phone. One that I use daily from a key supplier is a two-sided two-year calendar. Great for planning and reference. Cost is less than $1.50 for 100. As with the direct mailers noted above, this shows your creativity and could provide a long-lasting impression for months after the interview or fair.
- Business Cards. Show that you’re ready to do business by having your business card available when you meet with recruiters or hiring managers. Gets you ready to do networking, too. Imagine you go to some event (doesn’t have to be a job fair) and you meet someone who can introduce you to an important contact. Hand ‘em a whiz bang beautiful business card to pass along! Better than “Do you have a scrap of paper I can write my phone number on?” Yeah, they’ll be glad to forward that on to a business colleague.
- Adhesive Notepads. Business people LOVE adhesive notepads. Artfully and professionally include your key info and qualifications on the note. So let’s say the hiring folks use the notes on correspondence that goes outside their office or even outside the company. That way even more people who could hire you will come in contact with your information. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky… but genius, eh?
When You Get a Job, You’re Really Selling Your Services.
Sneaky, but good and cheap, way to get your name around is with adhesive notes highlighting your qualifications.
Gone are the days of employment for life. So you should always be looking for your next career move. Better learn how to sell your services to your potential employer “client.” This is a brilliant mindset that I think I first heard from master salesman and speaker Brian Tracy. Salespeople need sales tools. So, yes, promotional products work.
In general, I would use items that are informational, as opposed to imprinted pens, mugs, T-shirts and the like. Often these items get taken home or are given to family. Sure, there might be a chance that the hiring manager’s spouse would be a good contact. But it would be more of a long shot. Plus, these other items can get pretty pricey in actual product cost, shipping, and storage (you could be wearing those T-shirts as pajamas until you retire). As well, you don’t want your promotion to look like a bribe!
Got some thoughts on how college grads can better market themselves to employers? Share them with us in comments.
Product Info
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Tags: college job fair ideas, how to find a job, job search, promotional products
Leave A Reply (2 comments So Far)
Ryan Turner
301 days ago
One possible #promocaveat: Students/grads likely should *not* print business cards that mimic the style (logo included) of companies to which they’re applying (that includes using your name with the job title you’re seeking).
Heidi Thorne
299 days ago
That is SO important, Ryan! Not only could they run into some nasty “trade dress” infringement issues, they will also not be presenting their unique qualities to an employer.