It's been a long road, but you've finally graduated. Now the jobs will come, won't they? If you're a digital marketer, you expect to be able to market yourself, but the fact is that finding a job in a tenuous market can be a lot more difficult than you expect. Job offers don't just appear when you graduate. However, you can reduce the length of your job hunt by proving your worth in the job market. Connect with future employers by creating a portfolio, networking, and giving employers a free trial of your work.
Prove your value and get hired. (Tweet this)
Create a Portfolio
As you're looking for work, develop a portfolio that shows potential employers the projects you've worked on and the strengths that you bring to their organization. Organize your portfolio according to different topic or skill areas so that prospective employers can easily see how your skills are relevant to them.
Talk to People
When you're looking for work, shout it from the rooftops. You don't need to be quiet about your need for a job. Place your job search in a positive light and have a killer elevator pitch. You have skills that you'd like to share, and there are people out there who need them. In The Recession Proof Graduate, Charlie Hoehn discusses the importance of going to your existing networks: "Not only do the people in your network know and trust you, they will actually want to help you find something decent." Trust that your networks -- and the friends of those in your networks -- will begin to bring you work or uncover opportunities for you.
Work for Free
Working for free allows you to seek employment at businesses that are not hiring at the moment. Offer a trial of your services, so that a company can try you out risk-free for an established time period. This trial period gives you the opportunity to show the people you work with that you can do exceptional work and distinguish yourself from the crowd. Since you've offered your services for free, the company has no expectation of value, so anything you provide will exceed expectations. If you do an amazing job, so much the better. They'll be much more likely to hire you or may even create a position for you.
Show Your Value
Always give more than you get. Ask yourself regularly what else you can give through the work you're doing. How can you add value to your colleagues, supervisor, or clients? How can you solve problems? When you give more than you get, your colleagues will likely find ways to help you stay.
Look to the Stars
"You're not going to get a job there. You need to move on." That was the advice family members gave Dan Friedman, author of Shoot for the Job You Can't Get. But, he didn't give up. He created a promotional page so that people could try out Boosted Boards (company he wanted to work for), and ultimately he became part of the Boosted team. The underlying principle wins: do the job you want before you're hired for it. Get creative and show your skills. And don't forget to document your work. Create a campaign to promote their products, develop free digital advertising for the company, or start a fan page that secures rave reviews. Chances are, they'll hire you.
Starting your career in digital marketing can be difficult - the world of marketing has changed and so has the job hunt. Get out and network, but don't stop there! Guarantee your own employment by creating a digital portfolio, working for free, and impressing prospective employers with the value you bring.
Want to learn more about marketing yourself to stand out in the digital marketing job market? Download the free ebook Nailing the Job Hunt.
