Are you a small business owner seeking to update your marketing strategy to get more clients? Or perhaps a wannabe entrepreneur, planning to set up a business and looking for tips on how to optimise your marketing efforts to build an easily-recognisable brand?

Then you have come to the right place. Here are five tips for effective marketing that you can apply to your business, whether you are selling a product or a service.

1. Listen. Listen. Listen. It is no good putting out endless pages of content, advertising and leaflets just because this is what classic marketing textbooks and business schools teach you. Why not create a detailed survey for your customers and potential customers and gain their feedback, listen to their needs and concerns, and identify how you can fulfil them. Seek out potential customers via social media channels and listen to what they have to say and only then create your marketing campaign and materials. And don’t just aim to satisfy existing demand for your product or service – aim to ‘create’ demand but always while proactively listening and engaging with your client base.

2. When building your website, aim to use pictures and create engaging content so that people are inspired to read past the ‘About’ page and explore your offering in more detail. I would suggest re-reading through all of your company pages on a monthly basis to adjust and amend the content based on feedback you receive from talking to customers. Clearly spell out your brand’s unique selling points and the ways you are different (and similar!) to the competition. Try to use simple language so that people can easily relate to you and your brand, and avoid overuse of specialised jargon.

3. As a small business owner you may end up spending a lot of time online and on social media channels meeting customers and prospects and building your network of wider contacts. But there is nothing better and more effective than meeting your contact offline and discussing business issues over a cup of coffee. So aim to arrange a certain number of face-to-face meetings each month, to make sure you are not relying just on online channels for networking.

4. Invest in good content marketing that you post on your website and social media with predictable regularity and consistency. Good and valuable content will entice website visitors and inspire them to come back for more. One of your main targets for your content marketing strategy should be to inform, educate and through this to build your credibility and expertise in the minds of your potential customer base.

5. Avoid sending blanket emails to customers and prospects from a bland corporate email address. It is much more effective to send customised emails from your email address or that of another employee in your company. And don’t forget to respond to people who write to you. This customised approach will increase your engagement with customers and build stronger relationships between you.

I hope you have found the tips above useful. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur and need assistance on marketing, sales, relationship management or other areas related to running a small business, please get in touch on dasha@careercoachingventures.com

You had a fun and restful festive season but now the New Year has begun and you have made your New Year resolutions. And one of them is to find a new and exciting job. Well, with a new recruitment season starting in January and a variety of new jobs advertised, you have a good chance of being selected for an interview. BUT…

You must get your CV in good working order for 2015. So we decided to supply you with some handy tips on how to make the best of your education, work experience and hobbies and portray your personal brand in the best light.

1. Make sure all your contact information is up-to-date and complete including with your postal address. I see clients’ CVs with no addresses, no contact number – so how is a recruiter supposed to get in touch with you if he this information is not readily available?

2. Don’t omit your personal statement at the top as this should summarise for the reader what are your key experiences, what kind of job you are searching for and of course, what makes you unique. It is one of the first things a recruiter will see so make sure it is snappy, succinct and to the point (and relevant to your target industry/company)

3. I encourage my clients to list hobbies and interests outside of education and work as it is important to present yourself as a diverse and well-rounded person but it is worth keeping in mind certain things have connotations, such as for instance, some sports such as wrestling and boxing can be associated with being aggressive in some people’s minds.

4. Don’t assume that if you have worked for a large and well-known company, others will know what you did there without proper descriptions of your main responsibilities. Once again, keep it short and relevant and include a lot of factual information, not just purely quantitative statements.

5. Avoid including all your university clubs and activities if you already have some paid work experience since you run the risk of ‘overcrowding’ your CV and making it hard to reach the core and for a recruiter to understand what you are all about.

We hope the tips above will help you in designing your 2015 new look CV and if you need any help on professional and tailored CV and Cover Letter design, please get in touch on dasha@careercoachingventures.com and check out website for more information.

Многие страждущие найти работу прибегают, по их мнению, к самому экономному, эффективному, быстрому и ультра-современному методу заявить нанимателю о своем творческо-трудовом потенциале  и страстном желании получить работу посредством заполнения анкет онлайн.  Правда потом наступают разочарование и недоумение, почему на затраченные ими недюжинные усилия на составление сопроводительного пакета документов, они либо получают неадекватный ответ в виде стандартной отписки (в лучшем случае), либо бесконечно долго (зачастую, безнадежно долго) ждут хоть какой-то отклик оттуда, куда была отправлена увесистая кипа документов. Случается, что на онлайн-заявку приходит развернутый ответ и даже (о Боже, какое везение) возможное приглашение на интервью. Ну что на это сказать: даже черные дыры (по последним научным данным) выпускают из своего горизонта событий жалкое излучение, ничтожно малое в сравнении  с объемом материи, ими поглощаемом.

Взяв себя в руки после долгих ожиданий и объясняя крушение своих надежд черствостью, леностью и нерасторопностью тех, к кому обращались, онлайн-заявители упорно продолжают однажды усвоенный онлайн-метод, прибегая к веерной рассылке копий своих документов  одновременно в десятки компаний. При этом они не подозревают, что причины их неудач кроются совсем в другом. Вот это другое:
1. Распространенность онлайн-метода. Подавляющая масса ищущих работу делают это онлайн-методом. А теперь представьте: у вас прекрасные вокальные данные, абсолютный слух, вы чудесно поете и радуете друзей своим пением, и вы хотите признания. Но вы – в толпе из сотен людей, мечтающих о том же, тоже поющих (а точнее орущих и кричащих), без слуха и без голоса. Услышат ли вас, заметят ли ваш талант, пригласят ли вас на Бродвей или хотя бы на ресторанную сцену те, от кого это зависит ? Ответ очевиден.
2. Фактор узнаваемости. В подавляющем числе случаев о заявителе онлайн-методом наниматель знает только по онлайн-документам. А теперь представьте себя на его месте: вам предстоит сделать выбор из нескольких десятков или даже сотен претендентов, у всех прекрасные сопроводительные документы, подтверждающие их квалификацию. Но только  нескольких рекомендуют те, кого вы уважаете и знаете как прекрасных специалистов. Каким кругом претендентов вы ограничитесь для приглашения на интервью? Ответ очевиден.
Кстати, подобная ситуация типична для высоко-конкурентных компаний в таких сферах деятельности, как маркетинг, финансы, консалтинг, банки. Для них куда важнее, кого из специалистов их доверенного круга вы знаете, чем то, что вы вообще знаете.
3. Оригинальность и качество сопроводительных документов. Если вам повезло, и онлайн заявителей в выбранную вами компанию относительно немного, то у вас есть шанс выделиться среди них с помощью видео резюме. Это – новейшая креативная форма заявить о себе. В симбиозе с пакетом сопроводительных документов, отвечающим  высоким стандартам качества, она гарантирует вам высокие шансы быть приглашенным на интервью. Создать такой пакет документов возможно только при условии предварительного контактирования с людьми, хорошо осведомленными о вашей потенциальной компании-нанимателе. Они помогут вам учесть специфические требования к документам, сделать правильный вывод о реальности ваших шансов и подготовить оптимальный сценарий для видео-резюме.
Итак, если вы не хотите подпитываться пустыми надеждами найти работу, оставьте онлайн-метод неудачникам и вечным интернет-скитальцам. Используйте альтернативные стратегии, эффективное налаживание деловых контактов и  связей, шлифуйте содержание, дизайн и сценарий  видео-резюме и  сопроводительных документов.

For further information, get in touch on dasha@careercoachingventures.com

Many people who contact me complain that they have completed a lot of applications online but have not heard back, or at best they’ve received a standardised rejection email . Surely all this effort must pay off at some point, they feel. All those carefully tailored CVs and Cover Letters and application forms – where have they all disappeared?

I have to explain to these hard-working and obviously passionate people that sending applications online is like throwing things into a big black hole. Of course, some people get lucky and hear back but the majority are never even notified of receipt not to speak about getting a call inviting them for a long-awaited interview.

My answer to the above is: drop online applications as the outcome (or lack of outcome) you get from them simply doesn’t justify the effort you put in. Occasionally, it can be wise to submit a few online applications – depending on the industry and companies you are applying to – but this is the exception.

So here are three reasons why you should not apply for job vacancies online:

1. Everybody else (or most people) are doing exactly the same. So if everybody is doing the same thing and a lot of these applicants are highly competent, then how are you going to differentiate yourself from the competition? You can still be successful – but for that, your personal brand have to be very strong and your unique selling points well-defined and communicated through.

1. It is well-known that online applications from candidates who do not know anybody from their target companies are destined for the rubbish bin in a majority of cases. Indeed, why would a hiring manager seriously consider your application if they have never met you (or been referred to speak to you) whilst they have the choice to speak to somebody highly recommended by a trusted colleague. This is particularly true for some super-competitive industries, such as sales, banking, consulting, marketing. It is who you know, not what you know that matters for getting your foot in the door. Then you still have to impress at interview of course.

1. And finally, in a number of cases, CVs and Cover Letters are not designed to the highest standard applicable in that specific industry and are not creative or different enough to justify being invited for an interview. Plus, not many people use a well-designed video resume as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and a lot of employers appreciate this extra creative effort. And it is by talking to people directly before applying to your target company, you can understand what the latest application documents requirements are and whether it makes sense to provide some additional materials, such as video resume for instance.

Hope the above is of use and please get in touch if you require guidance on alternative application strategies, effective networking and CV, Cover Letter and Video Resume design.

At this time of year, job seekers might be tempted to think “I have applied to lots of places during the autumn and I can now relax for a while as nothing happens in December.

But this is a common fallacy of our complicated job seeking reality. The truth is that nowadays companies recruit towards the end of December up until the New Year. And this often includes banks and management consultancies, which aim to finalise their recruitment until the end of the year. Don’t listen to people generalising that as December is a run up to bankers’ Christmas bonus time, there is no place for people search during this month. This is often not the case, especially if you are looking to land a job through employee referrals rather than submitting applications online.

The same applies to January. In fact, January and February are the two key months of the New Year in terms of recruitment so if you want to be one of the first and stand out, then go ahead and submit your documents in early January. Use the run up to January for networking and sourcing contacts in your target companies so that by January you have already laid the foundations with regard to establishing trusting relationships with the people that matter for your success.

Based on personal experience, I would say that every month is a recruiting month nowadays. It is of course fair to say that some time periods tend to be slower than the others due to public holidays, summer vacations etc, but overall, you have an opportunity to apply all year round. Even in banks, there is such a thing as off-cycle recruitment – but this is generally obtained through employee recommendation and referral. I would suggest aiming for off-cycle hiring as the competition is less severe due to the fact that the majority of people have already applied during the main recruitment cycle.

And it is worth remembering that a lot of positions are not advertised and in fact are created when a suitable person comes along. So if you see no openings on your target company’s website, don’t despair. Use your existing network and good old-fashioned Googling to locate the main contacts in the company. Then get in touch, arrange an informational interview and impress!

I would love to hear your comments on your personal experiences of the recruitment cycle and during which period in the year you got your job. Please share in the Comments box below.

So you have applied to all your target companies online and taken a lot of time and effort just to fill in those lengthy application forms (not to speak about tailoring your CV and Cover Letter to each position). And you have woken up every morning wondering if today is going to be the day and somebody from those companies will call inviting you for an interview. But nothing…Weeks and months have gone by with no news and you have started doubting that you will ever land a job at all.

I advise my clients to avoid a purely online application strategy and this is why – unless you are lucky, there is a small chance you will hear back from your target employers as people tend to hire those they know personally or those who have been referred to them by someone they know well. I know it’s not very fair and meritocratic but it is the case, especially in super-competitive professions such as investment banking and management consultancy. And this is where informational interviews come in.

In a nutshell, the informational interview is your chance to introduce yourself to an employee (or ideally – employees!) of your target company and find out more about the company, the department, people, culture, whether you will be a good fit for them and vice versa. From my experience, many people don’t even know about this strategy and few use it effectively to source a good job for themselves. So here are three main reasons why your job search strategy should include informational interviews:

1. They actually work! You get to know main decision-makers in your target company in person. They like you (ideal case scenario), you impress them and demonstrate your passion for working in their company and when the time comes, they include you on the shortlist of interviewees or even volunteer to vouch for you for off-cycle recruitment. It’s that simple. But you need to make them like you – this is a critical step to success in these interviews.
2. You get to learn about your target company from an ‘insider’ perspective. You can hear about the pluses and minuses of working there directly from those who already do work there. You get to learn about the projects they are working on, their predictions on where the industry is going to go in the future and many other useful facts. In other words, you get access to invaluable information that is not spelt out on the company website or in the media.
3. You can use the above to prepare for your interviews with the company and you can go back to your contacts (if they liked you of course) to request additional information, to ask for clarifications or more informally, for instance to share an interesting article or insight you have come across. The doors are now open – you have access to the most precious asset of your target company – its employees.

So if you current job search strategy is not working, I recommend you consider the above. We can assist you with your informational interviews and alternative job search by providing you with contacts in your target companies and coaching you on how to network your way to your new job. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on dasha@careercoachingventures.com and I would love to hear your thoughts on whether you have used informational interviews in your search and how they have helped you.