Gina had recently been laid off after working as a marketing 
manager in a high tech company for the past five years. She was 
distracted as she walked through the aisles of the supermarket. 
She was thinking about ways to market herself into a new job. She 
stood in front of the cereal selection, overwhelmed by the number 
of brands to choose from -- more than 100 varieties.

Suddenly, it dawned on her: This must be what it's like for 
hiring managers to look at all those resumes received in answer 
to ads and postings. How do they choose? What do they look for? 
How does one get selected? How can I make my product stand out?

The Packaging

The packaging on the cereal box is certainly the start. Eye-
catching colors and descriptive words will draw attention -- low 
fat, energy boosting, added vitamins -- all the things consumers 
are looking for. But what are employers looking for? The words 
you choose will be key. Using words that will interest the 
companies will grab their attention.

The Ingredients

The list of ingredients -- the skills you have to offer -- is 
also important. Gina couldn't wait to get home and write down her 
skills and what made her unique to the position. She had a new 
slant to explore.

She remembered reading in a book that skills can be grouped into 
three categories:

 * Skills learned through past experience and education 
   (knowledge-based skills).
 * Skills you bring with you to any job (transferable or 
   portable skills).
 * Personal traits, the things that make you who you are.

The Assessment Tool

Gina divided a piece of paper into three columns and labeled them 
with "previous experience," "portable skills" and "personality," 
the three P's of marketing.

In the "previous experience" column she wrote:

Marketing knowledge
Communications skills
Vendor management
Press and industry relations
Web channel marketing
Product development
Computer skills
Under "portable skills" she wrote:

Customer focus
Communications
Writing skills
Very organized
Good at coordinating
Team leader
Problem solving
Project management
Excellent follow-through
Good with budgets and numbers
Time management
In the "personality column" she wrote:

Self-starter
Independent
Friendly
Well-organized
Quick learner
Good judgment
Good attitude
Creative
Analytical
Flexible
Good sense of humor
Goal-directed

When she was finished, she sat back and checked the list over. 
She was surprised at how easily the list had come together. 
By dividing the skills, the task became manageable.

Trying to look at everything at once is like looking at those 
cereal boxes.

Getting words on paper is one of the most difficult steps of 
putting your "ingredients" list together. This is a good exercise 
for anyone beginning the search process, or as a periodic check 
or inventory. Gina can now use the list to put together her 
resume, write a summary statement or compose a personal 
statement. The skills will be the foundation of the strategy she 
will use to sell herself. She still has some work to do before 
she can take her product to market, but she certainly has made 
a good start.
 

Carole Martin is the original interview coach for
Monster.com and one of the most celebrated interview
experts in America. Reserve your seat at her 2-day job
interview bootcamp coming up December 8-9, and receive
access to her 30 most frequently asked questions about
job interviews completely FREE: 
http://www.interviewcoach.com/bootcamp