Facebook is an interesting platform. As discussed in other posts, many people are reticent to use it for anything but their personal life. We see plenty of Facebook ads directed to us as household consumers, but have you ever considered paying Facebook for an advert to sell yourself? It may seem crazy, but it actually isn’t.
Back when the Facebook membership was much smaller and the platform had fewer bells and whistles, two of my senior-level clients were willing to be pioneers in advertising themselves during a career transition. How brave! How open-minded! How innovative! Even for me, someone who considers himself a leading-edge career coach, this was new and it was very intriguing to see what unfolded.
For what I would call a very reasonable sum ($60-$100), these two business leaders each crafted a very enticing message advert, telling the world precisely what they were seeking.
How precise? Well, one business executive had always wanted to work for General Electric, a company whose culture, products, leadership and collaboration he had long admired. In a short and striking message, he wrote not just that he was available for hire, but that he specifically wanted a job at General Electric Canada.
Shortly after his advert was broadcast on Facebook, he received inquiries from key decision makers at General Electric Canada, asking more about his career intentions. Within a few days, he had arranged for seven informational interviews, each with a different business unit.
My other client used a similar tactic, only he was seeking a position at one of the five top-tier Canadian banks. Therefore in his advert he included their names – TD, CIBC, RBC, Bank of Montreal, and Scotiabank – and subsequently scheduled three interviews.
Though neither advertising campaign led directly to a job, both sewed the seeds for future opportunities and gained each of my clients influential networking contacts with whom they could keep in touch.
What a powerful a tool to attract attention from a particular company that you hold in high regard!
Advertising is a very powerful medium that has been used since 2000 BC when Egyptians carved public notices in steel. It guarantees you will be seen and hopefully noticed by a targeted audience that includes the person who can either generate a lead for you, or is a lead for you.
Since my clients pioneered this technique, Facebook has advanced their advertising platform dramatically. You can now target your Facebook ads to people based on things like their geographic areas, education level, and even target salaries – perfect when you’re trying to attract attention from hiring decision makers.
To get started with Facebook ads, visit the Facebook for Business site.
What do you think about advertising yourself on Facebook? Is this something you would try? Why or why not?
Great article (as always) Martin! In my recently ended job search I actually made use of Facebook, though not advertising. After leaving a 11 year management job for an exciting new opportunity, I found myself laid off after the new company went under. I updated my Facebook job info to “Retail Gypsy” working at “Laid Off” with the following description:
Full time job hunter seeks teams to lead, shelves to stock, and tills to ring! Are you looking for a retail leader with experience, skills and a great sense of humor? Someone who can lead, motivate and engage your teams to get the job done? Someone who can manage the day to day manager on duty responsibilities while developing your next generation of leaders? Your store deserves a great manager – and I am that manager.
With over 10 years of experience managing teams in big box retail stores with annual sales of $20-$95 million, my specialties include:
– developing engaged teams: effective recruitment, hiring and ongoing coaching and development;
– impeccable merchandising standards: neat, clean, organized and inviting to customers;
– planning and execution: my teams get the job done, on time and on budget;
– service recovery: resolving customer concerns quickly while building customer loyalty. Connect with me on LinkedIn or email brianb@accesscomm.ca and let’s talk about your company’s challenges and how I can help. I’m looking for opportunities in the Regina market.
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/brianberezowski
I was being a bit cheeky, but that post unexpectedly got me 2 interview’s. One from a former co-worker who was managing a store. The opportunity he had open was a step backwards career wise, so I thanked him, declined, and explained what type of responsibility and role I was looking for. He knew a store manager with another banner that was looking to fill exactly role I described, he suggested I apply, and contacted his peer to recommend me. During my job search I had 18 interviews (10 from LinkedIn recruiters, a couple from job postings on Indeed/monster, 2 from facebook referrals, one from my cold calls to HR departments, and the rest from professional contacts) that lead to 6 job offers… and the one I accepted ended up being that one from the facebook referral.
Brian: Thank you for sharing your job search strategy, including Facebook, and ultimate success!