Marketing ...For College Students

Young people, those with some ambition and drive, need to start thinking about marketing…themselves.

In today’s economy, jobs for fresh-out-of-the-oven college grads are available only to the best. For a high school senior, the task ahead should be more than just deciding what major to go with and how to get the best grades possible. Yes, these things are of the utmost importance, but, in order to have an edge over other equally worthy candidates, by the time the high school senior is a graduating college senior, he/she also needs to be graduating with a full four years’ worth of marketing his or her abilities and strengths. How? Well, here’s the BizBuzz.

By the time a college student is comfortable with the schedules and routine of being in college, that developing worker bee is probably spending more time using Facebook, texting and talking on the cell phone and enjoying all of the new socializing options. This is all fine for personal socializing, but it is now time to devote some of these efforts to career socializing. If you're looking for the biz buzzz, here are a few specific examples:

1. Market your knowledge with on-line social networks (like Facebook) by going to a local non-profit group and offering to volunteer for them. Tell them about Facebook and that you can build and maintain a group for this organization. Be sure to present this offer in a business-like way, by explaining a little about Facebook—that it is an on-line community, that there are just as many 30- to 60-year-olds who are part of this community, and then explain how a group works and why it would be a good marketing tool for this organization. Give them examples of other local businesses and non-profits that have a Facebook presence with a group or page. Don’t forget to tell them that you will teach other volunteers (or staff, if they would prefer) to maintain the group after your gone or when you cannot be there. If you are really, really clever, you’ll put all of this on a one-page report and present to them to follow along as you review the qualities you’ve listed. Very, very professional and quite impressive!
2. Tell them about twitter also, and how this can be an easy marketing tool for sharing current information and updates on programs and activities about the organization. Explain that it’s an excellent way to build awareness about the organization with a new and younger market, once you build a group of followers. Give them examples of businesses and non-profits that have a twitter profile. This is a free marketing tool that you are proposing to them. Times are tough and all businesses and organizations need all the marketing help that they can get…even if it’s from a college student.
3. Apply for a summer job or paying internship with a business that is related to your major. Hey, even if you get a job taking out the trash and making coffee, you will still be getting paid to work in an environment where there are opportunities to connect with people in your chosen career field, people who might see how brilliant you are and who might then put in a good word for you when you apply for a part-time job during the school year. Why, you could build yourself a couple of really good contacts, people who might make a call or write a letter of recommendation for your resume.
a. My stepson Thomas, a college freshman, is studying microbiology. He has a volunteer position assisting in the DNA research lab at the world-renowned genetics center in our home town. He is thrilled to be getting some real world experience doing the kind of work that he hopes to do when he graduates.
b. Thomas has also built himself a profile with LinkedIn, the professional business social networking site.
c. He now has the opportunity to develop good long-term relationships with the professionals at the center. This will give him an edge with getting a paid job or internship next summer, with a letter of recommendation, with a job to post on his resume and with possible credit back at school, if he keeps a log of his work at the DNA lab and presents a report to his professor when he returns to school. There’s no harm in proposing to the professor that he might consider giving him extra credit for this work, especially when the information is gathered in an organized and business-like way. Even if he doesn’t get the credit, the professor might be impressed and make a mental note about Thomas’ creative and professional approach and efforts. Believe me, this will not work against a student!
4. Okay, so what is this LinkedIn and why is it a good idea to begin building a profile during college? LinkedIn gives you an opportunity to:
i. Position yourself as a serious student on the way to a professional career.
ii. Market your strengths and talents.
iii. Build a professional network within your chosen career field.
iv. Join professional groups. Spending time interacting with members of these groups gives you additional potential contact, a great forum for learning about your industry or field and even work or related opportunities. For example, if you are considering work in the Human Resources field, there are many HR groups on LinkedIn (even local ones) where you can ask career-related questions of seasoned HR professionals. Don’t be afraid to ask if anyone in the group knows of a summer job opening in your area; ask, too, how to fine-tune your resume or what companies are looking for today in college grad that’s looking for HR work.
v. Post your resume. Use one of the presentation applications which are available for free. Build your resume in PowerPoint and import it into the presentation application.
vi. Add a web address to your business cards. LinkedIn offers you the ability to customize your page address, so take advantage of that. People who may be interested in learning more about you, might appreciate a web page they can look at when they have time.
5. I mentioned business cards. So, what is that about? www.vistaprint.com is an inexpensive way to design and print your own business cards. Go ahead and get that done now. You can order as few as 250 for under $20 or less. My niece, Elitsa, has been marketing her various skills ever since she was a young teenager offering baby-sitting and house-sitting services. The first thing she did, once she had a reserve of cash, was to get business cards…and then she handed them out to everyone. It is very impressive to meet a college student who has a business card and not a post-it note with an e-mail address. What a simple way to give you and edge!