Career marketing is no different from product marketing! Just as Seth Godin says, “It might be easier to build a new sweet spot than it is to persuade an established middleman to change his rules for you.”

Too many job seekers persist in trying to convince recruiters that they are “perfect” for a job, when said recruiters clearly don’t agree. The rules are the rules… the job specs are the job specs. You have very little chance of being chosen for Oprah, the New York Times Book Review, the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company… or that particular opportunity… if you don’t fit the mold.

Why not, instead, determine your career “sweet spot” and go after it directly? Be prepared with persuasive evidence of how, specifically, you can help your target audience. How your experiences and expertise align with their goals. How you fit the culture, the challenge, and the opportunities on the horizon. Thrive in the mold that fits you!

I love “group blogs” such as CareerMastersTalk and CareerHub. They bring together smart people with good, very diverse ideas. These two blogs are all about career topics, so I read (and contribute) regularly.

And every now and then a post is so good, I have to steal it and share it. Check out Billie Sucher’s great advice to “Put on the Hiring Manager’s Hat.”

Launching a blog feels a bit like approaching the ocean on a hot summer day. I anticipate it will be fun and refreshing… but there’s an equally good chance I’ll get a cold shock, find something unpleasant underfoot, or encounter a crab or a shark.

Yet I’m ready to plunge in and hope you’ll join me. Your comments and opinions are always welcome!

I’m active across the wide ocean of career management and employment. I write resumes, write books on career topics, speak to diverse audiences (job seekers, recruiters, fellow career professionals), and hang out with the best and brightest in the careers field through my board and professional affiliations. I promise to give you straight talk and carefully considered advice.

In turn, I hope you’ll share your own experiences and opinions. Jump in - the water’s fine, and together we can keep each other afloat.

 Louise Kursmark