It should be approximately 6-8 pages (little more or less is fine), 12 font size

It should be approximately 6-8 pages (little more or less is fine), 12 font size single-space, double-space between paragraphs. ? There should be clear section headings for each major section (see bold in outline below) and sub- section (see italicized below). Organization is very important in a marketing plan. ? You can also feel free to use bullets especially when you are listing elements – for example listing your strengths or weaknesses. That said, a completely bulleted plan doesn’t read well – so be sure to use full sentences and paragraphs to summarize or introduce lists. ? You are welcome to use first or third person writing-style. 1. Executive Summary Purpose: 2 paragraphs that provide an overview of your paper. An executive summary is not an introduction that tells the reader what you are going to do – it is a summary that tells the reader what you did. You should not write it until the rest of the paper is completed. It is more a synthesis that highlights the unique aspects of the plan. ? Evaluation of this section – bottom line of what we would expect to see: ? One paragraph that highlights the key factors from the situation analysis that most influenced your particular strategy. ? Then, a second paragraph highlights your unique strategic direction and key components of your marketing strategy. 2. Situation Analysis [about 50-60% of the length of the plan] Purpose: Conducting market research for your personal marketing plan. The Situation Analysis section of your plan requires both secondary and primary market research. As you know, a successful marketing plan starts with a solid understanding of customer wants and needs, competitor strengths and activities, company strengths and weaknesses, and recognition of key elements of the market context. Secondary Research. This document lists a range of “Suggested Resources” to help you learn more about each section of the plan – most of these are secondary data sources you can tap. ? Focus on a few key facts or trends. What are they? ? How can they help you be more thoughtful with your marketing strategy? ? Under the description of each section of the Situation Analysis you will see potential resources – most of which are secondary data sources. Primary Research. You are expected to conduct at least one informal informational interview with a person who works in the industry and/or job role you have identified in your target market (or a closely related one). The contact may be one that you identify through talking with a family member, friend, fellow student, LinkedIn, Career Management Center, or other means. ? Ask if you can chat with them for 15-30 minutes about their job and career path. ? Convey that you are not trying to get a job at their company or an internship, you are simply learning, and you think they would be an interesting person to learn from. ? Ideally, you should meet in person (at their office, for coffee, etc.) or over the phone if the person is not local. Skype (or FaceTime) is another good option. ? Consider asking 3 questions: o Canyousharewithmethestoryabouthowyougotintothisjob? o Canyousharewithmewhatyoulikeanddislikeaboutit? o (Attheend)Istheresomeoneelseyouknowwhohasdifferentcareerexperiences that you think I could learn from? Build yourself a network you can tap into over time. ? After the interview, spend 10-15 minutes recording your thoughts about what you learned and how you can incorporate those insights into your plan. Sections in the Situation Analysis: ? “Company”. This is you. This section defines your capabilities and what you want from a job. Consider answering some of the following questions: o Whatareyourstrengthsandweaknesses? o Whattypesofjobexperienceshaveyouhad? o Whatcareer-relatedskillsetsareyouinvestingin?(ordesiretoinvestin) o Whatareyourpassionsinlifethatmightintersectwithyourcareer? o Arethereconstraintsonyoursearch?(e.g.,familymatterskeepyouinCalifornia)? o Thinkabouttimeswhenyouarehappyorfulfilled,whatwereyoudoing? o Howwouldafamilymember,friend,orcoworkerdescribeyou? ? Collaborators (sub-sub-section). Who are potential collaborators you could tap? Do you have family, friends, classmates, current or former employers that could help you network for a job and connections? Most jobs come from connections – so this section if very important. LinkedIn page is a good resource. Suggested Resources: ? Identify your interests by completing the O*Net Interest Profiler (https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) ? Strengths assessment ? A free strengths assessment (https://high5test.com/) ? Join a student organization to learn more about what you like and dislike. ? Talk with your family and friends. ? “Competitors”. These are other applicants/students – who else is trying to get these same jobs or graduate programs? o Identifytypesofcompetitorswhomightalsobeseekingthesamejobs. o Whatarestrengthsandweaknessesofeachtypeofcompetitor? Suggested Resources: ? Use LinkedIn to analyze your competitors. You can view others’ skills, experience, education, and how they promote themselves. ? Mention what you learned about your competition by viewing different profiles. ? Look at the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Job Outlook Survey to review skills that employers are seeking and review your competition. Besides, NACE has many other job market resources. ? Context – External market environment. Choose relevant aspects. o Thereshouldbesomediscussionofeachaspectoftheexternalmarketenvironment from chapter 4. For example, social cultural trends on millennials job seekers, technology, or more generally the current economic environment. Suggested Resources: ? Utilize professional organizations in your field of interest to learn about social, political, technological, and economic changes in their work environment. ? Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (S.W.O.T.) o IncludeaS.W.O.T.(strengths&weaknessesareinternaltoyou–andopportunities& threats that are external to you). o Youprobablywanttolistfrom3-6ofeachofthese–choosethemostimportantfactors. o Thisisrepetitivefromwhatyouwroteintheprevioussections.But,atthispoint,you are identifying the most important factors from the situation analysis – those factors that will have the greatest influence on your strategic direction and marketing strategy. Suggested Resources: ? Review what you wrote in previous sections. ? Evaluation of this section – the bottom line in this section – we will look tosee: o Sectionsincludecustomers,competitors,company(includingcollaborators),context, and SWOT o Goodscopeoffirms(customers)andfocusonafew o Clearunderstandingofcustomerneeds o Thoughtfulaboutcapabilities(“company”/yourself) o Goodcompetitoranalysis,e.g.,goodunderstandingcompetitors’strengthsand weaknesses o Contextmentionssocial,political,technological,economic,environmental o ClearSWOT,strengths/weaknesses(clearlyinternal)opportunity/threat(external) o Logicalflowacrossthecomponentsbasedonsignificantanalysis o Easytoseeinnovativeideasandconnectionstocourseconcepts o Synthesisandfocusofthesecondaryresearchgatheredinsituationanalysis o Goodexecutionofprimaryresearch(interview)–onepersonalinterviewisrequired o Qualityandquantityofresearchconducted–didyouconductuseful,andrelevant research? Are sources cited? Did you use multiple resources? Communicated clearly? o Didyoudoaninterview?Isitclearwhatyoulearnedfromtheinterview? o Demonstrateclearandusefulinsightsthatrelatebacktotheplan 3. Strategic Direction [about 10% of the length of the plan] ? Segmentation and targeting. From all the potential employers discussed in the situation analysis, which one industry or few related companies or graduate programs will you target? You could target a single company, but unless you have particular connections, you should have a group of similar companies. o Thissectionshouldincludeabriefbutcompellingrationaleforyourdecision.You should directly reference things you have learned and written in the Situation Analysis. Suggested Resources: o Use targeted companies’ or programs’ websites to support your synthesis and identify your target market. These may show openings, portray company culture, and other vital information. o Need additional information to make your decision? Career and Professional Development can be helpful, e.g., making an appointment for consulting. ? Differentiation and positioning. How are you going to differentiate yourself from the competition? How do you want employers to view you? [Note: because you have time to make changes to your product (you!), you can note ways that you plan to grow and develop between now and graduation or job hunt time to enhance your marketability.] o Thissectionshoulduserationalethatclearlydescribesthecompetitiveadvantageyou can offer and how you would position yourself against that competition. o Summarizewithaclearpositioningstatementinthisformorsimilarforms(createa separate paragraph): ? “Among all potential (job type) hires, (your name) is the most (list 1-3 unique qualities you bring to a company) because (proof that you have those qualities) ? The qualities you can bring to an employer (in the positioning statement) should be demonstrable – hopefully with evidence or stories you can tell that show you have that quality. Develop and refine those stories – then look for ways to bring them into your Promotion subsection in the strategy section. Suggested Resources: ? Review the resources from the situation analysis to identify your potential sources of competitive advantage. Think what does my target marketneed? What are my strengths? What do I do better than competitors? ? Evaluation of this section – the bottom line in this section – we will look to see: o Clearchoiceofstrategicfocus o Clearevidencethatstrategicdirectionflowsfromsituationanalysis o Strongandinnovativepointofdifferentiationandpositioning o Clearpositioningstatement 4. Marketing Strategy [about 30-40% of the length] [Product & Promotion P’s should get the most attention] ? Target Market. Simply re-state the target market identified in the previous section. ? Product. What do you have to offer? What will you do to enhance your offering? o Hereyoushouldincludewhatservices,benefits,capabilitiesyoucanoffer–andwhat additional services you expect to be able to offer prospective employers in the future. o Thisshouldemergefromyouranalysisofyourself(Companysectionofthesituation analysis) and will probably emphasize what employers are seeking (Customer section), and how you are different (compare Company and Competitor) sections. o Thissectionshouldalsoincludeaproductdevelopmentplan(whatyouplantodo between now and when you are hired) that will make the product a better fit for your target market. ? Note: Be clear on the skills you plan to develop or refine between now and when you are actively on the job market, and clearly indicate how you will attain those skills (internships, classes, etc.) ? Note that, in the future, your experience of developing product (i.e., yourself) is a very marketable experience to show your interests, commitments, readiness, and employability. Suggested Resources: ? Review your company, customer, and competitor analysis – try to identify how you can fit best and can demonstrate a competitive advantage. Have a plan to make yourself a more attractive candidate for your target market. ? Price. What salary and/or benefits in general will an employer need to offer for your services? [You could include any type of training needs, future career opportunities, or other benefits important to you.] Suggested Resources: o O*Netresourcetoviewsalaryaveragesbylocation,medianwages,employment trends, and projected growth. o TheBureauofLaborStatisticsresourcewithinformationregardinglabortrends. o TheOccupationalOutlookHandbookresourcesonsalary/growthofjobs. o Salary.comfreeinformationonsalaries.Searchbyjobtitleorlocation. o Glassdoorplaceforemployeestoprovidereviews,interviewquestions,salary information, and company information. o Companysection–doyouhaveanyskillsthatmayallowyoutocommandahigher salary? ? Place. Where do you want to work? Geography? Type of work (indoor, outdoor, on the road, from home, project-based or standard 40 hour work weeks). Suggested Resources: o Costoflivingcalculatorscanhelpyouidentifyrealisticgoals. o Youmaylookatclimate,e.g.,averageannualsunshinebystate,orotherlocation- based information to identify important factors in your decision. o LookatyourCompanysection–aretheredesiresorconstraintsthatinfluencewhere you want to work? o Customersection–aretargetemployerslocatedincertainplaces? ? Promotion. This is probably the longest section of the strategy. How will you communicate your benefits to potential employers? Promotion includes elements such as your resume, personal selling (interviews), networking, and other ideas you generate. o Thissectionshouldincludepromotionobjectives,whichcanbetiedtospecific promotion media, and the message you would try to use with each. o DevelopashortElevatorPitch,inspiredbyyourPositioningStatement,whichsupports your promotional strategy. o Considerotherinnovativewaystocommunicateyourdifferentiationtothetarget market. o Howwillyoustandoutasaremarkablecandidate? o Aresumeisnotrequiredifyoudon’thaveone,thoughyoucouldbrieflyoutlinesome of what you hope to highlight in a resume. o WhatwillyouhighlightonyourLinkedInpage? o Prepareacollectionofstoriesandevidencethatillustrateyourcapabilitiesandskills. Even though the details of those stories and evidence are not required in this plan, you need to develop them for yourself. They are more important and useful than any interview skills. Suggested Resources: o Review your differentiation and positioning section – your promotion should clearly communicate that positioning. o Read the LinkedIn101 (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-beginner-all-star-8-easy-steps-clifford- wessel/) and 201 (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-2017-ui-linkedin-201-profile-optimization-branding- wessel/) articles to learn how to differentiate yourself online. o Develop an Elevator Pitch for yourself following the worksheets you like (you can find many of them online). o Peruse job descriptions and strategize on ways to build in critical desired skills into your promotion. ? Job Search ? Informational Interview ? Interview, etc. ? Evaluation of this section – the bottom line in this section – we will look to see: o Productdemonstratesunderstandingofcurrentandfutureproduct o Clearproductdevelopmentplan o Clearconnectionbetweenproduct,customerneeds,andcapabilities o Adequatetreatmentofpriceandplacereferencingtoresearch o Promotionobjectivesareclearandstrategyfollowsfromthem. o Creative,consistent,andcompellingpromotiondiscussinganarrayofmedia o Promotionclearlylinkstoandsupportspositioningstrategy o Well-craftede

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