Editor's note: Juanita Bass is a MBA student at Wayne State's School of Business in Detroit, MI and has taken ISM 7505: Inbound Information Technology. 

The words résumé, interviews, networking, and cover letter had me nervous, discombobulated and walking around with sweaty palms.  These are the feelings I had as a graduate student embarking upon a career change.  I thought the whole, “finding a new job” thing was frustrating and nearly impossible to achieve.  However, I have discovered six simple steps to pursue an Inbound Marketing Dream Job!!  You need to Network-Network-Network, Have Face-to-Face Informational Interviews, Send Thank You Emails, Be willing to Volunteer or Intern, Attend Inbound Conferences, and Sharpen Your Skills. 

STEP 1: NETWORK-NETWORK-NETWORK

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of jobs are found through networking.  I have always heard if your mouth is shut, you really don’t want a job.  When you are looking for a job, you should tell everyone you know!  You should connect with your career center at your school, classmates, mentors, family, social media outlets, and most importantly your professors.  I had heard about telling our professors, but I never wanted to be “that” student who hung around after class or constantly emailed my professors.  I went outside of my comfort zone and met with one of my professors.  She immediately reviewed my résumé and told me to set up a face-to face meeting with the key career center staff.  She said in your job search, always go to the top person in charge!  

STEP 2: FACE-TO-FACE INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS

I began to set up several face-to face informational interviews, yes I did say informational interviews.  The difference between an informational interview and a job interview is the conversation is “information gathering” and a job interview is applying for a specific position.  An informational interview is non-threatening to the recruiter or professional.  Sometimes, an informational interview can turn into a job interview.  I was shocked by the level of transparency and support that I received from each meeting.

STEP 3: SEND THANK YOU EMAILS

Yes, this is simple but surprisingly many people forget to write a thank you email.  Those who have assisted you with making connections and the actual connections shouldn’t be overlooked and it increases your chances of being remembered.  Your name is on their mind and when an opportunity arises, you will be the first person they think of.  I had an informational interview with one of my professors and I emailed him a thank you the same day.  Five days later, he told me about an Inbound Marketing Conference and an opportunity for possible support.  Don’t let NOT sending a follow up email stand between you and your dream job!

STEP 4: BE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER OR BECOME AN INTERN

According to a Forbes article, “If you are a college graduate and you are working at a paid internship, a new study shows, 60% of the time that internship will turn into a job offer.”  I had an informational interview with a company.  I received helpful hints on how to build my experience in the inbound industry.  While the company was not currently looking for new employees, I expressed an interest in volunteering and gleaning from their inbound experience.  Volunteering is any easy way to gain experience!  A leader once said, you crawl before you can walk.  After I sent a thank you email, I wasn’t offered a volunteer position but a paid internship!

STEP 5: ATTEND INBOUND CONFERENCES

If you want that dream job in Inbound Marketing you have to attend an Inbound Conference. I am sure you heard of the song written by Brenda Russell “Get Here if You Can”.  You can reach the conference by railway, trailway, airplane, or caravan just get there!! I attended the 2015 Inbound conference sponsored by Hub Spot. There were over 14000 attendee’s, hundreds of sponsors.

I made countless connections at the conference.  I connected with anyone who would listen; vendors, companies, attendees, and even the speakers.  I was able to talk to several companies.  One of my conversations turned into an on the spot interview and the company requested my résumé (of course I had it already with me).

STEP 6: SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS!

Sharpen your skills in Inbound Marketing:

• Publish Content
• Intern
• Get Inbound certified
• Polish your brand
• Stay abreast of the latest social and marketing innovations

You are closer to landing your dream job because you are reading this article.  Don’t quit looking until you have found the job of your dreams.  Don’t quit looking, even if you have had hundreds of ‘No’s, all you need is one ‘YES’!  Connect with me and tell me about your experience.