[MUSIC] Hello, and welcome back. In this video, we're going to discuss positioning strategies. By definition, a positioning strategy is a research based process that attempts to identify how you, as an applicant, in your chosen market, rank in relation to your competitors who are applying for the same job. And so before we delve into position strategy, I would like for you to pull out some of your tools that you have created in previous courses. Such as, your self assessment grid for evaluation, your SWOT analysis, your 360 degree self assessment and your present job market value, PJMV. Remember in these tools it help you to be able to identify those competencies and skills that you had a high proficiency at performing. You might even have some artifacts, or evidence of your abilities to perform at a high level in regards to the skills and competencies. Now what we're going to do is as you review that and begin to identify those competencies and skills that are very high, let's think about how we're going to position ourselves. And some ways that we can do that. Some examples of things that come to mind is we can utilize a staffing agency as well as a head hunter. Now let's discuss a staffing agency. So first on your behalf as a person who might work as an agent representing you, such as a staffing agency, you have the ability to put together a nice portfolio. So, we want to choose a staffing agency that is industry specific. For example, if you're aspiration is to be in HR, Human Resources, maybe as an executive or director, then, there are staffing agencies who specialize in only finding employees for employers looking for human resource personnel. And so once I have identified a staffing agency that is conducive for my market and industry, now I want to think about how can I best present myself for this staffing agency to work on my behalf. For instance, I can utilize my e-portfolio and begin to pull out those things that showcase my ability. And then as I present that to the staffing agency, now that agency can present them to a potential employer. And what this do is it actually gives you an advantage. If you think about all the applicants that a person might receive, whether they're utilizing a job, posting board, or going to the website of the company directly, you have someone who's working on your behalf and who has the ability to present a holistic picture of your ability and skills. Number two can be a headhunter. A headhunter can work in the same reference as a staffing agency. And again, headhunters are individuals who might specialize in a particular niche, whether it's manufacturing, human resources marketing, and so forth. And this headhunter is usually working on behalf of an employer who is seeking individuals who are in a particular field that can fulfill the position that the employer is looking for. So you don't have to wait necessarily for a headhunter to contact you. You can be proactive and take the initiative to contact a headhunter yourself that is specializing in your particular needs. So what have we learned? We've learned positioning strategies and how we can utilize that to set ourself apart or ahead of the competition. Ways that we can utilize positioning strategies is by soliciting the help or the assistance of a staffing agency as well as headhunter. And again, they have the ability to present a holistic portfolio to a potential employer which is a lot more than just a cover letter or a resume which you might present on behalf of yourself. What's next is distribution strategies. And I look forward to seeing you in our next video as we discuss ways of distribution strategies can be very beneficial to you in your self marketing.