How to market yourself as an Interim

In our latest article in the ‘Top Tips’ series, Zoe Spalding, Resourcer at Odgers Interim, shares best practice tips from our network of interims on how to successfully market yourself as an interim.

Marketing yourself efficiently is a useful tool for any interim executive – from those just starting out on their interim journey to established career Interims. We spoke with some of our interim executives to gauge their views on successful marketing techniques.

Things to consider when starting an Interim Career

When starting an interim career, it is useful to not only think about paperwork and legal forms but also consider the 4 ‘P’s of successful marketing strategies:

• Product: What do you do – what are your strengths, preferred role types and sectors/industries in which you are looking for roles. What can you deliver on and what is your motivation? It is a good idea to be clear on what you are looking for.
• Promotion: Where will you promote your details and what strategies will you use? Will you set up a webpage, and have business cards? Is your CV and LinkedIn profile reflective of your experience?
• Place: Where will you promote your product or service? Will you use LinkedIn, Xing, recruitment agencies, or other platforms?
• Price: What salary range are you looking for? Have you considered what this would look like on a Fixed Term Contract Rate or for a day rate? How does your rate differ if a role falls inside or outside of IR35 legislation?

With regards to setting up with either an Umbrella Company or as a Ltd Company, this can be done prior to placement in an interim role. Your accountant will be able to help you with this.

Your recruitment consultant will also be able to help with confirming the documentation they will need to see at initial registration state, and what else is required at client interview or placement.

It is also important to ensure that your CV is updated and ready to send – please see our previous Top Tips on CV writing for Interim Managers.

Marketing yourself as an Interim Manager

Marketing yourself can initially feel like a tricky skill to master.

Think about your LinkedIn and any other social Media Platforms you use. Are these up to date and reflective of your past roles, and your key skills or accomplishments?

Also consider your target network – where do you want to work, where do you excel, and in what sector/industry are you seeking employment/work?

Once this has been established look into companies and relevant network groups to follow on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Comment and share posts within the field that you are working in, and maybe mention what your views are in response to these posts. Or think about writing a content piece to share with your network on either social media platforms or your own webpage.

If you are unsure how to produce an effective piece of content, perhaps speak to your recruitment agency to see if their internal marketing team could work with you to produce a case study for you about a previous role you have undertaken or your experience in general. Check out one of our most recent case studies, if you would like to feel inspired.

As well as content sharing and creation, start building a network of head-hunters, recruitment agencies, past and present colleagues, fellow interim managers, and past clients. Word of mouth can be an extremely useful tool for learning about roles and trends in the industry – building a large network in the sector you are most interested in will prove crucial for your success.

And finally, actively keep in touch with your network - not only when you are looking for your next role, but to maintain knowledge of what is happening in the industry. This could be via seeking meetings or conversations with recruiters, researching trends, changes, and policy implementation in the sector, or by attending networking events. The latter will provide the opportunity to talk to both industry experts, as well as fellow interims, and is a great opportunity to find out how you stand out from the crowd and identify your unique selling points.

If you would like to find out how to market yourself as an interim, or would like an informal conversation about our interim services, please contact Zoe Spalding.