Are You Marketing Yourself?
As the country hits an all-time high in unemployment claims, many of you are on the hunt for the next big career move. But have you thought about your brand, your target job, industry, or culture? It is important you market yourself and that your “brand” is on point. You need to market “You” as the best version of yourself. You may have flaws and weaknesses, but “you” the brand shouldn’t, or at least appear that way. Thinking of yourself as a better-than-average worker who can accomplish anything with ease is almost superhuman. The job market is extremely competitive, and marketing yourself in the best light is a key aspect in finding your ideal position. Here are six (6) components in marketing yourself.
Online Presence and Social Media
Use your online presence. In today’s world, almost everyone is online. Social media sites are very accessible to a wide base of the population. Use these to connect and build your personal brand. With LinkedIn, you can easily connect with people and join industry groups. This is a good way for recruiters to find you, and it allows you to meet and follow experts in the industry. LinkedIn can always help you prepare for that interview you landed, find advice on how to nail it, and even study industry trends. Another aspect of social media is getting out there and showing everyone that you know yourself and are up to date. Share some articles on Facebook or Twitter that you find particularly interesting and express your opinion. Most internet users are passive users, so if you put yourself out there, you are bound to get recognized for your foresight and expertise.
Elevator Speech
This term is all too familiar with business school graduates and marketing experts, but it also applies to anyone in the workforce. You need to have a clear message to deliver why someone should hire you and why someone would want to work with you. A big part of your elevator speech is that it should be natural. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable when you’re saying it, nor should you sound like a recording. It should be a speech that makes your audience care. You have to answer the age-old question “what can I do for you or your organization?” You need to show that the company will greatly benefit from having you as an employee. The speech needs to leave your audience wanting more.
Keep Growing
Once your marketing and personal brand begins, you need to keep growing it. It can be influenced by the people you meet, the different jobs you’ve had, and many other experiences. Keep your brand going and keep adding to it whenever something affects you in life. It is easier to add on to something than start over every time.
Know what you want – to an extent. This can be hard as you may have many different interests. If you are a millennial and in your first few years working, don’t worry if you don’t know what to do and aren’t sure if the job you are in now is the career you want. It is normal to change jobs, at least a few times. Deep down you may know the type of industry you want to work in and possibly the type of work you want to do. Keep working towards what you want. At some point, you will get there, and you will understand the road it took to get you there.
Where should you look? And how often?
Marketing yourself can be a difficult task. Many are afraid to put themselves out there and really focus on selling themselves. The main thing to remember is that when you focus on marketing yourself, you’re helping your career and aiding in your success.
Do you or your company need help making your next career move or finding that ideal candidate? BlueFire HR by FutureSense can help with Executive and Career Coaching along with executive search and retained recruitment! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@futuresense.com