Marketing Yourself
You need to market yourself as “you”. “You” is the best version of yourself. Yes, you may have flaws and weaknesses, but “you” don’t. You need to think 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. Below you will find the six (6) components in marketing yourself.
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. Through 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 that interview, and even industry trends. Another aspect of social media is getting out there and showing everyone that you know yourself and you 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, but it applies to anyone in the workforce. You need to have a clear message to deliver of 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?” in your speech 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 start, you need to keep growing it. It can be influenced by people you meet, 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 to market yourself? Everywhere. And how often? All the time. Since you are an ever-changing person, your brand is going to be changing as well. Even if you are at a job/in a career that you love, there is no harm in working on marketing yourself. You never know who you will meet that could be a potential mentor, or who is connected to an organization you may want to be a part of. Linkedin is a great place to look to market yourself. There are many different articles and discussions that you can get ideas from, or provide your feedback and get your name out there.
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.
Contact us today at info@futuresense.com or 888-336-0909
Laura Nelson, Leed GA – Business Analyst