Strategies to Market Yourself
Identify your strengths
Use stories and examples
Develop your personal brand
Appearance
Develop an elevator pitch
Go to the right places
Identify your strengths
Think about the times you stood out at work. Consider the tasks you perform well and try to remember the praise you received at work. Review your resume and write a list of your strengths, skills, and accomplishments. Also, think about why you chose your profession: what draws you to it? Try to articulate what excites you about your career, along with the job responsibilities you particularly enjoy. The time spent on this activity is worthwhile. Your insights will help you later when writing your cover letter and answering interview questions like “Why do you want this job?”
Use stories and examples
In your resume, it’s smart to identify your skills, whether in a strengths list in the skills section or in the job description for each role you’ve held. However, when writing your cover letter and answering interview questions, go further and share examples and tell stories that showcase your abilities. For interviewers, this creates a more compelling and engaging experience. (Think about how products are marketed in commercials – a pasta sauce ad doesn’t just have someone talking to the camera about its features; it has a family enjoying dinner together.) So instead of saying, “I have strong communication skills,” you might say, “In my previous job as Head of Marketing, there was a real communication gap between the marketing and sales departments. I met with the key leaders in both teams, and after gathering feedback, I conducted an annual survey in the sales department. This helped marketing to know exactly what sales needed. After that, the marketing management started distributing a monthly newsletter highlighting new assets and also showcasing sales deals. Since adopting these practices, sales have increased and turnover in the sales department has decreased.”
Develop your personal brand
Don’t be afraid: creating your professional identity doesn’t require elaborate ads or clever daily posts on social media. Here are some simple steps to build your brand:
– Write a personal branding statement: Write a one- or two-sentence summary about your career goals and your strengths. Your branding statement could be “A distinguished attorney seeking to join a law firm on the partnership track” or “An experienced editor looking to transition to a full-time writing role.” You can use this statement in the summary section on LinkedIn and in your resume, as well as when interacting with people and wanting to share your job search information.
– Create an online presence that supports your brand: Your job search goals and choice of career path can help determine the best online platforms. If you’re in a field where you create something – articles, artwork, website designs, etc. – create an online portfolio to showcase samples of your work. In many fields, it can be beneficial to have a presence on social media platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn, or develop a personal newsletter. Or you may just want an online presence that includes your resume and experience clearly written.
– Documents, business cards, and other marketing materials: Think of your resume and cover letter (along with an optional business card for job searching) as a set of marketing materials all aimed at selling you. This means it’s good for them to look consistent – use the same font across all documents, as well as the same heading and style on each. These documents are like ads in digital and print media; make sure they look sharp and are easy to read.
Appearance
Appearance
Your talents are more important than your appearance, but the truth is that the way you dress and present yourself plays a role in the success of your job search. (Think back to marketing; packaging design matters – often, the biggest difference between two bottles of shampoo is the price or packaging, not the actual formula of the shampoo.) Make sure to wear appropriate clothing.
Developing Your Elevator Pitch
Your elevator pitch is a brief speech – under a minute – about your background, experience, and the type of job you are looking for. You can use your elevator pitch during networking events, social occasions, and job fairs. Whenever the time arises, you can use this pre-prepared speech to introduce yourself to a potential contact in your job search.
Heading to the Right Places
Once you have all of this in place – your professional identity, appearance, a good understanding of your strengths and talents, etc. – you are almost ready to launch. But don’t just apply for jobs and attend networking events randomly. Instead, target your efforts and use your time wisely. Just as a marketer identifies the right target audience for their product, you should do something similar. Consider creating a targeted list of companies you want to apply to. Only join relevant professional groups and attend in-person networking events in your industry. At these events, use the elevator pitch you’ve developed, and bring a copy of your resume, and follow up afterward via email or LinkedIn.
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/best-ways-to-market-yourself-and-get-hired-4147690
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