If you’re a Brit, like me, give yourself a big thumbs up because as a nation we have many excellent qualities. However, something that many of us have in short supply is the ability to self-promote and talk ourselves up.
The antithesis to British downplay can be found in no better person than our favourite over-the-top US film star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said:
‘I knew I was destined for great things. People will say that kind of thinking is totally immodest. I agree. Modesty is not a word that applies to me in any way – I hope it never will.’
Talk yourself up!
I’m no marketing expert, but after sitting on both sides of the job interview table, I can say with certainty that each time I either got the job or decided to employ a person, it was as a result of the ability to self-promote more effectively than the other candidates.
When I coach people looking for work, one of the concepts that many people find hard to grasp is: if you don’t sell yourself, then nobody else is going to do it for you! It doesn’t mean that you have to suddenly wear a Terminator black leather jacket and gain an Austrian accent, but it may mean that you have to start developing an ability to ‘talk yourself up’ and to promote yourself through the right networks.
In the bible, the Book of Daniel describes how the King of Babylon wanted to recruit some Israelites into his service. I don’t know how many CVs and failed application forms he waded through, but the King hit the jackpot when he discovered four men, including Daniel, who excelled in (Daniel 1:4):
- Fitness & Personal appearance
- Aptitude for learning
- Skills & Intellect
- Qualifications
Fit for a King
The fact that these four men were discovered by the King shows that they must have been exhibiting these qualities and, just as importantly, promoting themselves effectively.
When looking for work, one of the key ways to develop your ‘shop front’ is to have a strategy that will help you to become noticed. You probably won’t be employed by a king but, if you’re doing some of the following, you’ll stand a chance of getting noticed:
- Turbo-charge your CV by converting it to an infographic – www.vizualize.me
- Linked In is a great way of promoting yourself and finding a job through networks – www.linkedin.com
- Do some voluntary work for a good cause – not only will this will give you extra skills but it will also make your job application stand out from the crowd - Do-it.org,
World-wide Helpers - Brush up on your job interview technique – www.jobsite.co.uk/bemyinterviewer
- A great way to promote yourself is to join an interest-based online community that also meets up to network – www.meetup.com & www.businessbiscotti.co.uk
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