Self-marketing isn’t just about getting noticed — a clown nose, purple hair and trombone will get you noticed, but not likely a job.
Rather, the goal of self-marketing is to show a potential employer what you have to offer that will be of benefit to their organization and then to be remembered for it.
“Self-marketing is about trying to stay top of mind. Chances are, many others have applied for the same position and it’s not always the best qualified person that gets the job,” says Michel Franco, a former recruiter with Minacs Worldwide Inc.
The following are some suggestions to help make you “top of mind” with a potential employer:
» Know what you have to offer.
“I think people often undersell themselves. There are lots of ways that people contribute within an organization, but often they forget about their contribution or think it’s irrelevant,” says Rob Hosking, Toronto branch manager for professional staffing firm Robert Half Canada.
» Create a list of accomplishments.
Include everything you can think of, from the things you did to increase revenue to helping to organize the company’s Christmas party.
» Do a skills inventory and a personality inventory.
Ask friends and family to contribute to your list, too. “Try to figure out what your strongest assets and liabilities are and then ask yourself how you can change some of those liabilities into assets,” Hosking says.
» Establish what you want.
“The first step of self-marketing is getting a plan in place. Where are you today? Where do you want to ultimately go? And what steps do you need to take to get there,” Hosking says.