Vicinity Jobs: Marketing yourself: Your personal marketing statement

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Marketing yourself: Your personal marketing statement
Jaime Watt, Client Service Representative, Newmarket Employment Resource Center

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Picture this: At a party your friend says that a manager from a company you've been dying to work for is here and she can introduce you to him. What do you say? Suddenly butterflies start to erupt in your stomach and you are at a loss for words. Or...You have prepared for this kind of opportunity, and you are ready to go introduce yourself and make a lasting impression.

That prepared introduction is called a personal marketing statement. This is a speech you have written and practiced in advance of meeting possible employment leads. Having a quick speech prepared for potential employers can save you from stumbling for words when meeting new contacts along your job search path. Personal marketing statements are no longer than one minute and should describe the position you are looking for, your relevant work experience, skills, and benefits.

To create a personal marketing statement, ask yourself questions like: Who am I? What am I looking for? What have I done in the past? What are my strengths? How can they contact me? A great way to start is by writing these questions out.

Here is an example:

Who am I? This is simply your name. "Hi my name is Jane Smith"

What am I looking for? Tell them the position you are interested in "I am looking for a position as an executive assistant"

What have you done in the past? Here you can highlight your relevant past employment, volunteer and educational experiences "I graduated from ABC college's Administrative Assistant program with distinction and have worked as an administrative assistant for over three years"

What are my strengths? This is a bit tricky because you need to know your strengths. These are things that will set you apart from other candidates. Look back to your past jobs, how did you benefit your past employers? What makes you unique? Why should a potential employer hire you? "During this time I was able to increase office productivity by 30% by implementing new and innovative office procedures. I have excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office and have a keyboard speed of 60wpm. I am friendly and have been complimented by past employers for my communication, organization and time management skills"

How can they contact me? Now you want to be ready to have an easy way for a potential employer to contact you. Scribbling down your name and phone number on scrap piece of paper will not look professional. However, having a business card to hand a potential contact will. The business card can also be forwarded to anyone in the company in case you are not talking to an individual in charge of hiring. You want to close your statement with a positive note that shows you are confident in your abilities to benefit the potential employer. "I would love the opportunity to speak with you further and discuss what I can do for your company. Here is my business card"

Here is how it looks all together:

"Hi my name is Jane Smith and I am looking for a position as an executive assistant. I graduated from ABC College's Administrative Assistant program with distinction and have worked as an administrative assistant for over three years. During this time I was able to increase office productivity by 30% by implementing new and innovative office procedures. I have excellent knowledge of Microsoft office and have a keyboard speed of 60wpm. I am friendly and have been complimented by past employers for my communication, organization and time management skills. I would love the opportunity to speak with you further and discuss what I can do for your company. Here is my business card"

Once you have your speech written down, practice it over and over again. You want to make it sound natural when delivering it to potential employers. Personal marketing statements can be used in situations as described above; for introductions to employers when attending job fairs; and for answering on the spot "briefly tell me about yourself" questions (like when an employer calls you for an interview). This statement will show an employer you are organized, prepared, and confident. A personal marketing statement will make a lasting impression that will set you apart from other candidates.

Jaime Watt is a Client Service Representative at the Newmarket Employment Resource Center. Click here for more information.


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