Vicinity Jobs: ME INC.: SELLING AND MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT

ME INC.: SELLING AND MARKETING YOUR PRODUCT
Jacquie Ottema, Employment Facilitator, Newmarket Employment Resource Centre
Aug 7,2007

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What is all this hubbub about self promotion, self marketing, self awareness – “Me INC.”? Seems that being able to sell and market your “product” - what you have to offer a prospective employer, is the difference between getting numerous offers and sitting staring at the computer waiting for email responses……

Me INC. concept has actually been around for over 10 years, but has never been more important than in the past few years and in future years to come. I often hear people saying “I was taught NEVER to brag about myself my entire life and now in this labour market I have to learn how to do this …and I’m just not comfortable with that!!” I agree. I was always told the same thing. But…in this day n’ age, unless we can feel comfortable with promoting ourselves (NOT bragging, gloating or being obnoxious) and know our own unique value, we often sell ourselves short and therefore may be overlooked by employers and passed over for jobs.

Most of us have been fooled into believing that other people hold the authority over our future but in reality that couldn’t be farther from the truth. We can be as empowered as we choose to be in this job market. Truth is… that employers no longer have time to be in control of our careers. Job seekers these days have to grab the reins themselves and corral their own job opportunities. Knowing what you are good at, knowing how to promote yourself effectively and where your product is in demand are all great ways to ensure you connect. Think of yourself as a box of cereal with all those splashy special features on the front – 30% less salt… lower in fat…higher in fibre and all the benefits that result from those features. What would you put on the front of your cereal box to create intrigue to attract your “buyers”?

One successful interview tactic is the ability to tell success stories about your own performance and past accomplishments. Story telling is a great way to demonstrate your abilities, helps create a “picture” for the employer, validates your claims and are so much more interesting! Doing so, will showcase your successful performance…and we all know that past performance dictates future performance!

Simple steps you can take to promote Me INC. without going overboard:

Step 1: Write down all the skills you have and check off the ones you enjoy doing

Step 2: Now try to remember how you felt when you were actually using these skills and put the most enjoyable at the top

Step 3: Then narrow the list down to the ones you know you are truly good at and may have been complimented on in the past by others

Step 4: Take note of some great results you have achieved and the stories you have to demonstrate using those skills. EASY? Perhaps not at first, but anything worth doing takes a bit of practice and patience. NEED HELP? That’s what we’re here for…..we offer some great workshops to assist you to market yourself more effectively…give us a call today to book.