Whether you like it or not, you need to sell yourself because the global job market has become very competitive. Marketing or selling your skills is an essential part of job hunting.
You know you have the right skills and experience for a job, and you need to make sure recruiters know that too. After all, no one will market you better than yourself. That’s why you should follow these strategies to be successful in your job search.
1. Prepare an Elevator Pitch
When you attend a job interview or networking event, make sure people remember you because of your pitch. A creative and captivating pitch is what you need to capture the attention of your potential employers.
An ideal elevator speech will have you communicating your goals, skills, and experience in about 30 seconds. When writing a pitch, be sure to include an introduction, background summary, strengths and skills, desired position, and a call to action.
You can also include an edited version of this pitch in your social media profiles. Although you have to create your own elevator pitch, you can get help from Copywriting Course’s elevator pitch generator.
2. Focus on personal branding
There is no alternative to personal branding if you want to get a job in this highly competitive market. Just as you prefer to buy products from name brands, recruiters also like to hire people with a polished personal brand.
Be sure to add a brief brand statement to your resume, cover letter, and social media accounts. Also use a professional photo in your social media and resume. If possible, you can also create a logo and add it to your resume, website, and portfolio.
3. Market yourself through networking
No one can deny the importance of networking in today’s era. Although your knowledge and skills play a crucial role in getting a job, having a strong network contributes to a successful job search and career success.
Networking is not just about having formal relationships with others. You must also add value to the members of your network. Helping others will help you establish a good image, and people will help you when you need it. LinkedIn is the most popular platform that helps build your professional network.
4. Describe instead of brief
It may not be possible to be descriptive in your CV. However, do not hesitate to express yourself when you have the opportunity.
Employers want to hire proactive, problem-solving people. Talking briefly about your accomplishments and experiences will not give recruiters a clear idea. Therefore, you need to take the time and explain your success to impress them.
For example, instead of saying that you streamlined communication between different teams, you should describe the steps you took to streamline. You should also discuss the scenario before your action and how it changed after your steps.
5. Create a strong online presence
Unless you have a strong online presence, it becomes difficult to impress recruiters.
If someone wants to know more about you and your work through an online search, they should find enough material that will showcase your talent.
If your profession is creating something like a design, blog, video, or website, you should have an online portfolio to keep samples of your work. In other areas, it’s better to have a prominent presence on social platforms like Behance.
You can also create a personal website that you can use to show off your portfolio and talk about yourself. Ultimately, your career choice and interest should tell you which online platform to choose for an engaging presence.
6. Look for internships or volunteer work
Another successful job search marketing strategy is to be a volunteer or intern. Either is the perfect way to keep your portfolio up to date. Particularly for young graduates, the portfolio and skills come from academic activities. However, volunteering makes it possible to build up a portfolio of concrete projects.
For example, if you’re a developer, you might create apps or websites for a local school or small business. Then you can show that project in your portfolio as industry-focused work that delivers results.
TechSoup is a popular website if you’re looking for computer-based online or in-person volunteer opportunities. You can also search for internship opportunities in relevant fields. Even though the internship is unpaid, it will provide you with much-needed exposure to the field of work. It will also put you ahead of others who are fresh out of college and have no idea of the corporate culture.
Additionally, companies often hire interns who are high performing and diligent during the internship. You can visit Chegg Internships to find internship opportunities based on categories or cities.
7. Research on target companies
It’s not wise to apply to every job posting because you desperately need one. Theoretically, a job may suit you best, but it may make you unhappy when you start working. Therefore, always do your research before joining or applying to any company.
If you know someone who is currently working at a company you are about to apply to, talk to them personally. Tell them about your skills and experience and ask them for their opinion.
Alternatively, you can check Glassdoor reviews to see what employees think of an organization. In a nutshell, do proper research before opting for any position.
8. Properly demonstrate your skills in a cover letter
Job vacancies usually include the skills needed for the position. It’s no surprise that most qualified candidates possess this skill. So what sets you apart from others?
You can stand out from the crowd by explaining how you will apply your skills to this task. When applying for a job, take a common skill you need for that job and describe how the company will benefit from your skills.
Use real examples and scenarios to demonstrate your ability to support business growth. Once you’ve successfully displayed your skills, hiring managers will become more interested in you and want to know more in the interview.
You can take inspiration from various cover letter templates and customize them to showcase your skills. Indeed is an ideal source for different cover letter formats that you can customize for the targeted position.
Marketing yourself for a job
Your marketing or self-promotion will help recruiters learn about your skills and expertise. Use the tips above to present yourself as the right candidate to an employer.
Additionally, you can focus on personal branding to attract clients as a freelancer.
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