One of the difficulties that job seekers have is selling themselves. Throughout our lives we are told not to brag about ourselves and there is no “I” in team. During a job search you have to forget these lessons and learn how to professionally communicate the features and benefits you have to offer your next employer or client.
Your starting point is to clearly identify the features of the product you are selling. For those in a job search it is the skills and personal characteristics you bring to your next employer. Your skills could be your writing and speaking ability, strategic thinking, creative problem solving and leadership. Your characteristics could be your high energy, integrity, result orientation and valuing others.
Go back through any feedback that you have received either formally or informally and look at how others have described you and your skills. Use this as your starting point to craft your features.
Your accomplishments are the benefits that you offer your next employer. List the three accomplishments that you are most proud of. Write out the story that you can share with people to tell your accomplishment story. Tell the situation you were put into so I understand the challenge. Share what you did to achieve the results. I know there is no “I” in team but I want to hear “I” at least once or twice. People need to understand what your contribution was to the success. Do not leave it to others to come to their own conclusion.
Write out your script that you will use to share your features and benefits. Make sure you use words that we say not what we right. Practice the script so you memorize the key facts and order of presentation. Do not memorize the script word for word as it will sound like a script when you deliver it. When people as you to tell them what you want to do? What type of job you are looking for? Tell me something about yourself? Share your “Personal Marketing Story” of your features and benefits so people clearly understand what you bring to the party and you generate creditability quickly.
Need someone to assist you in preparing your Personal Marketing Message? Want to talk to someone who has the experience to provide valuable guidance? Visit the Career Networking Pro website, http://www.careernetworkingpro.com, to learn how to get hooked up with an experienced career coach. Read about the job search process in the new book, People Hire People – Not Resumes, http://www.careernetworkingpro.com/book.
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