Marketing Yourself

"To employers, you are a product — just like Nike running shoes... And, just like any good retailer, you should market yourself by shouting your best attributes from the rooftops." So says Mary Nelen of msn.com. She's absolutely right. Since you — or at least your services as Me, Inc. — are a product, you need to market yourself just as every company does. You begin by developing your own "blurb" and making sure that everyone knows what you represent.

Develop Your "Blurb"

On TV, companies have 30 seconds or less to convince you to buy their products. That's why they devise catchy phrases — "blurbs" — that remind you who they are. Coke is "The real thing." Nike says "Just do it." And on and on.

You have even LESS time to convince someone to give you an interview or even information that might lead to an interview. So, like any business, you need a short "blurb" or catch-phrase to describe your "product," too.

This blurb should be a quick sentence stating what you have to offer and what you're looking for.

• What you have to offer are your strongest skills and your most valuable character traits. Focus on what makes you unique and what you do best.
  
  
• What you're looking for refers to the type of job and the type of company where you want to work.

Since your blurb is your advertisement. It should be brief, interesting, memorable and repeated often!!

Broadcast Your "Blurb"

Like a great commercial that never airs, your blurb is useless if you don't share it with people. Practice saying your blurb until it's comfortable and natural sounding. Here are some suggestions:

• Speak confidently. Don't sound embarrassed or shy when you talk about yourself.
  
  
• Say it often. Tell it to every friend and family member within earshot and then tell it to every new person you meet.
  
  
• Ask for information. When you say your blurb, ask your listeners if they know anyone who might have information that could help you.

You can market yourself most effectively if you see that many of the steps in job hunting are just ways to spread your blurb message. Your cover letters, résumés, personal appearance, telephone manner and interview style all should reinforce your blurb.

Benefits of the "Blurb"

A real-life example best illustrates the benefits of saying your blurb. Here's what happened when Deanne met Laura at a party and asked what Laura did for a living.

Laura did not give her usual response, which was to reply in an "it's not important" way that she was an office manager looking for work. If she had, Deanne might have thought that Laura was unhappy and maybe needed help finding a job, maybe not. If Deanne knew of any office manager jobs available, she might've mentioned it — but that's all she would have mentioned.

Instead, Laura stated her blurb in an assertive but casual manner. "I have strong organizational and leadership skills and am looking for a management position with a small, high-tech company. Do you know anyone who works in that type of company?" She instantly stimulated many more suggestions and actively invited feedback.

It turns out that Deanne knew of jobs other than office management that might suit Laura. She also had a friend who worked at an Internet company who might prove helpful. And she told Laura all about it.

Sharing your blurb as Laura did is marketing. It's that simple. And that important!