Formula to Selling Yourself

The act of buying and selling is one of life's basic transactions. You need something, so you either purchase it or create it from products that you've purchased or grown. It's a simple process that can be applied to anything in life. It's the same concept when you're applying for jobs. Someone either needs your service and they pay you for it or you need their service and you pay them for it. The manner in which we source those services is where everything gets complicated.

Welcome to the job market, and you're up for sale.

Have you ever heard the tiresome spiel of those salespersons or get tricked into listening to those sketchy multi-level marketing schemes and you automatically know that they're trying to sell you an item that you have no intention to buy? Now, imagine if that item for sale was you, how would you sell it?

That's how you need to think when you're entering the job market arena.

You're entering a realm where everyone is for sale including yourself. Now you're thinking, I just need to tell everyone that I offer this specific set of skills and experience and employers want to hire me right? Not quite, there's a multitude of other factors that makes someone a great fit and you have to find a way to market that and figure out the ideal candidate.

Build and Learn your Network

LinkedIn is seen as the Facebook of the professional world, which is true depending on your location and target audience. The thing is, the professional world is everywhere and anywhere your industry resides. It can even be certain coffee shops or local restaurants. Learning your network takes patience, understanding and knowledge about your industry. You need to research who are the major players in your field and how their ecosystem works. It's vital to conduct thorough research on your network so you understand how to communicate with them.

Market, Market, Market

Have you ever craved curry after looking at vibrant, colorful spices all day? Or when you purchase that dress that was suggested to you because you just bought a similar dress?

Did you notice that no one ever told you to get that similar dress or crave that dish and you end up indulging in it anyways? That's exactly how you need to approach the job market. You need to get them to want you by telling them indirectly.

Now you can tell your potential employers about your expertise and maybe they'll believe you or you can show it to them. One of the most invaluable skills is the ability to market yourself especially when you’re in a highly competitive field.

Utilize innovative methods that would showcase your skills to potential employers.

Be Consistent and Patient

It is challenging to remain patient and keep your vision for the future especially when money is a pertinent factor in your job search. The key is to trust the process and to make sure that you're keeping consistent with your efforts. It's a daunting ritual to consistently do interview after interview only to be rejected repeatedly. The key is to remain persistent and remain calm throughout the interview process. Recruiters can detect frustration during your interview. Remember to keep calm especially when irritating questions are asked as their intention may very well be innocent.

Know the Laws and Tricks

The pertinence of understanding your industry and its inner workings cannot be stressed enough especially when it pertains to the legal entities. You need to understand the legal side and the different ways it's interpreted. This gives you some insight why certain decisions are made especially when it relates to hiring procedures.

It differs in each country and as such, you may be volunteering information that makes you unfavorable. These factors are typically your age or your health condition. So always ensure to check the laws especially if you're applying for jobs in different countries or states.

Be Authentic

It comes off as the tired broken record when you're just saying to your network, "hire me", "choose me", "pick me". You need to be perceived as you're genuinely interested in making connections within your network and not just looking for a job. Treat you network like a long term relationship, nurture it and give it support.

In the end, the most important factor is persistence. You have to keep current with your industry and understand its trends. It's constant work, patience and perseverance and its worthwhile in the long run. It is easy to get discouraged and lose hope especially when you're constantly hearing the word No. Keep pushing and eventually you'll get that Yes.