DOING SOME PERSONAL
PR
Are you aware that
you are a commodity?
A service? A product?
As
a skilled, educated and employable employee searching for the right position,
that is exactly what you are to your future employer. You are selling your own
product and service. You are offering it to the right consumer (employer).
All
products and services can benefit from a little positive public relations (PR).
PR is like advertising, except you’re not spending money on ads. It is tooting
your own horn, calling attention to your best attributes, telling your audience
who you are and what you can do for them. If you’re not going to present
yourself in your best light and show what you can do during your own
“commercial” (resume and interview), then who is?
You
need to do some personal PR. You need to “sell yourself.” You need to beat out
your competition so your employer will “buy” you and pass on the other products
and services (job-hunters) out there. You may need to take the extra step to
show that you are an energetic, positive, eager and skilled employee.
That’s
what employers want to see. They want to see someone who isn’t just content to
mail off a resume and sit and wait for a phone call. If that’s how you conduct
your job search, is that how you’ll act on the job? It’s seems lazy and as if
you don’t care. Maybe this doesn’t describe you at all, but this is how they
employer sees you.
One
very helpful thing to do is first write your own press release or
advertisement. It sounds crazy, sure, but it can really help.
Write
a story about yourself detailing your very special skills, education and
professional desires. Pretend it will be published in your local paper. How do
you want the world to see you? Don’t lie, be honest. Be positive and
enthusiastic. Keep it under 500 words (roughly one page). Tell the very best
about yourself. You can pepper it with a little personal information (you are
married, love to golf, etc.), but keep it mostly geared toward your
professional experience.
This
is an advertisement for your future employer.Make them want to buy you today!
Read this over and over during your job search. You may revise it in the
future. Believe it and feel it. Read it before your job interviews. It will
help to pump you up and keep you motivated. Remember, you are your own PR
department. It may sound hokey, but it’s the truth.
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