Making sure you stand out from your colleagues is one thing, but what about when it comes to actually finding a job?
The UK presents a very competitive market for candidates, with hundreds often going for just one advertised position.
So what’s the secret to success? In short; self-promotion.
In essence, you have to turn into an Eddie Hearn of your industry.
You see, boxing superstar, Anthony Joshua may have all of the skills to be the best in the world, but to generate money, attract sponsors and build a legacy, he needs his promoter Eddie Hearn.
The same principle applies when you’re looking for your next career move.
You can’t simply hand in a CV and hope for the best, because nine times out of ten, you probably won’t hear a peep.
Instead, you need to become a salesperson.
To help you successfully start self-promoting the hell out of yourself, here are a few steps to give yourself the best chance of landing your next dream job.
Move quickly
In order to get recognised by current or new employers, you need to move quickly.
This means, applying for a job at once and being proactive in your follow up.
Don’t leave it weeks before doing anything, as recruiters and HR professionals are trained to be efficient.
Get your application in within the first few days and then send a polite and positive email to the person in charge of the recruitment process a day or two later.
This will show that you’re really keen on fulfilling the position.
Or if you’d like a more instant answer, you could always just call them up instead.
Pro recruiter top tip As a rule of thumb, you want to be applying for a job no longer than five days after it’s been posted if there isn’t a closing date included in the spec, as the chances are that the recruiter or business has already shortlisted a few candidates. However, it’s always worth calling them up (if possible) to check the status of their recruitment search. To stay ahead of the curve, try subscribing to job alerts so you receive relevant adverts directly to your inbox on the day that they’re posted. This should help you get your application in more quickly.
Collect testimonials
A lot of self-promoting is all about marketing yourself in the right way.
And one of the most powerful ways of doing this in any industry is through recommendations from previous customers or employers.
If you’ve excelled in previous positions, you should always kindly ask people to write you a recommendation or testimonial.
In fact, this can help you really make your LinkedIn profile shine when applying for a new role.
But don’t just stop there.
Collate all of your recommendations into a nice document and send it through with your application.
You’ll be surprised by how far a few nice words can take you in your career.
It’ll help you separate your claims and skills from all of the pretenders, which is particularly important when you consider that 92.5% of Brits have admitted that they’ve embellished their CVs in the past.
Furthermore, nearly three quarters (71.6%) of those said that they landed the job as a result.
This is particularly frustrating if you are one of the truthful applicants.
Work on your personal pitch
Pitching yourself to employers can be done in many ways.
For instance, an employer may ask you to present something in an interview.
Failing that, treat every interaction as a personal pitch opportunity.
This starts with the words you use and the tone of your voice.
If it comes across as positive, you’re subtly painting a better impression of yourself.
Within this pitch, highlight your experience, skills, interests and education when it’s appropriate.
You should also remember to listen to what the employer or recruiter has to say and try to find common ground.
The key here is to find out what they’re looking for or what they like and then highlight these attributes by mentioning your own experiences.
It’s a tricky art to master, so you should try testing your skills with a few friends before.
However, for a more natural response, don’t tell them what you’re doing.
Get networking
One of the easiest ways to self-promote yourself is to get out in the great big world and sell, sell, sell!
It may seem daunting, but it can really help you moving forward.
Even if you’re already employed, attending events on behalf of your current employer or attending weekend breakfast mornings will both give you a unique opportunity to have a casual chat with business owners.
Once you’ve formed a few relationships, you may start to find that businesses come to you with offers – which would make your life a lot easier!
Final thoughts
Overall, the key to self-promoting is to become a salesperson.
Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet, as long as you don’t overdo it and come off as sounding cocky.
Networking, social media, testimonials and highlighting skills via pitching are all powerful tools which may help you stand out in such a competitive market.
Good luck!
