Learning to sell yourself

We might think that it's only first-time job hunters or those lacking in self-esteem that don't know how to promote themselves within the spheres of career development and job hunting, but that is far from the case. Even the most confident of us can have a mental barrier when it comes to "selling" ourselves to clients, stakeholders, those who hire and fire and those who decide who gets promoted. Experience is also irrelevant--however senior we are in our company or however many years of experience we have on our CV, this issue can still get to us.

Indeed, a recent report from the executive agency InterExec has revealed that senior executives aren't selling their accomplishments enough on their CVs. The study surveyed 100 of the UK's leading senior executives and found that 63% had CVs that were more duties-driven than accomplishments-driven. In other words, they highlighted the tasks they do rather than their achievements and the skills used in achieving what they did.

There's a difference between what we do and who we are and this report confirms that we don't talk about and promote who we are enough. Here are some tips for getting better at selling ourselves, both on our CVs and in other contexts:

Create a skills-based CV.
Make it clear on your CV what skills and accomplishments you have that are relevant to the job or promotion you're going for. You might even consider creating a skills-based CV, where you put your skills near the top and focus on them, rather than your work experience and duties.

Include a personal profile on the CV.
Your personal profile goes just below your contact information on your CV. Here you can talk about who you are, what you enjoy and where your strengths lie. It's like an elevator pitch on paper. Use it to sell yourself. Personal profiles only have to be a few sentences long, so it's not as if you'll be over-selling yourself by including one.

What to say when asked "Tell me about yourself"
Whenever you get asked this question--be it in a job interview, at a networking event, or in another context--be sure to say something of interest about yourself. If you just mumble, "there's not much to tell, really", that's almost the opposite of selling yourself--you're actually giving out the message 'nothing to see here'.

What does 'something of interest about yourself' constitute?
You could say something about your values, how you learnt an unusual skill or how the last place you went on holiday aligned with your cultural interests and identity. Each of these types of response demonstrate that there's something about you worth knowing and that you yourself know who you are.

Don't focus on your weaknesses.
It's human nature to feel uncomfortable about talking about our strengths and when forced to do so, we often try to counterbalance by pointing out our weaknesses in a self-deprecating manner. Not only does this reinforce in our own minds our lack of worth, but it also sends out negative messages to whoever we're talking to. Get in the habit of talking about yourself positively without having to add that self-critical footnote. Even when job interviewers ask what your weaknesses are, they're not asking you to put yourself down; they're looking for you to give an example of how you're working on an area for improvement.

What are your qualities?
In interviews or appraisals, when asked what your qualities are, don't just give a list of them. Demonstrate them, by giving examples where each of your strengths have come into play. For example, your ability to prioritize may have helped you meet a succession of tight deadlines in one week. Develop your example into an engaging, but short, story to tell. Think the story through in advance so that you structure it well and include all the ingredients.

Focus on what you stand for.
A clever way of selling yourself to a potential employer is not to focus on what you do but on what you stand for. If you researched the organisation properly before applying to it, you'll know what its ethos and values are. Select at least one principle that aligns with one of your own and in the interview for the job, mention that you've noticed that the company adheres to this principle and talk about how it resonates with you. This shows that you've done your homework, proves you didn't apply to the company on a whim and allows you to say something positive and engaging about yourself and your values system.

Do not underestimate the value of looking confident.
Be who you say you are. If you believe in yourself, others will undoubtedly come to believe in you too. Look people in the eye, shake their hand firmly and try to speak without hesitation or 'ums' and 'ahs'. Even if you don't feel too confident, act like you are and eventually you actually will be.

About the Author:
Nisa Chitakasem, is the co-founder of Position Ignition -- a career consultancy dedicated to helping professionals with their career change, job search, career choices and career direction.