Is your career looking drab? You don’t have to throw it out and start all over again, consider re-branding yourself with a personal marketing strategy. Liven up your career by livening up the way you think about what you do, how you do it and how you describe it to others. You might want to include a new look as well, but it won’t work without a new attitude. You need to present yourself as a passionate, confident and competent professional.
How to Create a Personal Marketing Strategy:
Don’t belittle your job. You may be on the lower rungs of your career ladder, and the work may not be all that enthralling, but look for the positives. Your colleagues don’t want to hear you trashing their chosen career. If you really hate your job, re-branding yourself won’t help. But if you have legitimate issues with your work, offer solutions, not problems.
Always present yourself as a competent person. If you’ve stuffed up, admit it, the important thing is to learn something from the experience. Remember that something you can’t do in a job merely represents lack of knowledge or skill, and you can take steps to acquire both of these.
Think and talk about your job in terms of the skills and knowledge that you use. Often, women’s skills are undervalued in the workplace because they’re assumed to come naturally. Being able to encourage and nurture, for example, requires just as much skill as learning a new computer program. At the end of the day, they’re just different skills, and ones the workplace can’t do without.
Ensure your communication skills are top notch. You need to be able to convince other people, including customers, clients, colleagues and senior staff, that you’re good at what you do.
Be professional. Focus on your work and leave the gossip for lunchtime. Friendships and fun are an important part of the workplace, but career success requires hard work.
Do you need more education to move up the career ladder? Up-skilling and furthering your education may help you in your day-to-day work, and show that you’re committed to your career.
A makeover and some new clothes might help. If your current work style and wardrobe isn’t portraying the professional image you desire, it’s time to revamp your threads. While you’re shopping, remember to shop for your next job, not just the one you have now.
By Victoria Rollison, Money Maven.
