Selling yourself isn’t easy. And that’s especially the case at the beginning of your career when you don’t even know if you believe your own sales pitch. Many young people stepping into the job market for the first time feel very uncomfortable selling themselves. It can feel really awkward speaking positively about yourself – as if you’re pitching a product. But if you’re looking for a job… or a promotion… or funding for your start-up, it’s essential to find a way past the fear.
Here are 3 tips to make selling yourself just a little more palatable.
1. Realize you’re helping solve a problem. Companies hire for a reason: because there is a real need. Their social media is broken and they desperately need someone to fix it. Their financials have been mismanaged and they need someone to clean up the problem. They need a new crop of junior colleagues to reach their ideal scale. So, you’re not imposing by selling yourself; you’re actually helping a company fill a real need.
2. Think fit, not flaws. You might not get every position you aspire to. In fact, I guarantee that will be the case. But that’s OK because you’re looking for the right fit between the skills you possess and the problem the organization is looking to solve. So, think fit, not flaws, when you assess opportunities — and, especially, when you need to cope with inevitable rejection.
3. “Failure” is data. Of course it’s only human to feel disappointed, but try to think self-improvement instead of self-pity . What can you do next time to make an even better impression? How can you even better position yourself to address the needs of the employer and secure that job?
In the end, selling isn’t a favorite activity for many of us. But by having a positive attitude and keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be in a solid position to set yourself up for success.
Originally published at Inc