It doesn’t matter whether you’re about to emerge from college, you’re on the job hunt, building a freelance client base, or you’re already in a job – it cannot hurt to practice a little self-promotion from time to time. Enhancing your personal profile will garner interest from companies who might contact you for your talents and will secure clients in ways you didn’t think were possible. If you’re not maximizing your skills profile through self-marketing, then this article is for you, outlining some of the easy and painless ways to get your name out there.
Create an Online Profile
The employability network LinkedIn leads the online marketplace where this is concerned and is almost a requirement for anyone looking for a job. Not only can you add curricula elements of your CV, but you’ll be able to look directly for jobs in your area, network with friends, colleagues and business leaders, and see what shifts are occurring in your industry. Create a professional profile online so that you have a presence should an employer search for you.
Give out Business Cards
Not all marketing has to be done online, though. Using a free business card designer, create your very own personalized card to hand to anybody that you think might need your services down the line – it’s an excellent way of networking while looking confident and professional, and unlike an email, your business card exists in the real world, in wallets and tacked to cork boards for when people may require your skills.
Make a Blog
Blogs are free to set up on sites like WordPress and are an excellent place to showcase your portfolio or write exactly what you want about your employment history, achievements, and leisure pursuits. There are plenty of guides out there to get you started. Adding a hyperlink of your blog to CVs and cover letters will give employers a greater understanding of what it is you have to offer while showing you’re serious and professional when it comes to promoting your uses in the workplace – both very employable traits.
Use Public Spaces
If you are a proofreader or a photographer, lawn mower or delivery man, you’re likely to rely on local trade to make you money. Word of mouth may be your current way of acquiring new customers, but why not put up posters with rip-off mobile numbers in shopping centers, park notice boards, and even streetlights so that your name and business are out there for all to see.
Never Pass up a Networking Opportunity
Opportunities to network at functions, on the golf course, or even at the mall, are sometimes few and far between and can take some self-discipline to attend. It’s well worth making the most of these events, through presenting yourself as a sensible, characterful and knowledgeable person to strangers over a glass of bubbly – you’ll never know whether these could be future clients or employers you’re chatting to.
It can never hurt your career to be continually self-promoting, so use these tips to pursue great jobs, pay rises or a wider client base, making your profile as large as it can be.
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