Advocating for yourself in the job market: Dos and don'ts

One of the toughest challenges you'll encounter in the job search is having to pitch yourself to hiring managers, recruiters, interviewers and others. This is an essential step for securing interviews and achieving a job offer, but it can be problematic if you're worried about begging or bragging or feel uncomfortable discussing your achievements, expertise and skills.

According to Jean Baur, author of "Eliminated! Now What?" the key to overcoming this obstacle is to focus on two major issues when communicating with others in the job market. "First, think about what that person needs, what's on his mind and what's broken. Then acknowledge how you can help and what you have to offer. This way you're talking about yourself, but not in a vacuum. Not in a monologue. Not by ignoring others. Ultimately, your goal is to articulate why a particular person or company should hire you."

In her book, Baur offers these additional guidelines for pitching yourself to others in the job market:

Do:

• Recognize that you're not going to beg or brag but build your skills so that you become more comfortable talking about yourself. 


• Take small steps. Tell the dog how you made a significant change at work, then try it out on a friend, and then work your way up to strangers.


• Try anything that improves your overall communication skills. It could be joining a professional association, serving on a board or tutoring a child. The most critical element is that you must be talking with other people.


• View learning a new and critical skill -- pitching yourself -- as an adventure. You might not have had to do this at your former company because people knew you and your work spoke for itself. But now that you're in the job market, it's essential and it will also make you more visible and successful at your next job.


• Set up a schedule you can implement. For example, you might talk first with former co-workers, then neighbors or family, and a bit later, when you feel more confident, strangers you meet at professional meetings.

Don't:

• Confuse telling your clear accomplishment stories with being obnoxious. Job search is a classic give-and-take endeavor, so you're going to be listening and responding, not giving speeches.


• Jump into networking and interviewing without a solid foundation. You need to be able to explain why you're looking for a new opportunity, talk about what you're good at (backed up by specific examples), and list some companies that are of interest to you (not based on job postings).


• Let anger, disappointment or any other negative emotions affect your communications. This is particularly important as you talk about your former company or how things are going in your job search campaign. This is why it's not a good idea to start networking the day you are let go.


• Forget to reward yourself. This can be small things -- having a cup of coffee with a friend, buying a book or doing something more special like planning a trip.

Article reprinted with permission from JIST Publishing.