Market Yourself

It is very important that you can show that you are a good fit for a job. Sometimes the person who gets a job may not be the most skilled candidate for that position, but they may have been good at promoting themselves. Here are some tips to help you market yourself.

Create your “30 second commercial.”

You have 30 seconds to talk about yourself to a potential employer. You want this person to know your job target and why you’re a good fit. Practice your speech with people who can give you feedback. Do they understand what kind of job you’re looking for? Do they understand why you would be good at it?

Example of a 30 second commercial:

• “My name is Jane Doe. I have two years experience as an office assistant. I also took classes in project management at Whatever College. I have worked in customer service most of my life. I was part of the team that completed the public initiative charter. I'm looking for an administrative support position or any position that can use my administrative and project management skills. Please let me know if I can help you or any of your colleagues on any special projects. ”

 Use the 30 Second Commercial (pdf) to create your own.

Create your "elevator speech."

People who hire are very busy. So are people who can help you find a job. You’ll be more effective if you can explain your job search targets. An elevator speech can be a good tool to use.

Directions: Think about being in an elevator. You have one minute to talk about yourself to a potential employer. You want this person to know your job target and why you’re a good fit. Practice your speech with people who can give you feedback. Do they understand what kind of job you’re looking for? Do they understand why you’d be good at it?

Examples of elevator speeches:

• “My name is Jane Doe. I have two years experience as an office assistant. I also took classes in project management at Whatever College. I have worked in customer service most of my life. I'm looking for an administrative support position. I'd really like to work for a medical company. Do you know of any jobs in that area?"
• "I'm John Doe, and I'd love to be your caterer for your next event. I have worked as a chef for six years. I'm starting my own catering company. I can make good food for memorable events."

Use the Create your "elevator speech" (pdf) to create your own.