Fill in the blank…

When I think about selling myself, I feel ________.

Anxious.

Inadequate.

Jittery.

Unsure.

Apprehensive.

Check, check, & check.

Over my 15+ years as an HR Leader in the corporate world, I learned that chasing your dream job WITHOUT knowing how to sell yourself is a surefire way to get overlooked & left behind.

I’ve screened thousands of resumes and led hundreds of interviews and I can say that if you can’t sell yourself, you’ll likely get a one-way ticket to the ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ pile.

Let’s face it, your next interview could be your one and only shot at impressing the bosses, landing the job you know you deserve, and upping your value.

What if you mess up & lose your one shot? Will that mean staying stuck forever?

I think we can both agree that if you dream of having a career you love, you’ve gotta get good at selling yourself. After all, if you don’t talk about all the great things you’ve done, who will?

So, why then, don’t you do it? Here are 3 big reasons…

You think your work should speak for itself. You assume that the people who should know about your results, see everything you do. That’s completely false. They’re busy & might miss things, but it doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear about your wins.

You don’t want to brag. Do you associate ‘selling yourself’ with being too bold or maybe even obnoxious? Is that something just the A-types do? Maybe growing up you were taught to be humble and not call too much attention to yourself. While there may be some value to that way of thinking, chances are this no longer serves you. Being too humble can leave you stuck while everyone around you thrives and excels.

You’re selling yourself short.  It’s human nature to overlook your talents and not give yourself due credit; especially when something comes naturally to you.  But remember just because it’s easy for you, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be celebrated.

And that’s just the beginning.

The mindset shift I recommend to all my clients is to stop thinking about selling yourself as bragging or something bad. Think about it as being proud of what you’ve done, the accomplishments you’ve had, and the impact you’ve made.

Those are things worth sharing and in reality, if you don’t share your accomplishments, who will and how will we know?

Share your successes in a way that feels authentic and real to you. Be yourself and be calmly confident about the value you bring to any organization that’s luck to have you. That’s the best way to get yourself noticed and successfully manage your career progression.

With kindness,