The art of creating a self-marketing strategy
Whether you’re a freelancer, designer, or student, there seems to be an unspoken expectation of you to well, market yourself. It’s the combination of the internal and external voices that constantly whisper and loom over your shoulder with the pressure to promote yourself as you enter and navigate the job market. Think about the way one might work for a marketing agency, promoting the launch of a new product. In this case, you’re that product, and you need to be able to ‘sell’ yourself.
Coming from someone who is also learning as I go, I find myself constantly needing to speak up, not only about what I want to achieve, but also what I already have. However, while this might be brushed aside when it comes to skills to hone, self-branding might be one of the most important. Unfortunately, while you might have the talent, you need to be able to brag about it in a way that doesn’t come off as blatant boastfulness. Thus, in its own way, your ability to market yourself is both a skill and an art.
Importance of making use of the relationship between networking and personal branding
If you were to flip through a job or internship guidance book or read an article on how to land an internship, there is one word that immediately jumps out: networking. I admit, a heavy word. A concept that often demands a more impersonal way to approach individuals who happen to work in the same field as yours. Though seen as as task that focuses more on others than oneself, the entire concept cannot be separated from the notion of self-marketing.
It’s a complementary relationship. Your ability to market yourself to the right audience opens doors to new opportunities. Now, I understand if you’re an introvert or if you just aren’t comfortable sharing what you’ve achieved, especially with someone you’re probably meeting for the first time. Unfortunately, I’m in the same boat. But after having countless conversations with my family and friends, it seems like you just need to go for it.
Yes, you might have just landed your dream internship, but no one’s going to know if you don’t make yourself visible. A personal brand is the impression others have of you, and you can shape this perception around your talent. No one knows you better than yourself, so it is important to use this knowledge to your advantage. The very core of self-branding is that it doesn’t solely encompass your professional skills, but rather, it provides a platform for you to combine your authentic self with your qualifications and future goals.
The pressure and fruitfulness of self-marketing in the modern world
In today’s world, we all run at full speed. It is, therefore, no surprise when we see individuals taking full advantage of social media platforms to market themselves. As such, there is no need to be humble anymore. Make use of LinkedIn or perhaps start a blog to present yourself in a way that characterises who you truly are. This can range from emailing a professor to chat, or signing up for conferences at big firms, every way in which you put yourself out there, whether big or small, creates publicity for you as an asset and as an individual.
This concept, however difficult, is not new. On the contrary, what is new is the constant pressure to participate in this marketing strategy. Describing this particular apprehension towards self-marketing doesn’t come easily. It’s as if, deep down, you know you need to start somewhere, but it is this internal discomfort that makes you hesitate before voicing out.
As such, formulating a marketing strategy cannot be done on a whim. Rather, it has to be meticulously planned and implemented over time. It’s about forming those connections and retracing your personal and work experiences through a critical lens while simultaneously portraying them as indispensable skills that could prove to be your strong suit in the future. So, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and curate yourself in a way that showcases your characteristics beyond the professional setting.