I'm Great! The Problem is No One Knows It - by Donald Straits, CEO and Dragon Slayer, Corporate Warriors
One of my favorite movies is The Associate with Whoopi Goldberg. Here is a paraphrased conversation from one of the scenes:
Whoopi: Where is the box with all of my great ideas?
Associate: I threw it out.
Whoopi: What???!!!
Associate: It's in the computer. It is categorized, cross-categorized, indexed, and referenced.
Whoopi: WOW. Who knew you had that in you?
Associate: Oh, I did.
A popular comment that I hear on a regular basis is: "I don't like to brag about myself. I let my work speak for itself. I am very uncomfortable talking about myself."
Unfortunately, all too often, we, as individuals, are the only ones who know we have it in us to do great things. Unless recognized by others, our talents go unnoticed. In today's extraordinarily difficult job market, it is not enough to wait for others to recognize us, reward us, promote us, and employ us.
While it is difficult and uncomfortable to "toot your own horn," you must make the effort to distinguish yourself from all the other competitive job seekers.
The following suggestions represent more detailed tactics for several ideas I have presented in previous CareerBuilder articles:
Let's begin with your resume. You need to "brag" about yourself through supporting documents included with your resume. Be certain to include visuals. The visuals represent a powerful way to get you noticed. That old adage about only sending a two-page resume is outdated... despite what some people might say. Decision makers will read supporting documents if you can capture their attention with a powerful resume. You need to create credibility for who you are and what you can do. Supporting documents help you achieve that goal.
Get Published. It is a lot easier than you think. Your local newspaper and/or local industry association chapter are great places to get articles published. They are always looking for articles. Select a topic that has broad appeal and provides contemporary ideas. If you can't get your article published, you can still use it to open doors. Here is how. Write the article and put it into an "article format": Use a title heading, followed by your name as author. Put the copy into two columns. Perhaps even put a "water mark" on each page saying: "Pre-Publication." At the end of the article put a short (50- to 100-word) bio including your contact information. You can use the article with your resume, or send it independently to hiring managers to stimulate their interest in you. Indicate in your cover letter that you felt the article would be of interest to him/her, and that your skills would be of benefit to their company. This is a powerful strategy and a great way to tactfully "brag" about yourself.
Give Presentations. Ok, I understand you might not be the most gifted speaker in the world, but giving presentations to community or professional groups is a great way to talk about things you know and want others to know. You can volunteer to speak at church events, association meetings, school or educational events, clubs, social groups, radio programs (they are always looking for guests with great ideas), and TV news shows (the local morning talk shows look for guests with interesting ideas). People gravitate to speakers and want to know about them and their careers. To enhance your speaking skills, I encourage you to join a local Toastmaster organization. Toastmasters is also a great place to network.
Join and PARTICIPATE in trade associations. Do not join associations in name only. Volunteer to serve on committees and in leadership roles. By serving the organization, you are very effectively and tactfully bragging about yourself. Members get to see you in action, and then might decide that, based on your performance, they should consider hiring you. While there are no easy solutions to finding a job in today's market, you can dramatically improve your marketability by enhancing your visibility... through exceptional documentation and personal interaction in the community.
Demonstrating your performance accomplishments and capabilities is not a one-time event. It should be a life-long activity. You don't have to stand on a soap box and preach to the world, but the ideas presented above represent a professional and tactful way to gain the recognition you deserve. ![[End]](/assets/articles/2006/09/522/images/articleend.gif)
Don Straits, CEO and Dragon Slayer, Corporate Warriors, is recognized as a nationwide authority on contemporary job search strategies and technologies for executives. His organization produces world-class online multi-media resume portfolios and provides out-of-the-box coaching for his/her clients. Don can be contacted at don@corporatewarriors.com. Web site: www.corporatewarriors.com.
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