Humility will win you respect, friendship and kind
favours, yet it can also cost you job opportunities if taken too
far. As hard as people work on polishing their resumes and cover
letters for prospective employees, many are hesitant when it comes
to praising themselves. The tendency for job seekers
to back off on using language and descriptions that are self-promotional
can be a mistake.
“You are the product,” says Barbara McCleave, a
career management consultant based in Long Island, N.Y. “And
products need good marketers.”
McCleave says most people tend to sell themselves short in the
job market. Yet, as she points out, there are methods for avoiding
this pitfall without seeming boastful. The tactics she prescribes
are similar to what a salesperson would use to move wares into
homes: testimonials, quality analysis and convincing vocabulary.
What job seekers should do is research themselves. Find out
what they’re good at by soliciting feedback from others
who they’ve worked alongside or who know them well. A personal
trait, perhaps politeness, may be considered by the job seeker
to be not a big deal, but to co-workers it could be among that
person’s finest features.
Prior to sending out a resume, applicants should also think
as objectively as they can about what they have to offer. A good
exercise is to consider themselves as a “machine” forged
by experience and education. What distinguishes the product (you)
from the competition?
By identifying your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs),
you give human resources professionals a clearer and more accurate
view of who you are as a potential candidate. More importantly,
you may enlighten yourself on what you want out of a job and
out of life. It’s true that more and more people are moving
in and out of companies and careers as they try to find the correct
fit for themselves. As this trend continues it’s important
for job seekers to know who they are, what they are capable of,
and what motivates them.
“When you do a laundry list of KSAs, include items you
like to do, but also include things you know you are good at
but not that interested in because all your KSAs are marketable.
Then you can prioritize them to come up with your three top strengths,” says
McCleave. It may sound simple, yet McCleave understands that
the process can be difficult. “It’s common for us
to not spend much time reflecting on what we’re good at;
and many of us have not had the benefit of good, honest performance
feedback. If that’s the case, the best way to surface your
strengths is by identifying and dissecting your accomplishments.”
Presenting specific details on achievements that you are proud
of and that others have noticed is the surest means to preparing
a quality cover letter and resume. Work that can stand on its
own without the embellishment of adjectives is often the best
way to hawk a candidate’s range of abilities while maintaining
his or her humble disposition.
|
