A Marketing Major's Perspective on Selling YOUR skills

With the job market the way it is today, simply having a college degree and a resume is not enough to land the job. It has become extremely competitive out there. To get the job you desire, you need to set yourself apart from the thousands of others who will be graduating this spring. When it comes down to it, you have to sell your skills to employers. No matter what profession you are looking to start out your career in, first it takes becoming a salesperson for the length of your career search. Here’s how you can start selling your skills:

1. Create a personal brand. Decide what your goals and skills are and compile them to create a product to sell – your very own personal brand. Start developing the brand on your resume and cover letters. These documents should encompass everything that you have to offer, and reflect your personality all on one page. Use social networking to develop your personal brand. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can all be tools to reflect who you are and what you aspire to do in your career. You can even encompass your brand in your dress for interviews.
2. Spread the word. Get out there and send as many (targeted, not generic) resumes/cover letters out as possible. Every good salesperson knows they can’t expect to make a sell by just contacting one client. The same applies to finding a career. Look for a career through connections, http://jobs.auburn.edu, and on social networking sites. The more jobs you apply for, the better results you will have.
3. Be prepared with a sales pitch. Work on your elevator speech and interviewing skills so when the time comes, you’ll be ready sell your skills.
4. Close the deal. To be able to sell your personal brand properly you have to be able to close. After the interview, make sure to send thank you notes and keep in contact with the interviewer. Don’t annoy them, but also don’t let them forget about you. You don’t want to leave the ball in the employer’s court, so go ahead and ask for the job.

There are only six weeks until graduation, and seniors can no longer sit around and wait for a career to fall in their laps. Hopefully this has motivated you to get out there and start selling your skills!

Money Makin’ Mitchler ‘10