Self-marketing in college
BY MELISSA BURNS
Self-marketing is becoming a buzz word these days and it seems that there is more than one reason for that. There are many ways to describe this term, but the simplest one is that self-marketing is the activity of promoting your own activities and making them public in a proactive way. This is an opportunity for a person to showcase their skills, experiences, values, and visions to future employees.
The truth is that there is fierce competition in the job market and this is the reason why college students should start working on self-marketing even during college. This is the most convenient method of establishing trust of future employees and colleagues. We have deliberately mentioned trust because when you get someone’s trust, there is a great chance they will be straight with you and take you into consideration for new jobs. Now that you know how important self-marketing for students is, let’s see how you can conduct self-marketing as college students.
Invest in your online presence
When we say “invest” we don’t mean spending money. We are primarily talking about energy and time. Use your knowledge and skills as well as your opinions on a wide range of online platforms. For example, you can start a blog where you will; discuss different things that can make you stand out. In addition, you can also be present on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. The latter is especially important because a huge number of employers are active on this professional social media network.
The basic goal is to help other people and gaining their trust. Answer the questions they have, showcase your knowledge in specific areas and get involved in online discussions.
Don’t hesitate to share your skills and ideas
Every person is unique. The same goes for college students who are living the days when they are probably most inspired and innovative in their lives. Every college students possesses unique experience, knowledge and skills. Use these things to offer your help. After that, other college students will come to you for help whenever they need some help.
Always be authentic
In order to grab the attention of future employees and colleagues, you should try to stay authentic. People respect individuals with a specific point of view. Of course, this point of view must have some argumentation behind it. In this way, you will stand out from the crowd. Remember that your opinion might not always be popular, but you should not mind that because this is what authentic means.
Don’t be afraid to speak up
Being humble is a good thing, but this doesn’t mean that you should avoid expressing your opinion. This is especially true for situations in which you can relate your accomplishments to a specific work agenda. This will help you get noticed and remembered.
Self-marketing should start during college days because finding the right job after college can mean a lot today. use the above-mentioned tips to gain trust and respect.
Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University. Nowadays she is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Follow her @melissaaburns or contact at burns.melissaa@gmail.com
