How to Sell Your Skills to Future Employers [5 Steps]
When it comes to applying and marketing yourself for jobs, it can be hard to break past the imposter syndrome to really sell your skills and experience.
In fact, research suggests that 7 in 10 of us experience imposter syndrome at one point or another in our lives.
Here are 5 fool-proof ways to beat imposter syndrome and market yourself to future employers.
Know your audience
Depending on what career moves you’re looking to make, you can target your job-search efforts so that you stand out from other candidates.
That means taking the time to understand what your potential employer is looking for when hiring:
What problems are they looking to solve?
What skills or traits are they looking for in an employee?
What channels would they use when hiring?
Thinking about these kinds of questions, you can consider how your own skills and experience match the needs of the employer.
2. Create an elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive explanation of who you are and how your skills can benefit a future employer.
But what really sells an elevator pitch is the story - your story.
What has your journey been up until this point and where do you want to go next?
An example might look like:
“Hi, you’re the web development manager for Roma Black, right? I’m Charlie, I’ve just graduated university with a 2:1 in IT systems management and am looking for career development opportunities. I’ve been able to build out my skillset doing volunteer work as an IT Assistant for the last two years, where I’ve become experienced using C++ for website development. Would you mind if I sent over my CV, or is there someone more appropriate to send it to?”
So here, we see ‘Charlie’ explaining:
Who they are
Their qualifications
Their experience
Their technical skillset
Their future goals
Knowing what you bring to the table naturally builds your confidence - don’t be afraid to shout about your achievements.
3. Build your personal brand
We know, everybody and their mums are on LinkedIn talking about building a personal brand.
But that’s because it works!
Nearly 50% of employers won’t interview a candidate if they can’t find them online - so whilst you sweep your profile to remove any embarrassing pictures, you should also be using this opportunity to stand out and make a great first impression.
If you don’t know where to start, check out our blog on how to build a personal brand.
4. Highlight RESULTS over responsibilities
When writing a CV or cover letter, it’s easy to fall into the trap of responsibilities.
If you’re writing “worked on XYZ” or “responsible for ABC”, you’re missing out on an opportunity to really impress the employer.
Instead of listing out your job description, highlight your achievements to show that your work delivers RESULTS:
Responded to customer complaints → Achieved a 95% customer satisfaction rating for 2 years running
Organised company archives → Increased efficiency of data storage to improve workflow
Volunteered weekly → Completed 400 hours of work experience in the XYZ sector
Future employers want to know how your past experience can help them to deliver results, so make it easier for them by highlighting your key achievements.
5. Keep an up-to-date portfolio
Sometimes the work really does speak for itself.
Keeping an up-to-date portfolio gives employers the chance to easily review all of your best work ahead of time.
This might be a showreel, a website, a blog or even an Instagram account - all of which are great ways to highlight your previous projects.
This portfolio should be made up of the work you’re most proud of, as it’s a reflection of what you’re capable of achieving.
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