By Linda Van Valkenburgh, MS, CCMC, CJSS, CSMCS, CELDC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindavan/
As you work to achieve your career goals and seek better opportunities, you will find it valuable to consider how to promote yourself.
Promoting the right aspects of your skills, talent, experience, knowledge, and results could be the difference between getting to where you want to go and spinning your wheels.
So, what constitutes the right aspects of your value? What should you emphasize on your resume and in interviews? How can you continually move forward in your career?
Here are several ideas of how to promote yourself and progress towards your career goals.
Demonstrate Your Understanding of the Business
You must be an expert of your industry if you wish to be an executive, or prove yourself worthy of an executive position.
Whether they are reviewing your resume or asking interview questions, your employer wants to know they can trust you with their business. If you do not know how many employees they have, whether the company is publicly traded, who its main competitors are, and so on, then it may be time to do your homework.
An in-depth knowledge of the business is an absolute requirement for any leader. Promoting your extensive knowledge of the company or industry is a good way to move towards your career goals. This will mostly come down to how you answer questions pointed in your direction.
Prove Your Ability to Solve Problems
Are you confident in your ability to solve any problem? How do you cope with unexpected situations? Are you capable of taking charge and handling issues, even if they are outside your area of understanding or expertise?
Leaders always have greater responsibilities, but the rewards are also proportionate. You may find yourself in territory you have never navigated before, but the mark of a true leader is someone who can find solutions, even when they are met with seemingly insurmountable challenges.
As an aspiring or existing executive, you must prove your ability to solve problems. You should be armed with stats and stories that illustrate challenges you have overcome if you want to prove your worth as a problem-solver.
Build Your Credibility
Employers look for many things in an executive-level candidate. Your demeanor, confidence, body language, how likable you are, and any subtle cues that communicate your level of competency may be evaluated as you seek to reach your career goals.
Most of all, employers want to know that you can be trusted to deliver results. Are you accountable? Can you carry out the tasks you have been assigned? Will you go beyond the call of duty?
Working on your body language and appearance can help. But confidence is typically developed at a deeper level, and often comes from a record of accomplishments in your career. Begin building on your successes today, no matter how small, and keep stacking the wins. There is no short cut to get to where you want to go.
Show How You Can Contribute to the Bottom Line Of The Company
How will the company benefit from your work?
When it comes to hiring executives, most employers want to know how you can improve their bottom line. Your confidence and leadership ability will also be valued, but not as much as the revenue you generate for the company.
Again, the best way to demonstrate to the company you are looking to work for how you can benefit the company is by illustrating your work through stats and story
Final Thoughts
Reaching your career goals may take significant time and effort. Know this work is worth the time because it is helping you towards your dreams.
Rome was not built in a day, and your dream job will not land in your lap either. But as you gain more experience and show yourself capable, your achievements will grow, and employers will look upon you more favorably.
Let’s get to work!
If you have questions about your executive career search, please contact me at 203-323-9977 or [email protected].