Do you have to sell yourself?

[coloradodem2005]

What do you think? Do you have to sell yourself to get anywhere good? Do you find that attitude to be disingenuous?

[Madrone]

1. Maybe so.

That would certainly explain how I ended up an underacheiver. I think selling myself SUCKS. So I don't do it.

I loathe job interviews. Thankfully, I'll not be needing another one for awhile.

[AndyTiedye]

7. Selling MYSELF Doesn't Suck

What really sucks is trying to sell my impression
of their impression of an ideal employee.
That sucks royally,
but it's what everybody tells you to do in an interview.

Interviews went much better after I chucked that advice in the dustbin.

[Dookus]

2. Yes

and it's not disingenuous: it's simply a recognition of the fact that personal interactions are VERY important in all aspects of life.

You needn't lie to sell yourself - you just need to be smart, polite, hopefully funny, and respectful.

[BigMcLargehuge]

3. never underestimate the power of good marketing

[HEyHEY]

4. Yes you do.

My Dad once told me all success is determined by how well you can sell yourself. It's true, I don't find it to be disingenuous though. When I'm "selling myself" I'm not lying, or putting on a show, I'm just being honest.

And it's worked

Hey, I'm the youngest editor in a newspaper chain of over 60 papers with less than a year experience.

[Dookus]

5. Good advice from your Dad...

You're right, it needn't be phony. But ANYBODY making important hiring or promotion decisions will choose the person they like and respect more, all other things being equal.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Better Make Sure All Other Things Aren't Equal Then

Become very, very good at what you do.

[Dookus]

9. also very good advice...

but quite often, there's more than one person qualified to do a job. The more likable one will almost always get it. And that's reasonable - a likable person is more likely to be a good manager than an unlikable one.

[AndyTiedye]

12. Manager? Who Said Anything about being a manager?

Not me! You couldn't pay me enough!:thumbsdown:

Social skills are more important for some jobs (like management)
than others (engineering comes to mind). In engineering it is
usually possible to make it past a weak interview with a good
resume and references to back it up.

Those who can sell themselves will always find work, though they
cannot stay in any job for long if that is all they do.

The rest of us have to produce results that speak for themselves.:think:

[wickerwoman]

6. It depends on your definition of success.

I love my job and I'm happy an comfortable with it, even though, from an objective standpoint with my education I should be making a shit-load more money. I make enough to support myself, afford some frills and save.

If you hate selling yourself (and I do) you may have to readjust your standard of "comfortable living" but it's certainly possible.

[democracyindanger]

10. Yep

Presentation is everything. It's not disingenuous if you're just hitting your highlights. But if you start making stuff up...

[CandyCrim21]

11. In any situation.......

You have to sell yourself. LOL, I'm a waitress, I sell my self everyday. But in order to build strong relationships you have to sell yourself to get that edge in first so that what ever relationship your hoping to get accomplished has a good first impression to start it off. Relationships of all sorts, at school, at work, at home, (of course that starts before but still), in clubs, at DU even. Depends on how deep you want to look into the picture. LOL, I hope we're talking about the same thing.:)

[Magrittes Pipe]

13. I would love to.

But who's buying? :shrug: