SELLING YOURSELF SHORT?
Jamaican women are becoming more of a force to be reckoned with in the corporate world. But generally, women tend to underplay their achievements, have less confidence in their skills and give themselves less credit for accomplishments.
This week we look at ways that you can market yourself so that you don’t end up selling yourself short.
. Not asking everyone you know for help while job hunting.
Women are great at asking for help. Think of the common joke about women asking for directions when they’re lost, while men stay lost. But when looking for jobs women tend to keep their search to themselves, while men tell everyone they know. “Networking” is a scary word for a lot of women. Start by asking friends and former colleagues for help, you’ll be surprise where the help comes from. Sometimes it is the friend of the friend that you weren’t going to ask that comes through for you.
. Saying “I’ve never done that” instead of “I can learn that” or “I will learn that.”
Women tend to underplay the ability to learn very fast. Even if there is something that you may have never done always leave the door open to do it because it is this kind of “can do” perspective that can be more important than actual experience. The benefit to this also is that you will learn something new and interesting!
. Believing that staying at home as a mom isn’t a job and doesn’t develop marketable skills.
Many stay-at-home moms tend to think that they don’t have any (or recent enough) professional skills. When women tell me this, I list the skills mothers have: project management, budgeting, negotiation/conflict resolution and tutoring. Certainly there are many more than this short list.
. Not highlighting your experience, skills and knowledge.
I have seen many resumes in which women listed their job titles but did not explain the excellent skills they gained from those jobs. Most men I know will give themselves the benefit of any doubt – if they’ve done it before, even briefly, they’ll list it as a skill. There is a place in-between saying you’ve done more than you actually can do and downplaying very real skills you have. Reread your resume and ask yourself if you’re really emphasising your abilities in the descriptions.
. Waiting for them to call you instead of calling to check on them.
This is the professional version of the woman waiting by the phone for the man to call. Of course, it is not a good idea to nag a potential boss. However, a friendly inquiry call once a week or so is professional. Generally, I keep calling for updates and to offer new information until and unless I’m told, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” To my knowledge, potential bosses don’t use these kinds of calls as reasons not to hire someone.
. Not negotiating salary, benefits and working conditions.
Obviously, potential bosses have constraints with budgets and how much they can pay new employees. However, there is often negotiating room for salaries and perks. There are times when a potential boss will withdraw a job offer if you try to negotiate too high. What mostly happens is that you may ask for a higher salary and they can’t give it to you. Then you can decide not to accept the position. But, if you’d like a higher salary, you probably won’t lose the job offer by asking for more.
. Not asking for a “try me out.”
When you don’t get the job and you desperately want to work for that organisation or in that field, ask for a project. If you can afford to do so, ask for a trial pro bono. This means that you would take on a project for small or no pay to showcase your talents and skills. This idea may be new to many organisations, but the truth is the tightness and competitiveness of the job market dictates that you find new and creative ways to get the job. Some bosses believe that no one works for free, but if it is only costing you a minimal amount such as lunch and transportation then you can go for it. It would not be wise to go for it if it means that you are already flat broke and don’t have the first dime because it is a gamble that may not pay off.
. Not following up to find out why you weren’t hired.
It is a great idea to call and ask for feedback. Anytime you interview for a job, be sure to follow up after the hiring decision is made. The more you know about the reasons that you weren’t hired, the more you can improve your interviewing skills.
. Not giving yourself a break from worrying.
Women like to replay every word. How many times have you gone to a job interview and played it back in your head over and over like a video. Have you picked apart the conversation and agonised over everything you said? Don’t replay the scene over and over just looking for tiny flaws. Assume that you did fine. Tell yourself that you did your best. Then celebrate that you made it through another interview!
Lisa-Ann Edwards is a corporate planning consultant. Email feedback to corpcon2004@yahoo.com.
