SHAMELESS MARKETING: SKILLS, POTENTIAL, & EMPLOYMENT

Everybody has been talking about the economy, and unemployment figures for a while; however, some of us didn't quite get the message. We continued applying for positions in our own field, and accepted some kind of a job, any job, to do until something happened. We assumed that eventually our job search would pay off, because our skills were well documented, and we had always been able to make them work for us in the past.

I can't tell you exactly when it is time to get shameless, but for me it happened last week. My refrigerator stopped working on the day after I filled it with groceries purchased with my EBT food stamp card. I resigned myself to purchase groceries daily, until my car broke down two days later, causing me to become grounded, and unable to make it to my minimum wage job working part time at Curves. My loyal family covered the cost of both problems, at my emotional expense, because I am someone who has a need to be productive, and carry by own weight, at least 98% of the time. For me, it is time for shameless (devil may care) marketing of my skills, abilities, potential, and employment possibilities. If you have experienced similar or worse setbacks, the time for shameless marketing may have come for you as well.

WHAT IS SHAMELESS MARKETING

Shameless marketing is doing anything, and everything you can to make enough money to support your needs, and hopefully, even your wants. It includes promoting your skills, abilities, potential, and employment using any and every means available to you. Shameless marketing includes applying for jobs you've never done, but that involve skills you believe you could perform. It includes going back to work you did years ago, in my case this is outside sales, but may not have done in many years. It means using the Internet, Facebook, My Space, and whatever media is available to promote your own contract work, employment, or both. It means knocking on doors, making deals, doing whatever you can to promote yourself in any way you can.

WHAT IS NOT SHAMELESS MARKETING

Shameless marketing does not include applying for jobs at Burger King, McDonald's, Curves for Women (my part time minimum wage job) or other minimum wage jobs. Shameless marketing does not include shooting for underemployment. Those options are respectable, and fine to do until you can do better, but they are not what shameless marketing is about. Shameless marketing involves laying your reputation on the line, by marketing to businesses and people who matter. Yes, those who can help or hurt you. We are not talking about situations in which you have nothing to lose. We are talking about taking risks with individuals and businesses that might can make a real difference in your financial situation and employment status, or might reject you outright. We are talking about laying your employment skills on the table, and your self esteem, for all to see.

PRIDE

Pride is not a part of shameless marketing. If you worry about how you appear to others, you will not be able to lay everything on the line. Shameless marketing includes placing a business sign on a car most people wouldn't want to be seen driving, or admitting to the world in articles such as these that you are doing just what you are doing, and why. Some people will not respect your efforts. Those who hold appearances as more marketable than spunk, guts or drive, will not respect the zeal demonstrated in shameless marketing. Even after you succeed such people will not approve of your methods.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING OR WHAT MUST I ELIMINATE IN ORDER TO DO SHAMELESS MARKETING?

In order to market yourself shamelessly, you must:

• Stop caring what others think of you, or even trying to figure out what they are thinking.
• approach anyone who might have work, information about work, or employment for you that might work to your advantage.
• approach former employers, yes, even those who might not like or respect you, for job opportunities. You can not read another person's mind, and the worst they can do is not provide you with work or a job opportunity. You won't get one anyway if you never ask.
• Market any and every skill you possess. If you have worked as a counselor, market your people skills, and your knowledge of human behavior. If your resumes have landed you better jobs than you were capable of doing in the past, market your resume writing skills, that is if you wrote your own resumes. If you are able to convince people that you can do things you aren't even sure you can do, market your persuasion skills, and be prepared to have to actually do anything you convince anyone you can do. My guess is that if you can convince someone you can do something, you can also actually do it. Do not discount anything that is legal and ethical for you to do. Remain open to any work that can actually take care of your financial needs, even if it is temporary, because temporary jobs often lead to full time jobs when you continue to market yourself after employment through positive work habits and strong work ethic. They can also mean customers for contract work in whatever capacity you worked on a temporary basis.
• Continue to market yourself after you get the job, or work. Marketing of ones self does not stop once you are hired. There are plenty of people out there who want the opportunity to work at whatever capacity you are working. Becoming lazy will cost you your self esteem, self respect, and may cost you your job. Talk to a friend when you feel discouraged, used, or as if your efforts are going nowhere. If you fear wearing your friends down, see a counselor. Do whatever you need to do to keep your energy level high, and your frame of mind hopeful and positive. In my case journaling, and writing are cures for depression, and discouragement. Whatever makes you feel good about your self, do it now, and do it after you are working.
• Lastly, if you don't have anyone else with whom to share your discouragement, fears, and hopes, contact me. I will reply, and your comments and requests for encouragement will also boost my feelings of self worth. Keep in mind that this will also work for you, so take time to be a friend to others as you seek work opportunities and employment. It will help you feel better about yourself, which will increase your marketability. Perhaps you should even begin, or participate in a support group for people who are seeking work opportunities. Such a group could not only remind you that you are not alone; it could also produce relationships and networking opportunities. Your next job may come from someone who was unemployed at the time you met them.
• The most important task is to never give up. Even when things seem hopeless, your next opportunity may be just around the corner, so smile, face the world, and market yourself shamelessly.

CLICK BELOW TO LEARN HOW TO RISE ABOVE THE HERD, AND PREPARE FOR AN EMPLOYMENT INTERVEW:

http://hubpages.com/_2pvzhao591xs4/hub/RISING-ABOVE-THE-HERD-PREPARING-FOR-AN-EMPLOYMENT-INTERVIEW

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHY YOU SHOULD BE IN IT FOR THE MONEY:

http://hubpages.com/_2pvzhao591xs4/hub/ARE-YOU-IN-IT-FOR-THE-MONEY-IF-NOT-YOU-PROBABLY-HAVE-MONEY-TO-SPARE-BUT-MAY-NOT-KEEP-IT-LONG

CLICK BELOW TO LEARN HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION STYLE AND IMPRESSION ON OTHERS:

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CLICK BELOW TO LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY USE EMAIL FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:

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