Come to Keene!

Imagine this scene: a room full of Recruiters who spend their days on the phone, email, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook asking probing questions of other professionals…struck silent when asked to describe and promote themselves. Our Talent Acquisition Team recently had the pleasure of meeting with Jenny DeVaughn (Director of Social Strategy for the Bernard Hodes Group) to discuss optimizing our use of LinkedIn for recruitment. Everyone was fully engaged when hearing about ways to connect with others, which settings we should use and how we would best highlight company information. There was such an uncomfortable pause, however, when we were asked to talk about ourselves that we had to promise to revisit those sections of our profiles later (preferably in the privacy of our own homes where we would be able to have someone else write it for us).

This is an intriguing double-standard. We feel embarrassed when asked to talk about ourselves, yet we expect for others to present themselves confidently. Our culture looks down on shameless self-promotion, yet we react positively with our wallets to this type of marketing. When we are acting on someone else’s behalf (our company, our clients, our candidates, our cats) it is incredibly easy to push and sell and promote. But, don’t ask me what value I bring…I might be wrong…

Okay, so if the industry-experts are struggling with how to present themselves, how does the job seeker toe the line between showing their areas of expertise and feeling like a braggart?

• State the Facts: Rely on your track-record to speak for you. Stats and figures offer concrete information about your work experience. Be sure to provide some context since each organization has a different structure, a different budget and different expectations. For example, saying that I completed the peak-season staffing for a manufacturing facility doesn’t mean nearly as much as saying that I completed the peak-season staffing for a 350-employee facility within 2 months.
• Pretend you are someone else: I will often ask candidates how their coworkers and supervisors would describe their work experience, since it is easier to see yourself from someone else’s perspective. Prior to writing your resume, applying for a position or having an interview, think about your previous performance reviews, awards or recognitions, recommendations, or even comments made after the completion of a project. What has stood out to your peers and managers in the past?
• Remain humble: Yes, you should walk in with confidence. Yes, you should present yourself as the best fit for the organization. Yes, you should be proud of your accomplishments. But, remember, each team is interviewing a potential colleague…

In the end, promote yourself in a way that feels comfortable and genuine to you. It’s not easy for most people…and it seems to be far too easy for others.

So, how are you presenting yourself? I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn. This is not shameless self-promotion. It is actually the opposite. I don’t care if you know that I can speak Hungarian; I want to know what you can do!