Is Self-Promotion a Deal Killer Or an Important Art?

David G. Jensen

This month’s column references aspects of human nature, some of which you may find uncomfortable. My comments may contradict your early training—especially if you come from the world of science. You may remember your professor or advisor stating how “good science will always sell itself.” Your teachers didn’t want you to promote your work because, in academia, the work is supposed to stand on its own. But as most will attest, it doesn’t really work that way in practice!

There have been books written over the years that describe how it’s possible to build an idea into a small business (or grow a small business into a large one) using marketing and promotions basics. Books with titles like Guerrilla Marketing have popularized the concept of managing a large-company public appearance for very small organizations. I think it is important to have a similar kind of marketing campaign going for your career.

Unfortunately, some people misunderstand the concept of self-promotion and go right over the top. You know what I’m talking about, I’m sure. There’s probably someone you know who very quietly goes about their business without ever commenting on his or her success. Unfortunately, that person always seems to be swept under the table when the awards are passed out. But there’s also someone you know who comes across as terribly rude by bragging about his accomplishments at every opportunity. As you might guess, neither of those approaches is good for your career. Instead, take the middle ground…you must find a way to make sure that people know what you do well, but you can’t rub their noses in it at every project meeting.

As a headhunter, I can spot the good self-promoter and the bad self-promoter within a few minutes. Job interviews like those I conduct are perfect conditions to work on your skills. Where could it be more important to let people know what you are good at than when applying for a new job? 

The Fear of Self-Promotion

It’s important to look at why some people are held back. I found a definition that I like about the “fear” of self-promotion. I’m relaying it to you because so often I’ve seen how this fear keeps a job candidate from advancing as fast as they might otherwise.

“The fear of self-promotion consists of all behavioral habits, thoughts, actions or feelings, which conspire to keep competent people of all walks of life from being able to stand up and take credit for who they are and what they do well.”

—George W. Dudley, Behavioral Scientist and Author

In other words, no matter how strong your technical abilities, those skills won’t advance your career unless others are aware of them. We all know how important it is to have the support and respect of the boss, but if she’s going to help you, she will need to know what it is that you’ve accomplished. Too often, the knowledge of the specific “who did what” gets lost in the haze for the boss who’s looking more at the big picture.

This means that if you are the sort of person who can’t express your strengths to those around you, you will be held back by those who can.

Get the Job You Want

Self-promotion and salesmanship are very closely related, which is why many people in technical careers suffer from that fear I mentioned. Think about the people who have left your company and gone on to other successful roles. Have they always been the “best person for the job”? Or, have you discovered (as I have) that they are consistently the best at the process of getting the job. This process, to a certain extent, relies on salesmanship—even though many people react negatively to that word.

What do you think of when you think of salesmanship? Used cars? Or, that lab supplies rep who clears the lab when she is spotted in the hallway? Well, the talent I am referring to has nothing to do with those examples. I would never recommend an unethical approach to selling your skills and abilities. Instead, your success in this effort will come because you’ve been building your strengths along a particular line of work (one that ties into your long-term plans) and along the way you’ve ensured that key people know your capabilities. 

Just how do you do that? One example might be at the annual review session you have with your boss. When you’re discussing how it’s been going, and what activities you’ve been engaged in, have the facts in front of you about your successes on the team. Give plenty of credit to the team and the organization, but also ensure that your specific role is made clear so that the boss knows he or she can count on you again in your area of expertise.

Position Yourself right!

“Positioning” is another word stolen from the lexicon of the professional marketer. It refers to educating the public about the strengths of a given product. In other words, to see that the product is placed in the proper perspective in a world of competitive products. A Mercedes-Benz is “positioned” as a luxury class vehicle of outstanding quality and it says something about the lifestyle of its owner. Advertising agencies work long and hard to put this simple picture into our minds.

Similarly, we must consider how we position ourselves in the incredibly competitive world of science and engineering employment. Have you positioned yourself as a “Quality Analyst” when your competitor for the same job has positioned herself as a “Quality Analyst with Process Development Experience”? In a world of CVs, where so many look the same, that additional positioning may be just what is required to get the job seeker noticed.

This brings to light some of the subtle ways that self-promotion and positioning can aid in a job search. Should you present your one-size-fits-all standard resume to an opening in which 200 others are going to apply? Not if you want to get hired, you don’t. My belief is that proper self-promotion begins by reorganizing the way you present your data on a CV or resume. Always arrange the skill areas on your resume to highlight those that are required by the specific job to which you’re applying.

Here’s an example of what I mean. Look at the following descriptions of two people, and decide which of these sounds like someone you’d most like to meet. (These are not supposed to be resume words—they’re just random adjectives):

Person A: Intelligent, Sensitive, Hard-Working, Envious, Crafty

Person B: Envious, Crafty, Sensitive, Hard-Working, Intelligent

Before you figured out that they were identical lists, didn’t you think that Person A sounded a lot more like someone you could associate with? This is due to what Dr. William Lareau, author of the book Conduct Expected, calls “the Primacy Effect.” 

“Human beings have a marked tendency to attach extra significance or weight to information that arrives first,” he describes in the example from his book. 

And with that proven time and time again, it baffles me why many resumes arrive in HR offices daily with the important information buried somewhere in the back. If you’re applying for a role that involves math and statistics experience, don’t put your scholarly awards in those areas at the back of the CV. Dust off any experience you’ve had with statistics over the years and put it up front.

Understand Your Abilities 

Although I never want to be accused of making snap judgments, I can usually guess at how an interview will go based on my review of a CV and the first telephone conversation with a candidate. If, in that brief meeting, a person has difficulty telling me what it is that they do well, with a few relevant accomplishments, then I can assume that even with preparation they will have the same difficulty when sitting in front of our hiring manager.

What can you do to overcome this fear of self-promotion? Begin by developing a thorough understanding of your own abilities and past accomplishments. Take a close look at your CV and determine just how you are positioning yourself against the competition. Remember, few situations in your life require salesmanship like a job search!

David G. Jensen

Founder and Managing Director of CTI Executive Search

davejensen70@gmail.com
928-274-2266 

David Jensen is the founder and managing director of CTI Executive Search, a unit of CareerTrax Inc, a leading search firm working in the life sciences. Previously, he had been a managing director at Kincannon & Reed, a 30-year retained executive search firm where his company, CareerTrax, had been a contractor. In 1985, Jensen founded and was CEO at Search Masters International (SMI), a top executive search practice working with biotechnology companies, which was sold in 2001 to a $4.4B human resources service firm. Prior to 1985, Jensen had established a life sciences practice for Govig and Associates (Phoenix, AZ).