Polishing Your Marketability

In order to maintain your marketability it is important to keep your image polished at all times. These days of downsizing demand that you do all you can to secure your position in the workplace.

It is always imperative to stay on the cutting edge of your profession. Those that are able to do the most tasks with the most excellence are the ones that will be in demand. The ones that do just enough to get by are not.

Your future is totally in your hands. Only you can control your future. By applying the following principles you can enhance your public image. You can get noticed and stay noticed.

Polish your personal appearance.
It may sound trivial, but it is important to maintain a positive professional image. The way you dress, comb your hair, polish your shoes, carry yourself etc. all go along way in marketing yourself. If needed consult a fashion expert to assist you with dressing properly.

Constantly improve your communication skills.
Perhaps nothing is more important than your ability to communicate. Communication involves both listening and speaking. While most people are continually trying to find the right thing to say, they neglect the most important part of communicating with others, listening. The only way you can understand what someone else is saying or feeling is to listen to what they are saying. Then and only then are you truly communicating.
Whether communication is in front of a group, or is one on one, how you communicate goes a long way in determining your success or failure. Seek to be clear and concise when sharing with others. Take a specialized course in public speaking.

Develop your writing skills.
In order to increase your marketability you must constantly seek to improve your writing skills. Improper use of words, misspelled words and poor grammar, when in written form, hurt your marketability. In their book “Smart Moves,” Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman write, “Whenever you communicate you are saying three things: something about your message, something about your reader, and something about yourself. When you write clearly you’re showing that you understand the reader, you’ve thought clearly about your purpose and have expressed it well, and you’re presenting a positive image of yourself.”
Read, Read, Read!

One of the common denominators of highly successful people is the amount of reading they do. In order to polish your marketability you need to read everything you can regarding your career field. The late President, John F. Kennedy said, “Knowledge is power.” The key to knowledge is reading. Stay up to date with information that is relevant to your profession.

Stay current.
Staying current in your career field gives you a positive advantage over those that don’t. This makes you more a more valuable employee, contract worker or entrepreneur. Stay on the cutting edge of information and technology in your field of expertise. Take every course you can. Attend every seminar you can. Become an expert in your field.

Stay in touch.
Don’t unnecessarily burn bridges behind you. Always keep the door of communication open with both current and former business contacts. Send thank you notes. Call on special days. Let others know that you genuinely care about them. Offer to assist them in any way you can. Ask them to assist you when you need it. Show your gratitude when they come through for you.

Mind your manners.
It is vitally important that you remember your business etiquette. Don’t overstep boundaries that you shouldn’t step over. Treat everyone with respect. Always show courtesy to those that you seek to do business with. Be aware of your table manners. Say excuse me when you interrupt a conversation. Know and follow the protocol of the activity you are involved in. Basically treat others the way you want to be treated.

Maintain a positive attitude.
People like to be around, and do business with, those that have a good attitude. No one likes to have to deal with people that are difficult to get along with. Attitudes, like measles, are impossible to hide. By being positive, enthusiastic and optimistic in business dealings you are increasing your personal marketability.
Develop your skills.

Those whose skills are developed most are the most marketable. People who know what they are doing, and who can do it most efficiently, are always in demand. Constantly work at developing and honing your skills. Don’t be afraid to learn new things. Be adaptable. Change with the times. Stay current by keeping your skills up to date.

Develop your trustworthiness.
Be a person of your word. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Practice loyalty to your company and bosses. By being dependable you make yourself less expendable. Go above and beyond what is required of you. Volunteer for projects no one else wants, but you are qualified to do. These things can only enhance your marketability.