here people will give you encouragement and support. For example, avoid places where vicious gossip is common. Seek instead to surround yourself with positive people. Always remember, if you project positively, you will get positvity back.

A second key to successful self-marketing and career success is your sphere of contacts, who you know. This is why it’s important for you to join local social and networking associations such as, Lions Clubs International o

You’ve probably noticed how few people always seem to get the raises, promotions and pats on the back from the boss, while so many others toil for years, unrecognized and unrewarded, at the same jobs.

You can attribute career stagnation to bad luck, but that’s not enough. Napoleon believed that luck didn’t fail people; rather people failed to exploit their luck. Nor can it always be blamed on bad companies and unfair bosses; that’s sometimes the case but too often an excuse. While hard work is prerequisite for success, it’s not the only ingredient. Just what is the secret of success that those fortunate few have discovered?

It comes down to marketing: You must sell yourself to others. Just as sales of toothpaste or cars depend on advertising, so does job promotion depend on the perception of ourselves we create in the minds of our superiors and coworkers.

The first key to successful self-marketing is that you must be able to convince others of your value, but in order to do that you have to first value yourself. If you want to change the way others see you, then you must first change the way you see yourself. What you think you are is what you show. Other people see in you what you see in yourself. They accept your estimation of yourself.

Here are three things you can do to improve your self-image:

• Talk positively to yourself. For example, before you begin a difficult task, tell yourself that you will do a terrific job.

• Do the things that you lack confidence in, but start with small steps, to get yourself comfortable with them. For example, if you believe you can’t speak to a group of people, try starting out with small groups first, such as with coworkers and colleagues. Eventually, you’ll build your confidence in yourself, which will give others more confidence in you.

• Seek positive environments, where people will give you encouragement and support. For example, avoid places where vicious gossip is common. Seek instead to surround yourself with positive people. Always remember, if you project positively, you will get positvity back.

A second key to successful self-marketing and career success is your sphere of contacts, who you know. This is why it’s important for you to join local social and networking associations such as, Lions Clubs International or

often an excuse. While hard work is prerequisite for success, it’s not the only ingredient. Just what is the secret of success that those fortunate few have discovered?

It comes down to marketing: You must sell yourself to others. Just as sales of toothpaste or cars depend on advertising, so does job promotion depend on the perception of ourselves we create in the minds of our superiors and coworkers.

The first key to successful self-marketing is that you must be able to convince others of your value, but in order to do that you have to first value yourself. If you want to change the way others see you, then you must first change the way you see yourself. What you think you are is what you show. Other people see in you what you see in yourself. They accept your estimation of yourself.

Here are three things you can do to improve your self-image:

• Talk positively to yourself. For example, before you begin a difficult task, tell yourself that you will do a terrific job.

• Do the things that you lack confidence in, but start with small steps, to get yourself comfortable with them. For example, if you believe you can’t speak to a group of people, try starting out with small groups first, such as with coworkers and colleagues. Eventually, you’ll build your confidence in yourself, which will give others more confidence in you.

• Seek positive environments, where people will give you encouragement and support. For example, avoid places where vicious gossip is common. Seek instead to surround yourself with positive people. Always remember, if you project positively, you will get positvity back.

A second key to successful self-marketing and career success is your sphere of contacts, who you know. This is why it’s important for you to join local social and networking associations such as, Lions Clubs International o

u must be able to convince others of your value, but in order to do that you have to first value yourself. If you want to change the way others see you, then you must first change the way you see yourself. What you think you are is what you show. Other people see in you what you see in yourself. They accept your estimation of yourself.

Here are three things you can do to improve your self-image:

• Talk positively to yourself. For example, before you begin a difficult task, tell yourself that you will do a terrific job.

• Do the things that you lack confidence in, but start with small steps, to get yourself comfortable with them. For example, if you believe you can’t speak to a group of people, try starting out with small groups first, such as with coworkers and colleagues. Eventually, you’ll build your confidence in yourself, which will give others more confidence in you.

• Seek positive environments, where people will give you encouragement and support. For example, avoid places where vicious gossip is common. Seek instead to surround yourself with positive people. Always remember, if you project positively, you will get positvity back.

A second key to successful self-marketing and career success is your sphere of contacts, who you know. This is why it’s important for you to join local social and networking associations such as, Lions Clubs International o

n a difficult task, tell yourself that you will do a terrific job.

• Do the things that you lack confidence in, but start with small steps, to get yourself comfortable with them. For example, if you believe you can’t speak to a group of people, try starting out with small groups first, such as with coworkers and colleagues. Eventually, you’ll build your confidence in yourself, which will give others more confidence in you.

• Seek positive environments, where people will give you encouragement and support. For example, avoid places where vicious gossip is common. Seek instead to surround yourself with positive people. Always remember, if you project positively, you will get positvity back.

A second key to successful self-marketing and career success is your sphere of contacts, who you know. This is why it’s important for you to join local social and networking associations such as, Lions Clubs International o

here people will give you encouragement and support. For example, avoid places where vicious gossip is common. Seek instead to surround yourself with positive people. Always remember, if you project positively, you will get positvity back.

A second key to successful self-marketing and career success is your sphere of contacts, who you know. This is why it’s important for you to join local social and networking associations such as, Lions Clubs International or Rotary International. Become involved in the organizations and take any speaking engagements you get, but always talk on a subject you know.

You should regularly attend luncheons, conferences and seminars that associations hold. More importantly, you should expand your contacts by socializing with peers and superiors from different organizations. People who do well have connections in different areas. Joining quality circles and task forces is one way to make contacts, as is participating in company sponsored charities, such as the United Way.

The important point to remember is that you need to become visible to people in many areas, including your company’s customers and suppliers. Go lunch with these people and get them on the phone once in a while and raise questions regarding the industry and things that you’ve read. Your desire to know is something that people above you will take note of.

A third key to successful self-marketing is the ability to demonstrate to your superiors exactly what you have been able to do for the company. In the Information Age the bottom line is what counts. Companies are interested only in what you have done to increase their profits.

Here are two things you need to do that will help you better emphasize your accomplishments:

• Emphasize the organization instead of yourself. Focus on what you have done for the company rather than what the company has done for you.

• Be sure about your accomplishments. Have a list of the problems you dealt with and with the results you achieved. Have you merely accomplished your tasks, or have you exceeded expectations? Remember that the more difficult the problem you faced, the better you will look having solved it.

If you are feeling unrewarded, the worst thing to do is to storm into the boss’s office and have it out. Often the problem is