If someone asked you to give yourself a score out of ten for your job marketability, what would it be? Eight? Five? Two? 

For most of us, the answer is somewhere between three and eight. We know we have some value, but we’re not convinced how much. 

Fortunately, there are ways you can improve your marketability. And often, it is the small things that have the biggest impact. (You don’t necessarily have to go back to school for three years to get another degree). 

So, what can you do to improve your job marketability and get a maximum score of ten? Let’s take a look. 

Network

The first step is to network with people in your field. Making great relationships can improve your chances of climbing the corporate ladder. 

When networking, try not to focus too much on yourself. Instead, try to become the person who connects people. Listen carefully to what others say, picking up on small points and then introducing them to others who might benefit from a conversation with them. 

Once you put yourself at the centre of a network, everyone will come to you. Then, you can be the master orchestrator, managing people and sending them to various locations.

You can start this process by going to events and joining professional associations. The wider you can cast your net, the more people will want to get to know you and benefit from your connections. Eventually, the connections themselves will become valuable and that will be what you need to supercharge your success in the office and move forward in your career. (Getting this right can boost your job marketability to a perfect 10 even without adding skills or experience). 

Talk About Your Achievements

Another approach is to highlight your achievements. Showing others what you can do and achieve is an excellent way to inspire confidence and get them to trust you. 

Don’t brag about what you’ve done. Instead, simply remind people of the facts. For instance, if you increased sales by 30% company-wide, pitch yourself as the person who achieved that metric. 

The only problem with this approach is that you have to keep it up. You need to achieve comparable or better performance every year, which might not be feasible in some industries. 

Ideally, you’d want to create a system that generates the results for you. If you can control this, then you can put yourself in a better position and not have to rely so much on performance. 

Write It Down

You can also try increasing your job marketability by writing it down on your resume. Including everything you’ve done and how you did it can make it more likely that other employers will seek you out for your skills. 

Brands like CV Experts understand the value of getting it in writing. Putting it on paper makes it concrete and allows for direct comparison with other candidates. 

Ideally, you want to create any written statements professionally. High-quality writing is an excellent way to convince people you have the skills it takes to function in a high-value role without requiring endless hand-holding. 

Build Your Online Presence

Related to this last point, it’s also an excellent idea to build your online presence. Creating a persona helps employers learn more about you. 

Constructing your internet avatar should start with Linkedin. As a professional social media networking site, it offers all the tools you need to display your CV, work experience, articles, videos, blogs, and anything else you want to include. 

The best profiles begin by adding value in some way (usually by providing helpful information) and working from there. It’s okay to include your CV, but most people are more interested in using you to get stuff done. 

For instance, suppose you’re a consultant who helps businesses with their tax planning. Companies aren’t necessarily interested in your qualifications (though they are important). What concerns them most is whether you can solve their tax issues and help them save money long-term. 

Once you’ve completed LinkedIn, consider using other platforms and strategies. Some people with personal brands have a single webpage describing who they are, what they do, and how prospective clients can get in touch or book services.

Take On New Challenges

Finally, you can demonstrate your job marketability by taking on new challenges. Doing difficult tasks sharpens your mind and makes you more capable long-term. Sure, it’s difficult when you’re doing it, but once you push through, the results can be tremendous. Everyone looks to you to solve problems, increasing your employment prospects at any given firm significantly.