Self-promotion
I've always avoided promoting myself. In high school I went through the normal track rather than going to the math-science center because I would have had to get letters of recommendation. I went to a college I knew I could get into, and similarly fell into my job. But I'm doing a resumé project for an English class and it's making me think about how I'll have to promote myself in the future, in particular to apply to grad school, but more broadly as well.
I'm going to want to set up a website and fill out my personal software portfolio, and list my website when I comment on blogs and forums, maybe even in an email signature. Google myself and make sure everything looks all right.
People who promote themselves get some advantage, which is some part of why everyone's encouraged to believe in themselves, but it's sort of a zero-sum game, isn't it? Though honest self-promotion serves a purpose: employers won't know about you if you don't get your name out there, and the more information you give them the better a decision they can make. But honest humility, applying for the job but listing your faults, would also let them choose more wisely. Humility, however, is quieter, and so people who don't think they're right for a job will not often apply, which makes it less effective. If everyone were too humble to apply for jobs nothing would happen.
I still hope self-promotion eventually becomes less necessary. I guess either the employees or the employers still have to try and get the information out there so agreements can be made.
I'm going to want to set up a website and fill out my personal software portfolio, and list my website when I comment on blogs and forums, maybe even in an email signature. Google myself and make sure everything looks all right.
People who promote themselves get some advantage, which is some part of why everyone's encouraged to believe in themselves, but it's sort of a zero-sum game, isn't it? Though honest self-promotion serves a purpose: employers won't know about you if you don't get your name out there, and the more information you give them the better a decision they can make. But honest humility, applying for the job but listing your faults, would also let them choose more wisely. Humility, however, is quieter, and so people who don't think they're right for a job will not often apply, which makes it less effective. If everyone were too humble to apply for jobs nothing would happen.
I still hope self-promotion eventually becomes less necessary. I guess either the employees or the employers still have to try and get the information out there so agreements can be made.