Marketing yourself

They key to marketing yourself is attitude. Believe in yourself and others will believe in your talents, your business and your skills. If you want to get ahead in business you need to focus on your strengths, work on your flaws and put all of your energy into developing your positives.

If you've just graduated from school or college and don't have a lot of experience to back up your talents you need to fake it a little. Print off some business cards to add some gravitas to your job applications, which include your name, contact details and 'profession' - even if you haven't worked in the industry you are looking for a job in you should be able to come up with something. If you want to work for a magazine write 'budding writer'. If you are keen to secure a marketing role write 'sales extraordinaire'. Be creative and add some colour to your business card, however, be sure that you can back up anything that you've printed on the cover.

Another key way to show off your talents is to brush up on your CV. Remember to keep it short, sweet and succinct because no employer will want to hunt through reams and reams of text to find your details. Add a picture to your CV at the top because it can help recruiters to remember you and write a covering letter that meets all of the criteria outlined in the job specification. This is the time to boast about your skills and mention any extra details that make you suitable for the role that didn't fit on your CV.

At interviews always dress for the occasion. If you know that the office you are visiting has a relaxed dress code don't turn up in sandals and a pair of shorts - look professional and show the boss that you mean business. Take care of the small details like shining your shoes, wearing a crisp white shirt and neatening up your hair. First impressions matter and it is far better to look over-done than under-done.

Discuss all of your best qualities at the interview and if any flaws or gaps are highlighted in your CV try to turn them into a positive. If you don't have much experience say you can make up for it with bags of enthusiasm and energy. If you have had a period of unemployment mention any charity work that you did during that time to help your progress. Turn the tables on the interviewer and ask questions about the job at the end to show that you really want the job and have done your research on the company.