If you are looking for work, you know that you have to sell yourself to potential employers, to persuade them that you are the best person for the job.

However, the idea that the job search is akin to selling is a bit off-putting to some people. The idea of selling in general is seen as a little sneaky and underhanded; trying to get someone to believe or buy something regardless of it’s merit.

But the aversion to selling might also involve a different factor– the feeling that good sales people are born, not made, and that you may just not have those innate qualities that make a good sales person.

This feeling, one that we have about a lot of abilities, is not based on fact, but myth, according to motivational psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson. Mounds of research has shown that reaching goals and developing skills depends more on strategy, effort and persistence, and that these things are learned, Halvorson says. For example, people think abilities like creativity, self-control, and mathematical skills are talents you are born with, but they are all susceptible to change if you work hard enough at it.

The same it true about the ability to sell. The idea that you have to be born with it is a myth, just like many of the others, Halvorson says. Many of us shy away from it, don’t think we can do it, because we don’t have the knack for it, a knack that is inborn. However, as you learn to sell yourself, it will begin to feel innate because you are picking up on the strategies unconsciously, through your experience or observation, without even realizing that you are doing it.

So, if you want to become good at selling yourself, at persuading, you just need to learn how to do it and practice. There are many good books on the subject that are based on evidence and research, Halvorson says. These books can give anyone effective strategies for persuading.

It may seem a little difficult at first, but it will become more fluid and natural with practice.

As you go about selling yourself, don’t forget to contact recruiters as well. The recruiters here at RealStreet Staffing can be a great asset to your career, as we know the movers and shakers in the architecture, construction and engineering sectors. Send your resume to us today.