Selling yourself is absolutely critical. Some individuals possess immense talent, yet remain completely unknown. Because they fail to market themselves, their potential is never realized into actual value. Any asset left sitting in a warehouse, unsold, may have intrinsic value, but that value remains locked and useless. If you successfully market yourself, your worth can double, triple, or increase even more. Therefore, we must examine how to effectively sell ourselves.

1. To Sell Yourself, Skills Are Paramount

Do not fall into the trap of thinking, "I am a believer, so I have no need to market myself; good wine needs no bush." In today's world, that old adage is completely obsolete. No matter how excellent your product is, without marketing, it is useless. If you do not sell yourself, others will sell themselves. Look closely at the workplace today. You will find individuals in key positions not because they are vastly superior or more intelligent than you, but simply because they knew how to present and sell themselves. Those who cannot market themselves remain unemployed.

This is not a matter of superstition. Even as a Christian, even under God's blessing, you must still learn to market yourself. What are your skills? What value can you create for others? What makes you unique? What are your distinct talents? Some argue that the iPhone requires no marketing. That is a fallacy. Its marketing is, in fact, superb.

This is why we see sell-outs and supply shortages every time a new iPhone is released. This is the power of marketing. Anyone who refuses to market themselves will find it virtually impossible to enter the workforce.

Selling yourself is an indispensable skill. Some say, "I believe in the Lord, and I trust God will bless me with a job." Even then, you must market yourself. Why? Because marketing yourself is simply the act of presenting who you are and what qualities you possess to the employers who are hiring.

Packaging is one thing; having substance inside is another. To have genuine substance but zero packaging is a foolish strategy.

Consider a retail store. Would you buy food that has no packaging? An item that could easily fetch fifty dollars might only sell for ten dollars—or not sell at all—simply because it lacks packaging. Consumers would rather spend fifty dollars on a properly packaged product than ten dollars on an unpackaged one.

Whether packaging and marketing are identical is beside the point. My view is clear: to sell yourself effectively, you must have both internal substance and external packaging. You must be the real deal, and you must present yourself beautifully.

Can you imagine wrapping an iPhone in a dirty rag? It is a complete mismatch. Look at how meticulously the iPhone box is designed, and how neatly the contents are arranged. Therefore, to be a true talent today, you must possess both the ability to market yourself and genuine competence. These two are absolutely inseparable.

2. Character is the Crux of All Education

Two individuals with the exact same skills will project entirely different images depending on whether they possess strong character. When character shines through, it carries immense charisma. We must revolutionize our educational philosophy. As times change, we talk constantly about educational concepts. While these ideas are not yet universally adopted, our forward-looking approach gives us an edge. What we propose today will be common knowledge in ten or twenty years.

Faith is the Core of Character

What is our educational philosophy? The shaping of character is the single most critical part of education. At the core of character lies faith. Therefore, we build a person's faith, filling them with confidence for the future. This faith manifests as a distinct character, which is the key to education. Once this character is established, you will find that acquiring skills becomes a natural next step.

Experience Breeds Skill

The practical purpose of education is to forge character and skills, not merely to accumulate knowledge. We were once taught that "knowledge is power." In reality, much of that knowledge is never applied and yields no power. We often say an experienced person must be knowledgeable, but possessing knowledge does not equate to having experience.

An experienced person undoubtedly possesses the relevant skills, and a skilled person undoubtedly possesses the underlying knowledge. Conversely, a knowledgeable person does not necessarily have the skills, and a skilled person does not necessarily have the experience.

What is experience? It is the accumulation of solving real problems by applying skills and knowledge. The core philosophy of education must be to shape a child's character and skills. What about experience? Experience must be tested in the market, though some basic experience can be accumulated within the school environment.

Experience is Forged in Real Combat

Real combat is real combat. A school is not yet a live battlefield. However, if we can introduce students to a controlled, real-world environment where they can be trained, they will emerge as experienced individuals. That is the ideal approach.

Therefore, the key to selling yourself is to project the charisma of your character. The kind of character you display to others is of vital importance. Character is charisma.

3. Character is an Inward Reality

What is character? It is not merely an outward show; it is an inward reality. For instance, if a child possesses resilience, close contact with him will reveal that resilience in every word he speaks and writes. If he is confident, that confidence will naturally project through his manner of expression.

Character is therefore a vital component. An individual devoid of character will almost certainly fail to market himself successfully.

How we train character in schools, and how we cultivate it in our daily lives, is of paramount importance. To sell yourself is to sell your character.

Consider a job interview. If a candidate can project a strong character while selling himself, it becomes highly compelling. Poor academic results can indicate many things. In truth, a person with strong character should generally perform well in exams.

Why do many fail their exams? Because their character lacks a certain fortitude, leading to an internal distortion. Consequently, they end up with poor grades and weak character. However, during an interview, a candidate might explain: "While my grades were poor, it does not mean I cannot learn. I am sharp. Over the past few years, I focused intensely on developing a specific expertise, which standard exams failed to measure."

If the interviewer finds this narrative reasonable and acceptable, that is a victory. Some successful stories are even quite unconventional. For example, a young man faced difficulties during an interview and admitted: "Over the past three years, I fell in with the wrong crowd and got addicted to computer games. But now, I am determined to turn my life around. I am not stupid; if I apply myself, I can deliver." Surprisingly, he got the job.

Do not assume that poor academic performance means everything is lost. Grades only represent the past. What is required now is to project a strong character before others.

For instance, if someone is asked why they only have a middle school diploma, they might say, "My family was poor, and I had to work." Today, absolute poverty is rare, but you can still prove your worth. You can say, "Despite my family's financial constraints, I have been self-studying for years. I can outperform a diploma holder because I have forged practical skills in the crucible of the workplace." This, too, is a demonstration of character.

Therefore, in marketing yourself, you must develop the habit of selling your character. Character is highly magnetic. Whether it is perseverance, resilience, focus, or decisiveness in making accurate judgments; whether you are sharp, adaptable, or adept at interpersonal relations—these traits naturally build rapport and are all vital facets of character.

4. Market Your Core Competitiveness

A prominent figure once remarked that many young people today know a great deal, but only superficially—an inch deep and a mile wide. This is useless. The market demands core competitiveness, driven by an increasingly specialized and sophisticated division of labor in society.

If you can master just one critical skill, you will be formidable. Yet, many panic because they lack this edge. Without core competitiveness, you are marketing an empty shell. You cannot sell an iPhone box with no phone inside; it is utterly worthless.

Therefore, we must, at all costs, identify our core competitiveness. A brother once told me he wanted to pursue a master's degree. I told him that packaging oneself is fine. But the real question is: if you spent that same time building your core competitiveness instead of chasing a degree, which would yield a better return? I submit to you that possessing core competitiveness is of paramount importance.

Our society is shifting from an era obsessed with credentials to one driven by core competitiveness. You must have actual skills. Without real competence, relying solely on smooth talk will not sustain you in any job. You must present your core competitiveness. To build this competitiveness, you must understand the market. If you build skills blindly without understanding market demand, you will be swiftly obsolete.

5. Know Yourself and Understand Market Demand

We must recognize that everything is driven by the market. A market-driven society is a market economy. The difference between a market economy and a planned economy is that the former is driven strictly by demand. Without demand, there is no business. Therefore, identifying market demand is an absolutely critical component of success.

By knowing yourself and understanding market demand, you will know your direction and what core competitiveness you must acquire. Then, you must market that competitiveness, describing it with absolute clarity. That is marketing. To align with market demand, you must conduct market research. Reading widely and keeping yourself informed is an excellent habit.

For example, if you read Industry 4.0, you will realize that many industries will disappear in the coming years. If this is the reality, we must be careful not to join the ranks of those destined for structural unemployment.

We must know ourselves, understand market demand, and constantly adapt. We must take the long view. A prominent leader once said: to plan for the next few years, I must first look 30 to 50 years ahead. Only by anticipating the market 30 or 50 years from now can you effectively plan the next three to five years.

Based on that three-to-five-year plan, you then adjust your monthly or quarterly targets. You must know what raw material you are made of—what you can and cannot do. You must assess your level of accumulation, your strengths, and your weaknesses, and align them with market demand. This is vital.

I once counselled a young woman in her late twenties who was, frankly, a failure. Under the teachings of a traditional church, she studied theology for six months but achieved absolutely nothing. I pointed out her deepest flaws with brutal precision. Though she knew I was right, she refused to listen.

Later, she moved to a first-tier city to sell insurance. Did she truly understand the insurance industry? Did she know herself? Did she understand market demand? She did not. She was blind to both her own capabilities and the realities of the market.

Take the insurance industry as an example. Let me tell you how a seasoned veteran operates. If you do not have savings to sustain yourself for one to two years, do not enter the insurance business. Yet, many borrow money to sell insurance. Is that not economic suicide? Unless we blindly declare, "Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours," and hope for a miracle to save such a person. The hard truth is that while faith is important, faith does not mean we ignore reality and deny our own limitations.

Point 6: Learn to Speak the Language of Self-Promotion

If a business is misaligned with market realities, it will merely survive on life support, scraping by with mediocre returns. Therefore, knowing yourself and understanding market demand is the absolute key to selling yourself. When people ask you questions, your response must address what the market demands and what you possess to meet that demand. Even if you must frame a narrative, it must be credible. You cannot afford to spin an unrealistic yarn.

Learn to speak the language of self-promotion. Every industry has its own vernacular. Diplomats have their diplomatic rhetoric; salesmen have their sales pitch. Promoting yourself requires a specific linguistic framework; you must cultivate this habit of speech. Today, brothers and sisters, we must understand how to speak and what to say. Asking "Have you eaten?" or "How is the weather?" is not the language of self-promotion.

The language of self-promotion must hit the mark precisely. It possesses a unique characteristic that remains constant regardless of the context. What is this core truth? It is about what skills you have, what problems you can solve, what value you can create, and what market needs you can satisfy.

I once coached someone on how to handle interviews. The interviewer asked an seemingly irrelevant question: "What book have you been reading lately?" The candidate replied, "I am reading The Water Margin or The Legend of the White Snake." In truth, the interviewer has zero interest in these novels. When they ask this, you must know how to speak strategically. How should you respond? You should say, "Lately, I have been researching..." If the job you seek is in digital marketing, your research must be in digital marketing. You should add, "I have even written a brief paper summarizing the key pillars of digital marketing." At that precise moment, you pull out a printed copy of that summary from your pocket.

Even if you have written a 20-to-30-page booklet titled How to Do Digital Marketing and printed it out, that is what we call the language of self-promotion. Employers hiring staff have no time to waste on your reading of classical novels. No ancient legend matters; you must write your own legend. You must articulate exactly what you can deliver for them. What seems like an irrelevant question is, in fact, highly relevant. Why? Because you must learn to speak coherently and avoid giving answers that are completely beside the point.

Whether as a pastor or an entrepreneur, I do not claim to be a master of self-promotion, but I believe I do it reasonably well. If I were to seek a pastoral position in an English-speaking country, I do not think it would be very difficult.

Take my recent conversation with my pastor in Singapore as an example. I promoted myself quite successfully. What did I promote? I promoted the books I wrote. I told him I had written over thirty books. I pulled one out and presented it to him. As he looked through it, I highlighted a few key elements: church building, my research findings, and biblical insights. With just a few precise sentences, I moved him.

I was scheduled to leave the country the next day, yet that very day he insisted I meet one of his subordinates to conduct a training session. Why? Because I had successfully sold myself. He recognized that I possessed genuine substance. Whether one has substance is one thing, but if a capable person cannot articulate it, they will fail to sell themselves. Therefore, you must learn to speak, and you must speak to the point.

If you are facing an investor, speak the language of investment. What does that entail? It involves your industry, whether it is riding a major trend, your business model, your monetization strategy, and your team. This is the language of investors. You must understand the language of whatever industry you operate in. You do not need to know things completely irrelevant to you, but for what is relevant, you must get it right. You must learn to speak effectively and avoid irrelevant chatter.

For instance, if an investor asks me, "What book are you reading lately?" I would say, "I am reading The Game of Capital." Why? Because you are speaking to an investor. If you are speaking to a novelist and they ask the same, you say, "I am reading How to Write a Novel." What if you haven't read it? Then go read it.

But if you truly haven't read it, what can you say? "I heard this book is excellent, though I have not had the time to read it yet." That works too. I want everyone to cultivate this habit—the habit of equipping yourselves to be useful talent for this society, to be good citizens.

We Must Equip Ourselves to Become Talent for This Society

We must focus on what we can do and leave aside what we cannot. As for systemic issues or institutional problems, there are people whose job it is to govern those matters. Our duty is to be good citizens, to equip ourselves well, to learn to speak effectively, and to promote ourselves successfully. Some complain about the macro-environment. I think China's environment is quite good. Are there problems in China? There are problems everywhere. Do not be misled by such distractions.

Look at the chaos and mess abroad! Many are bearish on China, but I have confidence in China. The next twenty years will see China rise as a powerful, developed nation. China will become one of the top powers in the world. You must focus on the big picture. Are there problems? Of course.

But your task is to equip yourself to become talent for this society. This society requires pillars of stability. We must be a stabilizing force in this society. As Christians, we pray, but we do not cause trouble. We channel our energy and capability into productive endeavors—learning to speak, mastering the language of self-promotion, and equipping ourselves.

Point 7: Rapidly Equip Yourself in Daily Life, Upgrading Your Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

I watched a video of an old farmer sitting on a park bench. He was neither a mayor, a party secretary, nor a county chief. Yet, in this long video, he sat there pontificating on how this policy should be run and how that matter should be handled. Let me tell you, this is sheer nonsense. Such people waste time instead of equipping themselves.

Britain has its Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, a place for idle talk. Singapore also established a similar corner where people can go and spout whatever they like.

But if you have time, you should rapidly equip yourself, upgrading your knowledge, skills, and experience. What is experience? Experience is the distilled wisdom gained from using your knowledge and skills to solve actual problems.

What is a skill? A skill is the ability to execute and produce something tangible based on a certain knowledge. It is operational competence. What is knowledge? Knowledge is merely information in a book that you store in your head. Whether it actually works in practice, you do not know. Therefore, rapidly equip yourself. If circumstances permit, equip yourself with experience; if not, equip yourself with skills.

Knowledge, at best, is just basic understanding. Without experience or skills in the market, if you have never done the job, you cannot perform. Yet, even with just knowledge, one can still sell oneself.

There was a young man who studied computer engineering but wanted a job in marketing. I told him to read Philip Kotler's Marketing Management. It has about twenty chapters, including sections on direct marketing and digital marketing. He read the first two chapters and acquired a basic grasp of marketing knowledge.

He went for the interview and secured the job. On what basis? On his ability to articulate. How do interviewers evaluate? Some interviewers are incompetent themselves; they cannot see through a candidate. If it sounds logical—and of course, what is written in textbooks is logical—they buy it.

Therefore, by rapidly equipping yourself, you can continuously upgrade your knowledge, skills, and experience. Perhaps you will seize one or two opportunities. Today, our brothers and sisters must learn how to learn. Once you understand market demands and your own standing, you must begin equipping yourself with knowledge, setting up research topics, and upgrading your skills.

If opportunity permits, gain some hands-on, practical experience. Today, computers and the internet have fundamentally transformed this era. For example, circuit design on a computer is virtually identical to soldering a physical board. Today, knowledge and skills are highly accessible. With online learning platforms, even if you have never seen something in person, watching instructional videos can make you highly proficient and knowledgeable about how it works.

Successfully Selling Yourself to Find the Right Job

Some time ago, I brought some of you to my office. We were renovating, and we had to sand and varnish the timber. We watched some videos, listened to a master craftsman, and did a decent job. That is what we call varnishing experience. In the past, acquiring such skills was difficult. But today, you can rapidly equip yourself with practical experience. To write code, a single computer is enough. To do live streaming, a computer and a camera are all you need. This era is an era of rapid self-equipping. If you claim you have no experience, no skills, and no knowledge, then what on earth are you selling?

Therefore, you must identify what skills, knowledge, and experience you possess. When you go out to promote yourself, package these assets to translate them into tangible value. This is how human value is realized. Without self-promotion, there is no value. If you successfully sell yourself, you will secure an excellent job. To summarize: if you want to succeed in self-promotion, execute the steps I have outlined. Are there limitations in this process? Yes, there are. For instance, you cannot easily fake being a surgeon without performing actual surgeries. I once watched a Korean drama about surgical training. How did they train? They used fish bladders. You had to cut around the bladder without puncturing it. If you punctured it, you failed the exam.

Therefore, when it comes to successful self-promotion, you must find what suits you. Certain professions require highly specialized, regulated training, such as medicine. I cannot teach you that, nor will I try. But today, the options available to our brothers and sisters are vast. Earning a living is hardly an issue today. If you are willing to work, willing to learn, and willing to execute, and then learn to sell yourself, you will become highly formidable. The path of self-promotion requires continuous accumulation of experience. Even if you are already employed, send out a resume occasionally and go for interviews to test the market. It is a healthy practice. This is what I wish to share with you today. The rest is up to how God blesses you.

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