It is crucial to market oneself. Some individuals possess a wealth of talent, yet remain unknown, unable to promote themselves, and thus fail to realize their potential value. Any item left unsold in storage, despite its inherent worth, cannot be converted into tangible value. If you can successfully market yourself, you could be worth two thousand, four thousand, or even more. Therefore, we must consider how to effectively promote ourselves.

First Point: Skills are Crucial for Self-Promotion

Do not assume that because you are a believer, you need not promote yourself, thinking that "good wine needs no bush." The current era is entirely different; even the finest wine is useless without promotion. If you do not promote yourself, others will. Observe closely in the workplace, and you will notice that some individuals occupy positions not because they are significantly smarter or more capable, but because they are adept at self-promotion. Those who lack this skill may struggle to find employment.

This statement is not superstitious. Even if you are a Christian, and God blesses you, you still need to learn how to market yourself. What skills do you possess? What value can you create for others? What unique qualities or talents do you have? Some might argue that Apple iPhones do not require promotion, but this is not the case. Their marketing is exceptionally effective.

In Apple stores, each new iPhone model sells out quickly, sometimes leading to shortages, all due to effective promotion. Almost no one can enter the workforce without promoting themselves.

Self-promotion is a critical skill. Some say, "I believe in the Lord, and I trust God will bless me with a job." However, even then, self-promotion is necessary. Why? Because it allows you to present yourself to the leaders of potential employers, showcasing your character and qualities.

Packaging oneself is one thing; possessing genuine substance is another. Some individuals have genuine substance but lack external packaging, which is also not ideal.

For example, would you buy unpackaged food in a store? If it could sell for $50 with packaging, it might only sell for $10 without it, or not at all. People often prefer to spend $50 on a packaged item rather than $10 on an unpackaged one.

Whether packaging and promotion are equivalent is debatable, but I believe self-promotion requires both inner substance and attractive packaging—genuine quality presented beautifully.

Can you imagine an iPhone wrapped in rags? It is incongruous. Notice how exquisite the packaging box is and how well the contents are arranged. Therefore, a talented individual must possess both the ability to promote themselves and genuine skills. Both are indispensable.

Second Point: Character is Key to Education

Whether a person has character or not, even with the same skills, the image they project is entirely different. Character, when expressed, is very compelling. We must change our educational philosophy. As times evolve, we constantly discuss educational philosophies. Although it is not yet widespread, this gives us foresight. We can see that in ten or twenty years, our current educational philosophies may no longer be novel.

The Core of Character is Confidence

What is our educational philosophy? Character development is the most critical aspect of education. The core of character is confidence. Therefore, we build people's confidence, instilling in them a belief in the future, which manifests as a particular character. This character is key to education. With this character, you will find that they still need to be molded in terms of skills.

Experience Yields Skills

Educational practice shapes character and skills, not just knowledge. We were once taught that "knowledge is power," but we later discovered that much knowledge is unusable and does not generate power. We often say that someone is experienced, implying they are knowledgeable, but knowledge does not necessarily equate to experience.

An experienced person certainly has skills in that area, and with those skills, they undoubtedly possess knowledge. Conversely, having knowledge in an area does not guarantee skills, and having skills does not necessarily mean they have experience.

What is experience? It is the accumulation of using skills to solve problems, or using skills combined with knowledge to solve a problem. The educational philosophy should be to shape a child's character and skills. What about experience? Experience should be tested in the market or accumulated to some extent in school.

Experience is Gained from Real-World Practice

Real-world practice is real-world practice. School is not yet a real battlefield, but it would be best if students could be brought into a controlled real-world environment, allowing them to be trained into experienced individuals.

Therefore, the key to promoting oneself is to showcase the appeal of one's character. The kind of character you display to others is crucial; character is a form of charisma.

Third Point: Character is an Internal Quality

What is character? It is not merely an external attribute but an internal quality. For example, a child with resilience will exhibit that resilience in their words and actions. Similarly, a confident character will be evident in their manner of expression.

Therefore, character is a vital component. A person without character is unlikely to succeed in self-promotion.

Thus, how to cultivate character in school or in one's personal life is crucial. Promoting oneself is promoting one's character.

When someone goes for an interview and promotes themselves, it is fascinating to observe the character they display. A person's poor exam scores can indicate many things. In fact, a person with character should generally have good exam scores.

Why do many people struggle with exams? Because their character lacks something, leading to a distorted state that results in poor exam scores and a less-than-ideal character. In an interview, they might say, "Although my grades are not good, it does not mean I cannot learn. I am resourceful because I have focused on developing my expertise in a particular area, and these aspects have been overlooked."

If the interviewer finds these explanations and stories acceptable, then it is fine. Some stories can be quite far-fetched. For instance, a young man encountered difficulties during an interview and said, "In the past three years, I associated with bad friends and learned to play computer games, but now I want to change completely. I am not unintelligent; if I study hard, I can still succeed." He still got the job.

Do not assume that poor academic performance means everything is ruined. Academic performance only represents the past; what is needed now is to display a particular character to others.

For example, if someone is asked why they only have a junior high school diploma, they might say, "My family was poor, and I needed to work." Many families are not poor today, but you can still demonstrate your abilities. For example, despite being from a poor family, you have been self-studying and may be stronger than someone with a college degree because you have honed your skills in the workplace. This is also a form of character.

Therefore, in the process of promoting yourself, cultivate the habit of promoting your character. Character is very compelling. For example, being persevering, resilient, focused, or decisive, able to make accurate decisions and judgments. A person who is resourceful, flexible, and skilled in interpersonal relationships, whose character easily creates a sense of warmth, all these are part of character.

Fourth Point: The Core Competency of Self-Promotion

A famous person once said that many young people today know a lot of things, but their knowledge is shallow, about an inch deep and a mile wide, which is useless. Because the market needs core competencies, which make the entire society more clearly and finely divided in terms of cooperation.

If you can do one thing exceptionally well, you are very capable. However, many people become frustrated when they lack this core competency. Without a core competency, you are promoting an empty shell. You cannot just sell a box without a phone inside because it is useless.

Therefore, today, we must know what our core competency is. A brother once told me he was going to pursue a master's degree, and I told him that packaging himself was a good idea. But the question is, if we use the time spent on a master's degree to build our core competency, which would be better? I believe having a core competency is very, very important.

Our Chinese society is shifting from an era dominated by diplomas to one dominated by core competencies. You must have skills; without genuine abilities, relying solely on bluffing will not sustain you in a job for long. Therefore, you must present your core competency. To build your core competency, you must understand the market. If you do not know the market's needs and build your core competency randomly, you are likely to be eliminated by the market.

Fifth Point: Know Yourself, Know the Market Demand

We must understand that everything is driven by the market. A society driven primarily by the market is a market economy. The difference between a market economy and a planned economy is that a market economy is driven by market demand; without market demand, there is no business. Therefore, recognizing market demand is a crucial component.

Know yourself, recognize market demand, and you will know where to develop and what core competencies to equip yourself with. Then, promote your core competency, knowing how to clearly describe it. This is promotion. Regarding the market demand for core competencies, I believe market research, reading, and learning are good habits.

For example, if you read the book "Industry 4.0," you will know that many industries will gradually disappear in the coming years. If this is true, we must be careful not to jump into the ranks of market elimination, which is called structural unemployment.

Know yourself, recognize market demand, and constantly adjust. Therefore, I sometimes feel that people must have a long-term vision. A famous person once said, "To see the next few years, I must first look at 30 or 50 years. Only by seeing the market situation 30 or 50 years from now can you plan for the next three to five years."

Then, based on the three- to five-year plan, adjust your one- to two-month, or even three-month, plan. Know what kind of material you are, what you can do, and what you cannot do. Know what level you have accumulated, what your strengths are, and what your weaknesses are. Then, recognize market demand, which is very important.

I once ministered to a girl who was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight but had essentially achieved nothing. Under the guidance of a traditional church, she studied theology for half a year but accomplished nothing. Then, I pinpointed her most painful area, and although she knew I was right, she could not accept it.

Later, she went to a first-tier city to sell insurance. Did she really understand what the insurance industry is? Did she really know herself? Did she really understand the market's needs? She did not understand. She knew neither herself nor the market's needs.

For example, regarding the insurance industry, let me tell you what a veteran does. If you do not have certain savings that can support you for one to two years, do not sell insurance. But many people borrow money to sell insurance, which is suicidal. Today, unless I say, "Believe that you have received it, and you will receive it," may miracles happen to such children. But the problem is faith is important, but faith does not mean we should deny ourselves.

Point 6: Learn the Language of Salesmanship

If a business is not on the right track, its returns will barely keep it afloat. Therefore, knowing yourself and understanding market demands are key to selling yourself. How you respond to questions asked reflects the needs of the market and what you possess to meet those needs. Even if you embellish a little, it must be credible; you cannot fabricate an implausible story.

Learn to speak the language of salesmanship. Every industry has its own way of speaking. Diplomats have diplomatic language; salespeople have sales techniques; selling yourself has its own linguistic patterns. Cultivate the habit of speaking in this way. Today, we, as brothers and sisters, begin to understand how to speak, what kind of words to use. It is not about asking if someone has eaten or had a drink; that is not the language of self-promotion.

The language of self-promotion must be precise. It has a unique characteristic: it always comes back to the same point. What skills do you have, what problems can you solve, what value can you create, and what market needs can you meet?

I once taught people how to handle job interviews. If the interviewer asks an unrelated question, such as, "What are you reading lately?" and you answer, "I am reading Water Margin" or "Legend of the White Snake," the interviewer is likely not interested. You must learn to speak appropriately. You should say, "I have been researching..." If you are applying for a job in online marketing, you should be researching online marketing. "I even wrote a short article summarizing the key points of online marketing." Then, you take out a printed summary from your pocket.

If you have written a short book, perhaps twenty or thirty pages, titled How to Do Online Marketing, and printed it out, that is the language of salesmanship. Recruiters do not have time to discuss your reading of Water Margin; you need to write your own story. You need to explain what you can do for them. So, what seems like an unrelated question is actually very relevant. You must learn to speak pertinently.

Whether I am serving as a pastor or an entrepreneur, I would not claim to be exceptionally good at self-promotion, but I believe I do it reasonably well. If I were to seek a pastoral position in an English-speaking country, I think it would not be too difficult.

For example, during a recent conversation with my pastor in Singapore, I promoted myself quite effectively. I promoted my books, mentioning that I had written over thirty. I presented him with one, and after he glanced through it, I highlighted key elements: church building, my research findings, and insights from the Bible. A few words moved him.

Although I was scheduled to leave the next day, he insisted that I meet with one of his subordinates to provide training. Why? Because I had successfully promoted myself. He believed I had genuine skills and knowledge. Whether one is truly capable is one thing, but even a capable person who cannot articulate their abilities will fail to promote themselves. Therefore, you must learn to speak effectively and get to the point.

If you are facing an investor, speak the language of investment. This involves discussing your industry, whether it is currently in a growth phase, your business model, your profit-making strategy, and your team. This is the language to use with investors. You need to understand the language of each industry. You do not need to know what is irrelevant to you, but you must align yourself with what is relevant. You need to learn to speak appropriately and avoid irrelevant talk.

For example, if an investor asks me what I am reading, 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, you might say, "I am reading books on how to write novels." If you have not read any, then start reading.

But if you have not read any, what can you say? "I have heard that this book is excellent, but I have not had time to read it." I think everyone should cultivate this habit, equipping themselves to be useful members of society and good citizens.

We Must Equip Ourselves to Become Talents in This Society

I believe we should do what we can and avoid what we cannot. As for systemic or institutional issues, those are for others to manage. Let us be good citizens, equip ourselves well, learn to speak effectively, and promote ourselves properly. If you think the social environment is problematic, I think China's environment is quite good. Does China's environment have problems? Problems exist everywhere. Do not be misled by these things.

Look at the murky situations in foreign countries! Many people are pessimistic about China, but I am confident that the next twenty years will be a period of China becoming a strong and developed nation. China will become one of the leading powers in the world. You must focus on the big picture. Are there problems? Yes.

Your task is to equip yourself to become a talent in this society. This society needs many stabilizing factors, and we must become stabilizing factors in this society. As Christians, we pray, but we do not cause trouble. We focus our energy and abilities on positive endeavors, learning to speak, learning the language of self-promotion, and learning to equip ourselves.

Point 7: Rapidly Equip Yourself, Enhancing Your Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

I watched a video of an old farmer sitting on a bench in a park. He was not a mayor, a Party Secretary, a county head, or a county Party Secretary. He just sat there on the bench, and the video went on for a long time. He talked about how this should be done and how that should be done. I tell you, that is pure nonsense. He has not taken the time to equip himself properly.

In England, there is a place called Hyde Park where people can say whatever they want. Singapore has also created such a corner where you can say whatever you want.

I believe that if you have time, rapidly equip yourself, enhancing your knowledge, skills, and experience. What is experience? It is what you gain after using your knowledge and skills to solve problems.

What is a skill? It is the ability to create something based on knowledge. It involves knowing how to operate. What is knowledge? Knowledge is something from books that you store in your mind after reading. You do not know if it is practical or not. So, rapidly equip yourself. If you can, equip yourself with experience; if not, equip yourself with skills.

But knowledge is, at best, just understanding. Without experience or skills in the market, without having done the work, you cannot do it. Even if you only have knowledge, you can still promote yourself.

There was a young man who studied computer engineering and wanted to find a job in marketing. I told him to read Philip Kotler's Marketing Management. It has about twenty chapters, including one on direct sales and online marketing. He read the first two chapters and gained some knowledge of marketing.

Then he went for an interview and got the job. Why? Because he knew how to speak. How do people evaluate you? Sometimes the interviewer is not good at interviewing, and they cannot see through you. It sounds reasonable, but is there anything wrong with what is in the book?

So, rapidly equipping yourself allows you to continuously enhance your knowledge, skills, and experience. Perhaps you can seize one or two opportunities. Today, I want us, as brothers and sisters, to begin learning how to learn. Once you understand the market's needs and your own situation, you can start equipping yourself with knowledge, setting up research topics, and enhancing your skills.

If you have the opportunity, gain some practical experience. Today, with computers and the internet, this era has truly changed. For example, circuit designs can be done on a computer and look almost like they have been soldered. Today, there is so much knowledge and so many skills available, including online courses. Even if you have never seen something, you can watch videos and learn a lot.

Successfully Promote Yourself and Find a Suitable Job

Some time ago, I took everyone to my office. We were renovating, and we needed to sand and paint the wood. After watching some videos and listening to the master craftsman, we did a pretty good job. That is called painting experience. In the past, it was difficult, but today you can quickly equip yourself with practical experience. For example, to write a program, all you need is a computer. To do a live broadcast, all you need is a computer and a camera. Today, we live in an era where you can quickly equip yourself. If you say you have no experience, no skills, and no knowledge, what can you sell?

So, today you need to know what skills, knowledge, and experience you have. When you go out to promote yourself, you can reintegrate these and turn yourself into something valuable. That is how a person's value is realized. Without promotion, there is no value. I believe that successfully promoting yourself will lead to finding a very good job. To summarize, if you want to successfully promote yourself, follow the steps I have outlined. Are there limitations in this process? Yes, there are. For example, if you are a doctor and have never performed surgery, that is difficult. I once saw a Korean movie about training people to perform surgery. They used fish bladders and had to cut around them without puncturing them. If the fish bladder was punctured, the test was failed.

So, to successfully promote yourself, I think you should find something that suits you. Some things require training in a very limited environment, such as being a doctor. I would not teach people to do that. Today, there are many things that we, as brothers and sisters, can do and choose from. Making a living is almost not a problem. If you are willing to work hard, learn, and figure things out, and then learn to promote yourself, you will be very successful. I think the path to self-promotion also requires continuously accumulating experience. If you have the opportunity, promote yourself. Even if you already have a job, occasionally send out a resume and go for an interview to see what the market is like. So, that is what I wanted to share with you today. Now, let us see how God blesses you.

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