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. Anything that cannot be marketed sits in storage; though it possesses value, that value remains unrealized. If you market yourself effectively, you could be worth two thousand dollars, or four thousand, or even more. Therefore, we must consider how to market ourselves.

First Point: Skills are Crucial in Marketing Yourself

Do not assume that because you are a believer, you need not market yourself, thinking that "good wine needs no bush." The current era is entirely different; no matter how fragrant the wine, it is useless without promotion. If you do not promote yourself, others will. Observe closely in the workplace, and you will find that some individuals occupy positions not because they are significantly smarter or more capable than you, but because they are adept at self-promotion, securing employment, while those who lack this skill remain unemployed.

This statement is not superstitious. Even if you are a Christian, blessed by God, you still need to learn to market yourself. What skills do you possess? What value can you create for others? What unique qualities or talents do you have? Some may argue that Apple phones need no promotion, but that is not the case. Their marketing is exceptionally well-executed.

Today, in Apple stores, we see that each new phone model sells out quickly, even leading to shortages, which is due to promotion. Almost anyone who does not promote themselves struggles to enter the workforce.

Marketing oneself is a vital skill. Some say, "I believe in the Lord, and I trust God will bless me with a job." Yet, self-promotion is still necessary. Why do I say this? Because self-promotion essentially presents you to the leaders of the hiring unit, allowing them to see what kind of person you are and what qualities you possess.

Packaging oneself is one thing; having genuine substance is another. Some possess 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 fifty dollars with packaging, it might only sell for ten dollars without it, or not at all. People often prefer to spend fifty dollars on the packaged item rather than ten dollars on the unpackaged one.

Whether packaging and promotion are equivalent is debatable, but I believe that marketing oneself requires both inner substance and external presentation, being both genuine and attractively packaged.

Can you imagine an Apple phone 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 market themselves and genuine skills. These two 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 charming. We must change our educational philosophy. As times evolve, we constantly discuss educational philosophies. Although it is not yet widespread, this foresight is valuable. We can see that in ten or twenty years, our educational philosophy may no longer be novel.

The Core of Character is Confidence

What is our educational philosophy? Character development is the most crucial part of education. The core of character is confidence. Therefore, we build people's confidence, filling them with optimism about the future, which manifests as a particular character, the key to education. With this character, you will find that they still need to be developed in skills.

Experience Comes Before 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 certainly have knowledge. Conversely, having knowledge in an area does not guarantee skills, and having skills does not guarantee experience.

What is experience? It is what one accumulates by using their skills to solve problems, or by using their skills and knowledge to solve a problem. The educational philosophy should be to shape a child's character and skills. And experience? Experience should be taken to the market, or accumulated in schools.

Experience is Accumulated Through Real-World Practice

Real-world practice is real-world practice. School is not yet a real battlefield, but if students can be brought into a controlled real-world environment, where they can be trained to become experienced, that would be ideal.

Therefore, the key to marketing oneself is to showcase the charm of your character. The kind of character you project 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, upon closer interaction, reveals that resilience in their words and actions. Similarly, a confident character is evident in their manner of expression.

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

Thus, how to cultivate character in school or in one's life is crucial. Marketing oneself is marketing one's character.

When someone goes for an interview and promotes themselves, it is fascinating to see the character they display. A person's poor exam scores can indicate many things. In fact, someone with character should have decent 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 subpar character. In the interview process, they might say, "Although my grades are poor, it doesn't mean I can't learn. I am resourceful because I have been focusing on developing my expertise in a particular area, which has been overlooked."

If the listener finds these explanations and stories acceptable, then it is fine. Some stories can even be quite far-fetched. For example, a young man encountered difficulties during an interview and said, "In the past three years, I fell in with bad company and learned to play computer games, but now I want to change completely. I am not stupid; if I study hard, I can still do well." He still got the job.

Do not think that if your academic performance is poor, everything is ruined. Academic performance only represents the past; what is needed now is to display a certain 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 these days, but you can still prove your abilities. For example, despite being from a poor family, you have been self-studying for years and may be stronger than someone with a college diploma because you have honed your skills in the workplace. This is also a form of character.

Therefore, in the process of marketing yourself, cultivate the habit of promoting your character; character is very charming. For example, being persevering, resilient, focused, or decisive, making accurate decisions and judgments. A person who is resourceful, flexible, and skilled in interpersonal relationships, whose character easily fosters a sense of connection, all these are part of character.

Fourth Point: The Core Competitiveness of Marketing Yourself

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 competitiveness, which makes the entire society more specialized and collaborative.

If you can do one thing exceptionally well, you are very capable. But many people panic when they lack this core competitiveness. Without core competitiveness, you are marketing 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 competitiveness 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 competitiveness, which would be better? I believe having core competitiveness is extremely important.

Chinese society is shifting from an era dominated by diplomas to one dominated by core competitiveness. You must have skills; without genuine abilities, relying only on bluffing, even if you get a job, you will not last long. Therefore, you still need to introduce your core competitiveness. To build your core competitiveness, you must understand the market. If you do not know the market demand and build your core competitiveness arbitrarily, 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.

Knowing yourself and understanding market demand will help you know where to develop and what core competitiveness to equip yourself with. Then, promote your core competitiveness, knowing how to describe it clearly. This is marketing. In terms of market demand for core competitiveness, I believe it is a good habit to conduct market research, read more, recognize more, and understand more.

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, then we must be careful not to jump into the ranks of market elimination, which is called structural unemployment.

You must know yourself, understand market demand, and constantly adjust. Therefore, sometimes I think people must have a long-term vision. A famous person once said, "If I want 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 these three or five years."

Then, based on these three- or five-year plans, adjust your one-month, two-month, or even three-month plans. 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, understand market demand, which is very important.

I once ministered to a girl who was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight but could be said to have accomplished nothing. Under the teaching of a traditional church, she studied theology for half a year but achieved nothing. Then, I pinpointed her most painful spot, 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 demand? She did not understand. She knew neither herself nor the market demand.

For example, in the insurance industry, let me tell you the approach of a veteran. If you do not have certain savings, 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, I would say, "Believe that you have received, and you will receive," may miracles happen to such children. But the problem is that faith is important, but faith does not mean we should deny ourselves.

Point 6: Learn the Language of Salesmanship

If a business is not doing well, it barely manages to stay afloat. Therefore, knowing oneself and understanding market demands are key to selling oneself. How you respond to questions essentially addresses the needs of the market and what you possess that can satisfy those needs. Even if you embellish a bit, it must be credible; you cannot fabricate an unreliable story.

Learn to speak, to use the language of salesmanship. Every industry has its own way of speaking. Diplomats have diplomatic language; salespeople have sales techniques; selling oneself has its own linguistic patterns. Cultivate the habit of speaking appropriately. So today, brothers and sisters, we begin to understand how to speak, what kind of words to use. It’s 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 revolves around the same core. No matter what you are talking about, it comes down to what skills you have, what problems you can solve, what value you can create, and what market needs you can meet.

I once taught someone how to handle a job interview. If the interviewer asks an unrelated question, like what book you are currently reading, and you answer with "Water Margin" or "Legend of the White Snake," they are not really interested in that. You must learn how to speak. How should you respond? You should say, "I am currently 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 aspects of online marketing." Then, you take out a printed copy of your summary from your pocket.

If you have written a book, even just twenty or thirty pages, titled "How to Do Online Marketing," and you print it out, that is the language of salesmanship. Recruiters do not have time to hear about 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. Why? Because you must learn to speak pertinently.

Whether I am serving as a pastor or working as an entrepreneur, I cannot claim to be exceptionally good at selling myself, but I think I do a decent job. If I were to look for a pastoral position in an English-speaking country, I believe it would not be too difficult.

For example, during a recent conversation with my pastor in Singapore, I promoted myself quite effectively. What did I promote? I promoted the books I have written. I mentioned that I have written over thirty books, and I presented him with one. After looking at it, I highlighted a few key elements: church building, my research findings, or a revelation from the Bible, some insights. A few words moved him.

I was scheduled to leave the country the next day, but he insisted that I meet with one of his subordinates that day to provide some training. Why? Because I had successfully sold myself. He believed I had genuine talent and knowledge. Whether one has substance is one thing, but even a knowledgeable person who cannot articulate it will fail to promote themselves. Therefore, you must learn to speak, to get to the point.

If you are facing an investor, speak the language of investment. The language of investment involves your industry, whether the industry is on the rise, your business model, your profit model, and your team. This is the language to use when talking to investors. You need to understand the language of each industry. You do not need to understand what is completely unrelated to you, but you must understand what is relevant. You really need to align yourself and learn to speak appropriately, avoiding irrelevant talk.

For example, if an investor asks me what I am currently reading, I would say "The Game of Capital." Why? Because you are talking to an investor. If you are talking to a novelist, what are you doing? What book are you currently reading? "How to Write a Novel." What if you have not read it? Then read it.

But if you have not read it, what can you talk about? "I have heard that this book is very good, but I have not had time to read it." That is also acceptable. I think everyone should cultivate this habit, equipping themselves to be useful members of society, to be good citizens.

We Must Equip Ourselves to Become Talents in This Society

I think we should do what we can do and not do what we cannot do. As for systemic issues or institutional problems, those are for others to handle. Let us be good citizens, properly equip ourselves, learn to speak well, and promote ourselves effectively. You might say this is about the broader social environment. I think China's environment is quite good. Does China's environment have problems? Everywhere has problems. Do not be misled by these things.

Look at the murky things happening in foreign countries! Many people are pessimistic about China, but I am confident that the next twenty years will be the twenty years in which China becomes a powerful 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. 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 doing the right things, learning to speak, learning the language of self-promotion, and learning to equip ourselves.

Point 7: Quickly Equip Yourself, Enhance 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 was just sitting there, and the video went on for a long time. He was talking 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 properly equip himself.

England has a place called Hyde Park, where people can say whatever they want. Singapore has also created such a corner where you can freely speak nonsense.

I think if you have time, quickly equip yourself, enhance your knowledge, skills, and experience. What is experience? It is what you gain after using your knowledge and skills to solve problems. It is the result of solving problems.

What is a skill? It is having a certain knowledge and then creating something with it. It is being able to operate. What is knowledge? Knowledge is something from books that you put in your head after reading it. You do not know if it works or not. So, quickly equip yourself. If you can, equip yourself with experience; if not, equip yourself with skills.

But knowledge is, at best, just understanding. If you do not have experience in that area, if you do not have the skills, if you have not been in the market, if you have not done that work, you cannot do it. But you can still sell yourself by talking about knowledge.

There was a young man who studied computers and engineering. Later, he 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 a little knowledge of marketing.

Then he went to an interview and got the job. Why? Because he knew how to speak. How do people measure? Some people who conduct interviews are not good at it themselves and cannot see through things. It sounds reasonable, but is there anything unreasonable in the book?

So, quickly equipping yourself allows you to continuously enhance your knowledge, skills, and experience. Perhaps you can seize one opportunity, or two. I think today, brothers and sisters, we must begin to learn how to learn. Once you know the market demand and your own situation, you can start equipping yourself with knowledge, then set up some topics, research certain topics, and start enhancing your skills.

If you have the opportunity, you can gain some practical experience. Today, with computers and the internet, this era has truly changed. For example, circuit design can be done on a computer, and it looks almost the same as soldering. So today, there is too much knowledge and too many skills. There is also NetEase Cloud Classroom. Even if you have never seen something, you can watch many videos and become quite proficient. You will know how things work.

Successfully Promote Yourself and Find a Suitable Job

Some time ago, I took everyone to my office. We were renovating, and we had to sand and paint the wood. We watched some videos, listened to the master craftsman, and did a pretty good job. This is called painting experience. In other words, in the past, it was difficult, but today you can quickly equip yourself with practical experience. For example, with programming, all you need is a computer, right? With live streaming, all you need is a computer and a camera, right? Many things today can be called the era of quickly equipping oneself. If you say you have no experience, no skills, no knowledge, then what are you selling? Right?

So today, you need to start knowing what skills you have, what knowledge you have, and what experience you have. When you go out to promote yourself, you can reintegrate these things and convert yourself into something valuable. That is how a person's value is realized. Without promotion, there is no value. I think successfully promoting yourself will lead to finding a very good job. To summarize, if you want to successfully promote yourself, follow the steps I mentioned earlier. Are there limitations in this process? Yes, there are. For example, if you are a doctor and have never performed surgery, that is quite difficult. I once saw a Korean movie about training people to perform surgery. How did they do it? They used a lot of fish bladders and had people cut them. You could not cut the surrounding tissue, but you could not break the fish bladder. If you broke the fish bladder, you failed the exam.

So, successfully promoting yourself, I think, is about finding something that suits you. Some things must be trained in a very limited environment, such as doctors. I would not teach people to do that. So today, brothers and sisters, there are many things we can do and many things we can choose. Making a living is almost not a problem. In other words, 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 constantly accumulating experience. If you have the opportunity, go out and 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. That is also good. So today, I want to share this with everyone. Next, let us see how God blesses you.

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