LAF Note: This Young Minds post was written by Jackie Adkins.

Hello. My name is Jackie Adkins and my social security number is none of your beeswax. Todd Davis, CEO of Lifelock, on the other hand, his social security number can be found on the home page of his website.

Talk about believing in your own product.

This got me to thinking how vitally important it is in marketing and PR for you to both use your product and believe in it’s benefits.

Using your own product seems like a “no duh” thing, but think about it. If the leaders of the organizations use their own products, like Todd Davis has done, this first of all allows them to experience it the same way their customers do, finding any hiccups along the way. But equally important, especially with a product like Lifelock, is they are sending a signal to the consumer. The signal is this: that you should trust my product because I trust it so much I’ll put my social security number on my website. Who needs a celebrity endorsement when you have that?

Even if you do use your product, this may not be enough if you aren’t passionate about it and believe in its benefits. Your lack of passion will show in all areas: marketing materials, customer service, you name it. The flip side of this is if you firmly believe that your product will enhance the lives of your customers, this will show and leave a lasting impression on the consumer. You have to take the lead and express your own passion before your consumers will be willing to reciprocate with their own passion for your product.

This is where I want to hear what you think. Considering the points made above, as young marketing and PR professionals, should we settle for a job with a company that we aren’t 100% passionate about selling their product? If Loreal had offered me a job right out of school, should I have taken it when I’m a male and haven’t used makeup a day in my life (I promise I haven’t!). Can I believe in a product that I have no intention of ever using?

Let’s face it, the job market is tough and half the battle is just getting our feet in the door. So, do you worry about getting in the field first and then look for your perfect match company later on in your career? Or do you never settle for an “okay” job for a company that sells a product you could care less about, even if it means being unemployed for a potentially significant amount of time?