Personal Branding
Branding is an integral part of businesses acquiring new clients, and it can also be a valuable tool in helping you acquire a new job. While your resume is a quick rundown of your knowledge and experience, a personal brand represents a complete picture of everything you have to offer. It’s impossible to say exactly what your individual brand should look like, but there are some general rules of thumb every job seeker and brand developer should keep in mind.
How to build a personal brand
The first thing in building a personal brand is to identify your ultimate goal and decide which characteristics you want to highlight. Create a vision for your life and identify the traits and skills that are going to help you get there. Next you need to define your audience, which will not only include potential new employers, but will also go further to include the people you want to reach once you have the job. From there it’s all about building your audience and demonstrating your value, whether through a blog, social media, or other channels. Once you have an established vision, a defined audience, and the collateral to stand out and make an impact, you’ll be well on your way to a successful personal brand.
Why is branding important?
If the difficulty of finding a job lies in the need to stand out from the pack, personal branding represents a unique way to differentiate yourself and demonstrate value. Your brand not only highlights your skills and experience, but it also tells the hiring manager more about your personal drive, ambition, and thoroughness. If you can turn yourself into a branded commodity the hiring manager can’t wait to meet, what does that say about what you could do for the company’s products? A strong personal brand tells the hiring manager you’re someone they want on their team.
Don’t stop once you’ve landed the job
While branding can be a great way to get a new job, you shouldn’t let your brand fall flat once you receive the job offer. Maintaining your personal brand can be extremely beneficial in your day-to-day work as you can make better contacts and build relationships for your company. Being recognized as a leader and making valuable connections through your brand may also lead to better job offers down the road. If you want employers to see you as a hot commodity, you need to present yourself that way through personal branding that demonstrates value and furthers your professional goals.
Below you will find additional information and resources for personal branding:
A guide to personal branding 101
Things to keep in mind as you build your brand