Are you struggling to find your dream job?
Yeah…it’s tough out there. Right now there are twice as many applications per open role than in 2022 and the average job seeker is sending 100+ applications before receiving a job offer.
The competition is fierce.
But here’s the thing…
Just because you have the skills to land an interview doesn’t mean you will. Hiring managers and recruiters dig deeper these days. They want to know what you stand for, what your values are, and whether or not you’re a good culture fit before they even consider giving you a call.
Enter Personal Branding.
When you know how to brand yourself professionally, recruiters will notice you (and not in a creepy way). A strong personal brand creates opportunities and opens doors that might have otherwise been shut.
Ready to learn how to stand out from every other candidate using personal branding? You’ll also discover how personal branding, when used correctly alongside an AI resume generator that customises your career transition resume for each position you apply to, can become your secret weapon when searching for a job.
What you’ll discover:
- What Is Personal Branding?
- Why Personal Branding Gives You A Competitive Advantage
- How To Build Your Personal Brand In 5 Proven Steps
- Why Personal Branding Is Essential For Career Transition Success
What Is Personal Branding?
Personal Branding is defined as the practice of people shaping how others perceive them professionally.
It’s your reputation, but on steroids. A personal brand is carefully curated by combining your skills, experience, what you’re good at, and how you portray yourself online and offline.
Employers should know exactly what you bring to the table by looking at your personal brand before they even glance at your resume.
Here’s the cool part…
Personal branding goes beyond just having a slick LinkedIn profile and a professional headshot. Your brand is everything from the articles you post, how you network with others in your industry, and how your resume speaks for you when you’re not in the room.
Let’s talk about why it’s so important.
Why Personal Branding Gives You A Competitive Advantage
The job market isn’t what it used to be. Sure, you have to be qualified to land an interview these days, but you also have to be visible.
Get Noticed
There are more people applying for each job than ever before. And recruiters are sifting through more applications than humanly possible by managing 15 to 25 jobs at once. Candidate pools are overflowing and it’s hard to stand out.
Unless you have a strong personal brand.
Recruiters and hiring managers are bored. Literally bored out of their minds reading applications and scanning through LinkedIn profiles all day long. When they see someone who knows how to brand themselves professionally, it catches their attention.
Think about it…
Candidate 1 and Candidate 2 both apply to the same position. They have relatively the same experience and skills but Candidate 1 has taken the time to create a strong LinkedIn brand. They share content that provides value, have recommendations from former bosses and peers, and their profile is pretty robust.
Candidate 2 on the other hand, doesn’t have a strong LinkedIn presence. Their profile is bare-bones with no recommendations and they aren’t really involved on the platform.
Who do you think gets the interview?
Establish Trust Early On
Did you know that 70% of employers screen candidates through social media before making hiring decisions?
Yep. That means your social profiles are being scrutinized whether you like it or not these days.
And wait, there’s more…
54% of employers have rejected candidates because of their online presence. Poor grammar, controversial posts from years past, and no content are just some of the reasons candidates are getting turned away by hiring managers.
When your personal brand is clicking, your social profiles will work for you, not against you. You’ll start to establish trust with your audience (which includes recruiters and hiring managers) before you ever go on an interview.
Take Control Of Your Career
Did you know that if you don’t build a personal brand for yourself, someone else will?
Think about that for a second.
When you don’t take control of your brand, your past job titles, resume bullets, and even an outdated Facebook photo can dictate who you are as a professional.
By creating a personal brand for yourself you get to decide how you’re perceived by recruiters and hiring managers. This is especially important when it comes to switching industries or careers.
How To Build Your Personal Brand In 5 Proven Steps
- Optimize your LinkedIn Profile
- Create Content
- Network Intentionally
- Request Endorsements / Recommendations
- Match Your Resume To Your Brand
Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile
Think of LinkedIn as your digital resume these days. Sure, you should still have a killer resume but your LinkedIn profile is where recruiters go to research potential candidates. 80% of recruiters surveyed say personal branding is important when evaluating potential candidates.
Make sure your profile is:
- Complete (no grey areas)
- Optimized with keywords they might search for
- Tells your professional story
Stop sprinkling your resume with job titles. Employers want to know what you accomplished in your past roles and how you added value. Bonus points if you can quantify your results.
Create Valuable Content
Think of content as the king of personal branding and SEO.
By sharing and creating content that matters to you and your industry, you will start to show up as a leader in your space. You don’t have to write a long-form article each week on your blog. Share your thoughts and lessons you’ve learned on topics that are relevant to you.
Post regularly and provide value. This will not only help you establish yourself as a professional but it will help you build trust with your network.
Network With Intention
When it comes to networking, it’s more than just connecting with people in your industry. Yes, you should friend everyone on LinkedIn but what you do with those connections is what matters.
Comment on their posts. Ask questions. Share their content. Join the conversation. Attend webinars and virtual events to meet new people.
You have a brand. Take advantage of opportunities to brand yourself every chance you get.
Request Recommendations / Endorsements
This right here is social proof that you’re good at what you do. Ask your peers, clients, and past supervisors to leave you a recommendation on LinkedIn.
These act like mini testimonials that you can showcase on your profile to instantly increase your credibility.
Did you know that 92% of people trust recommendations from individuals over companies?
Align Your Resume With Your Brand
Think of your resume as physical version of your brand. If your LinkedIn tells recruiters you’re an expert in marketing with a knack for understanding data, then make sure your resume supports that claim.
Include numbers, percentages, and specific results you were able to deliver in your previous roles.
Personal branding is powerful because it’s consistent. Make sure everything you put out into the world speaks for you when you’re not in the room.
Final Thoughts…
Personal branding has never been more important. With more people applying for jobs than ever and recruiters struggling to find the right candidates to fill positions, your personal brand can make all the difference.
To summarize, here are the 5 steps to build a personal brand:
- Define — know what you stand for and what makes you unique
- Optimise — your online profiles (IE: LinkedIn)
- Create — content around topics you’re an expert in
- Network — with purpose and take advantage of opportunities to brand yourself
- Align — everything you put out matches your brand
The job market is only going to get more competitive. Don’t be a victim. Build your personal brand so you have an edge over everyone else competing for that dream job.
Happy branding!
