For so many people, it seems like an insane idea to have a personal brand. The truth is, we all already have one. It might not be formal or something we think about all the time, but it is there. So, it's time we start really defining what it means, and how to display it consistently across the web and in real life.
Related: 7 Key Ways To Promote Your Personal Brand
For Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, personal brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. And while Jeff is spot on, it's a little difficult to know what people are saying about you when you're not there, so, I prefer to talk about personal brand as the intersection of who you aspire to be, how you are perceived by others, and who you really are as a person. A personal brand is not fluff, or buzzwords or keywords on a resume. It's deeper than that. You're deeper than that.
Building the brand of YOU!
The key to finding what you want is knowing what you want. A strong personal brand has clearly defined goals. They are also very clear about the skills and experience that they posses and are so clear that they have examples to support their accomplishments. A strong personal brand embraces strengths and weaknesses and works to build on the strengths and diminish the weaknesses. The best personal brands are unapologetic about their accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses.
When you know who you aspire to be, how you are perceived and who you really are, you need to be consistent in presenting that picture in every facet of your digital, social, and work life. Which is why it is critical to be who you really are. It is far too exhausting to be someone you aren't all the time!
Getting your personal brand on point.
First, let's talk about your digital footprint. Where do you post information about yourself online? My guess is a lot of places. You need to take a look at all the places you can be found online and make sure that those profiles reflect your personal brand. Even in places like Facebook, you can still have fun and be yourself while staying on brand.
Remember, part of your personal brand is being who you really are. That being said, mind your images or adjust your privacy settings accordingly. You're also probably on LinkedIn. When someone looks at your profile, do they get a full picture of your personal brand? Are the groups you are a member up ladder up to who you aspire to be? What kind of content are you sharing or creating? Which leads me to my next brand hack:
Curating great content.
All the things that you are passionate about as a professional should be shared with your network. Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or whatever social tool you wish to share great professional content that supports your personal brand. It is a wonderful way to be found and noticed and it builds your brand in a more broad way. I share a lot of content about happiness and productivity. I also share a lot of content about startups and the job search. I also love to laugh and adore irony. All of these things are very much aligned with my personal brand.
But your brand isn't only online. It is in your conversations with your team and managers. It is on display each and every day you come to work and how you communicate with your peers (psst – and the content you share with them). It is in the questions you ask and the ideas you share.
And never, ever stop managing it. Like any brand it is living and changing and growing with you. You must invest time in your brand. To be sure you are earning and maintaining your brand equity, spend time each quarter adding to your profiles. You should add new information to your LinkedIn profile. You should be updating your resume all the time. You should be storing your best work in a special folder on your computer in the cloud.
Having a consistent and defined personal brand is a great way to stand out. It is a new way to do things and it takes a little thought and time. But it is ultimately worth it as you will find that over time, you become more discerning about the work you take on and the opportunities you are attracted to because you know specifically what you want out of your career and you only want things that will advance your personal brand. Questions? Find me on Twitter @CredHive.
This post was originally published on an earlier date.
With passion and an innate curiosity, Tracey strives to push the envelope to create great experiences for talent. Tracey has been developing digital, mobile and social solutions for nearly 20 years in the talent acquisition space. Currently CredHive's CEO, she is dedicated to changing the way hiring is done to create a more level playing field for talent. Visit CredHive to learn more.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
