One way to stand out with your resume and LinkedIn profile is by building a personal brand. How can a personal brand boost your career? How do you show your edge amongst the hundreds of applicants out there?
If you are only relying on your resume, then a certified resume writer can help you optimize your resume to its fullest.
Do you know that 80% of recruiters google their applicants? Having a personal brand is more important than ever! Imagine having hundreds of applicants with resumes that pretty much look the same? The employer’s attention gets challenged every time. Which one should they pick? The one that can save much time and can give the company what it wants.
Majority of the resumes look the same, using the same format, font, words, and objective. They even have the same closing remarks. Your resume reflects your personality, and elevating your resume using online tools and portfolios can set you apart. You can use a website to tell your story most authentically.
A personal brand is how you are perceived based on other people’s experience of you. This shows your expertise, competencies, and achievements within the community and industry. This is how you are rooted in the minds of people when they speak your name.
Meanwhile, personal branding refers to your effort to communicate and present your value to the world. It’s about what you say about yourself.
Successful companies have great branding that shows what they stand for: what a company values, how it acts and serves people revolves in their branding. That’s how they stand out amongst their competitors. That’s how they get more sales and better customer experience.
Branding can also be for professionals, and very few people take the time to build a brand, let alone hone the authentic message they want to deliver. Your brand establishes your reputation even before the interviewer speaks to you for the first time face to face. Once reputation exists, trust follows; thus, you can communicate your unique attributes more effectively.
You don’t want to portray something that you’re not, so it’s essential to ask yourself the following questions:
You may ask your family, friends, and colleagues if you are struggling with these questions. It’s good to be aware of how others perceive you so you can turn them into your assets. Most importantly, find your niche. Compare how these qualities suit the industry or field you have chosen.
To develop your brand more effectively, you have to know who your audience is. Are you trying to reach an individual or a company? Or maybe industry leaders? Think what’s important for them. What are their work values? What will most likely grab their attention?
By knowing who your audience is, you are able to define the story you want to tell effectively. For example, if you aim to be a social media strategist, it’s preferable to tell your story through a website or a portfolio.
Check out the successful people in your niche and see what they post about. Get tips by reading their blogs where they talk about what they’re doing and what they do to succeed. This will give you ideas on how to navigate around the industry you want to be in. If you can, try to imitate what they do but do it even better.
Connect with people in the industry by attending networking events regularly. While you cultivate your personal brand, it’s crucial to grow your professional circle too.
Prepare an elevator pitch, a 30-second story about who you are. Then, take the chance to put value in every interaction you make. Communicate what’s so special about you. If you can, ask them over for a casual coffee chat or connect with them via mail or LinkedIn.
Is your online presence engaging to employers? There are many social media channels available out there, and a medium will affect how you communicate your brand.
Some social media channels are meant for friends and family, so make sure to adjust your settings accordingly. If there’s one online channel you should keep – that would be LinkedIn. It serves as a professional social media channel where most companies have a profile.
Don’t have time? You can still optimize your LinkedIn profile with the help of a certified resume writer. Even if you are not looking for a job right now, having it optimized is the best way to deliver your personal brand effectively.
If you are a job seeker, yes, you need a portfolio.
What can differentiate you from hundreds of applicants out there is having an e-portfolio that showcases your strengths and the projects you have done in the past. It was thought that only the creative types would require a portfolio. However, if you are still a student, it can also serve as your living resume, and if done well, it creates an impact on the employer even if you don’t have any work experience yet.
Even in fields that a portfolio is not expected, including presentations and pictures of projects you’ve completed will give the employer an idea of your capabilities. This way, you are giving them an experience of how it’s like to work with you. Design your portfolio by curating the visuals to get attention from images, videos, and graphics.
A personal brand channels your skills, values, and personality that will help boost your career. It puts a personalized, human touch to your resume and will open doors for you. Do you want to land that dream job but not sure where to start? Speak to a certified resume writer now.
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