Secret Job Search Weapon: Your Personal Brand
We know that attraction-based marketing generates job openings for applicants. In a tight job market, it’s more important than ever for candidates to consider their personal brand. Personal branding, generally displayed through candidate-generated content, is a non-intrusive means of getting in front of recruiters in a strategic way. So what is personal branding?
First, this is what it is no:
- It is not a job title or description or a long list of titles, awards and achievements.
- This is not a deceptive and uninterrupted self-promotion.
- And it’s definitely not about wearing a “signature” perfume or a “trademark” power tie. Those tangible assignments are thingsand a brand is not just a thing, it is a idea.
A famous brand is much more than your family brand. Think about it: Nike sells style and looks, not just shoes, and certainly not “swooshes.” A successful brand instantly evokes tangible and intangible associations that prompt consumers to choose that product over all others. A good brand conveys an expectation that must be met.
Personal branding is no different. The fact is that all has already an individual brand. The bad news? Not everyone realizes it yet.
Keep in mind that if you’re not actively building your brand, it’s not that you’re not going to develop one. It’s just that people will do this for you through the characterization of coworkers or the results that appear in a Google search. So you could also be involved in shaping the brand that best reflects you.
Personal branding doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, having a simpler is better mentality is preferable, as long as the result is not generic, cheesy, or frivolous. This individual brand doesn’t have to be classy and seedy either.
Think of it as an elevator speech, but as a person instead of a draft. Take an honest personal inventory. Brainstorm by asking questions like:
What is my proudest career achievement?
- Why am I famous?
- Am I the go-to person when it comes to a field or topic? If so, how or why?
- How do I add real and measurable value?
- How do I make other people’s lives better and easier?
Find a brand positioning that is unique to you. Use a great analogy or catchphrase. Perhaps you are the “speech coach for the stars” or the “dog walker for the divas”; Whatever it is, make it yours and use this positioning to create your market space through a powerful personal brand.