It can feel as though it is impossible to set yourself apart in today’s job market, and 95% of hiring managers believe that the job market is only set to get more competitive. Whether you’re actively looking for a new role, open to potential new work, or simply hoping to expand your network to create more meaningful connections, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.
For most people, when they decide they are ready to make a shift in their career, they look at what’s in the market. People tend to look at how they could fit into what is available, rather than the other way around.
However, in order to successfully transform your career, you will need to market yourself the way you would a product. We encourage you to take a lesson from the most successful names around the world and create a marketing campaign based on your product; starting by defining your personal brand. This results in creating opportunities, rather than sitting and waiting for opportunities to come to you; leaving you in a much better position to secure your ideal role.
We all know that the best marketing campaigns start with a clear understanding of the product, defining what makes it unique. This is why taking the time to reflect on these within yourself is such an important part of the job search. In order to create a great personal brand, you should consider your strengths and attributes; then let these inform the way you market yourself.
Marketing yourself can feel daunting at first. In fact, many of our clients struggle with this concept; it certainly is uncomfortable for many. But this approach to finding your new job is the surest way to find yourself a great role, one that you can’t wait to get up in the morning for!
So, here are our top tips for creating and maintaining your personal brand:
Find clarity on what you offer
Your personal brand is not your skills.
A good brand clearly articulates what it is that you have to offer. This requires a thorough analysis of your experience, strengths and weaknesses. It is hard to convey the immense value you have to offer by simply listing your skills. As a high-level executive, there are likely dozens, if not hundreds of skills you could list; but long skills lists make it harder for someone to pick you out from the crowd.
This is why we focus on uncovering and highlighting strengths instead. These are easier to consolidate and speak volumes about the kind of employee you are. When you name strengths instead of skills, you are determining the sweet spot between what you actually enjoy doing, and what you are good at. This creates a substantially shorter list; targeted to help you find your dream role.
By getting clear on your strengths, you are able to form the foundation of a cohesive personal brand. You will become clear on what you have to offer and then you can use that to inform your marketing.
Harness the Power of Storytelling
People often underestimate the power of storytelling in successfully transforming their career.
Plenty of our clients have used their story to clearly and confidently articulate their value to a potential employer, securing a great role as a result.
Cohesive, compelling, and effective storytelling requires a concise articulation of your strengths through clearly articulated examples of where you have added value in the past. Again, this is why understanding your strengths is the basis of your personal brand.
So, how do you tell your story in a way that is beneficial to your job search?
Get clear on what it is that you’re sharing. Whether it’s the story of a particular achievement or a challenge you have overcome, you need to know what it is that you’re talking about. From there, align the key aspects of your story with your strengths as an individual. This will allow you to articulate your story in a concise yet effective way, demonstrating your strengths and relevant attributes while providing situational context and insight into you as an employee. You can utilise your story in conversations and interviews, but also use it to inform the marketing materials you create.
Presenting yourself
Your personal brand is the articulation of your strengths and achievements, but people often struggle with knowing how to present themself and their brand.
The assets of your marketing campaign are simpler than you may think: they consist of your resume, LinkedIn profile, and online portfolio (if that’s relevant to you). When you’re armed with your personal brand based on strengths and value, you’re able to create concise and targeted marketing materials.
Ideally, a prospective employer should be able to look at each of these assets and gain an instantaneous understanding of who you are and what you’ve got to offer. Your ideal company should also be able to quickly find you online through your LinkedIn profile. While new connections should be able to easily understand who you are and what you do.
To align your brand with your marketing materials, everything needs to begin with your strengths. Every aspect of your resume, LinkedIn and portfolio should reinforce your strengths; which in turn demonstrate your value. Consider the way you write, the words you use, the experience and examples you choose to include in each of these assets.
Your personal brand is not static and isn’t something that you should consider only when looking to make a transformation in your career. It’s important to regularly update your personal brand and marketing materials to reflect who you are and what you want. This will put you in the best position possible and may open doors you hadn’t even considered.
If your personal brand needs some work, get in touch with us for your free 15-minute consult. We will help you ensure that you’re on the right track.
