3 Simple Steps To Personal Branding!
INTRODUCTION
Too often job seekers send out resumes without a focus or
message that speaks to the reader. They include all of their
jobs going back many years with an extensive list of job
responsibilities. What they fail to do is convey their unique
personal brand or value proposition to a hiring manager that
clearly demonstrates what it is they do best - even better than
anyone else!
When you think about a product, what comes to mind? It is the
look, feel, smell, performance, quality, or low cost? Whatever
it is, that is what sets it apart from similar products and is
probably the one area the company aggressively promotes about
the product. The same is true when setting yourself apart from
other job seekers in your field. Why should a company choose you
when they have ten other candidates with similar career paths?
If you know the answer to that question, then that is your
personal brand! If not, then you need to find out what it is!
Here are some simple steps to get started:
STEP 1 - Research Your Personal Brand
Conduct a marketing survey to ask friends, family, and past
co-workers what they think of you on a personal and professional
level. You might be surprised at the responses - good and bad!
For this exercise, we are going to focus on the positive.
STEP 2 - Define You Personal Brand
Here are a few general examples to help you translate the
feedback to your personal brand (parenthesis):
Workaholic (hardworking, determined, ambitious, driven) Always
busy doing something (project oriented; multitask oriented;
energetic). Someone to turn to when advice is needed (good
listener with consultative skills; problem solver). Someone to
count on in a pinch (reliable; team player). Frugal; knows how
to stretch the mighty dollar (budget conscious). Handy around
the house and in the yard (technically or mechanically inclined;
good with tools).
STEP 3 - Market Your Personal Brand
Okay, you're probably wondering what you are supposed to do with
the information once you have it. For starters, you can apply it
to your resume because that is your marketing tool!
Step 2 gave general examples in various areas. However, if the
responses reveal a common thread with the same qualities listed
from nearly everyone you surveyed, you can start building on
that personal brand.
Let's say one of the areas most noted in your survey was "always
busy doing something" which translates to "project oriented,"
you can decide if the position you are seeking requires that
skill set. If it does, then you need to think back to all of the
positions you've held involving special projects that went
beyond the daily routine, and list the best ones. Be sure to
show how you managed all aspects of the projects. Don't just
list the project name.
Then you can target a project-oriented position in almost any
field as long as you can show your interests and skills that
conveys you are either qualified or positioned to transition to
that type of role.
For example, if you are seeking a construction site project
manager position or an IT project management position, the focus
of your personal brand message should start with the job title,
prominently displayed: PROJECT MANAGER . . . followed by a great
Career Profile . . . followed by a keywords category to show the
reader that you are indeed about project management. Somewhere
under Professional Experience, you should take it to the next
level by emphasizing you projects under a Project Highlights
section.
Keywords could include project management, team leadership, crew
scheduling, budget control, inventory control, purchasing,
equipment installation, systems integration, regulatory
compliance, performance measurement, quality assurance, etc.
Using this branding technique will help you to connect with the
reader. The exercise will also help you to decide what you
really want to do and will prepare you for interviews.