There are no two ways about it – today’s job market is extremely competitive. Achieving good grades and having experience may not be enough to get you hired; what’s important in addition to this is how you position yourself, your skills and your values to potential employers and the market at large. This is called building your personal brand.
It’s important to find your niche – what do you want to be known for in your industry? What reputation would you like to have? What is it about you that will get you noticed by potential employers?
Below are some handy tips on how you can begin to build your personal brand.
Think of organisations you like – the ones that stay true to what they’re about and what they believe in. Likewise, authentic and relatable personal brands are the ones that are noticed. Find out what makes you unique – your skills, values and talents – and highlight these as best you can, at every available opportunity.
Have some photos and posts on Facebook or Twitter you wouldn’t like potential employers to see? Make sure to delete them ASAP or they could damage your personal brand – and your chances of getting that role you’ve been dreaming of. If you have any online profiles that you wouldn’t like employers to see, make sure to that your privacy settings are at the highest settings.
While incorrect social media usage could damage your personal brand, using it effectively could be a very powerful tool in building one. While you’re cleaning up your social media profiles, you should start to like, follow and connect with people and pages who are relevant to your interests and career goals.
You might also like to set up a blog and begin posting about the area in which you’re building your brand. This is one of the best ways to elevate your status.
LinkedIn is a great tool to use to connect to key influencers in your chosen industry, and to become an influencer yourself. It’s one of the first places recruiters will look when hiring new staff, so if you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage.
Offline, you should attend networking events to help build your personal profile among key figures in your chosen sector.
If you have an opportunity to put your personal brand out there, take it! Write and publish articles on the areas you’re interested in, volunteer to speak at events and promote your skills and experience whenever and wherever possible.