A lot of my people tell me that they hear and read a lot about the personal branding in a job search but don’t really understand what it means.
To me PERSONAL BRANDING is how you differentiate yourself from your competition and let people know how special you are.
So here are a few ways to establish a personal brand on your resume, online and in person.
1: Create a tag line that sums up who you are in one or two sentences.
For some it can be a very simple statement and for others something a little more innovative. Then place it at the top of your resume directly below your name and contact information separated by a double line. Here are 2 examples.
PPM \ PMO Manager
"Expertise developing process & methodology to manage a portfolio of 200 projects valued at $275M annually"
OR
Highly Skilled R&D Engineer
“Transforming your existing products and processes into ones your competition will envy”
2: Design a great business card that accentuates your brand
Depending on your field, you can be conservative, colorful or innovative. Whichever you choose, use both sides of the business card. Generally the front has your contact info and your brand, and on the back of the card place has an ad for what you have to offer.
There are several companies online who have professional templates to choose from, or will print your artwork for you at a reasonable cost. Zazzle and Vistaprint are two I know of. They can also print matching stationary, return labels, hats, tee shirts and other materials to help grow your brand.
3. Work on your public persona
Position yourself as an expert in your field by seeking public speaking engagements in front of target audiences. You can join civic and fraternal organizations which can help you solidify your bonifides and help you build your network.
4. Be a networking group leader
Join a group and become the most active member, or start your own live or online networking group in your field or community. Look at what interests similar groups and bring your name and expertise to the forefront by asking and answering relevant questions and exchanging job and networking leads with as many people as possible.
5. Create a public perception
Work on your social media profiles. Keep them current and relevant and make sure they show people more than just a boring "widget maker" looking for a job. Let your personality shine through. Set goals and a schedule of how many group responses you will reply to and how many tweets you will post each week.
6. Maintain your own blog
Blogging is a great way to establish your brand, show yourself as a subject matter expert and network to get other people to join and contribute.
7. Be open and available
Let people you know, as well as total strangers know that you are always available to help them by sharing your knowledge, your skills and your contacts with anyone who needs it. Get in the habit of Paying It Forward and you will see a lot of payback.
Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.
