We know that attraction-based marketing results in job offers to applicants. In a tight job market, it’s more important than ever for candidates to consider their personal brand. The personal brand, generally showcased through candidate-generated content, is a non-intrusive means of putting yourself in front of recruiters in a strategic way. So just what is personal branding?
First, here’s what it is not:
- It isn’t a title or job description or a laundry list of degrees, awards and accomplishments.
- It’s not about non-stop, gimmicky self-promotion.
- And it definitely isn’t about wearing a “signature” perfume or “trademark” power tie. Those tangible affectations are things, and a brand isn’t just a thing–it’s an idea.
A famous brand is much more than its familiar trademark. Think about it: Nike sells style and image, not just shoes-and certainly not “swooshes.” Successful branding instantly evokes tangible and intangible associations that prompt consumers to choose that product over all others. Good branding conveys an expectation that must be delivered.
Personal branding is no different. The fact is that everyone already has an individual brand. The bad news? Not everyone realizes it yet.
Keep in mind that if you are not actively creating your brand, it’s not as though you won’t develop one. It’s just that people will do this for you through co-worker characterization or the results that come up in a Google search. So, you might as well be involved in shaping the brand that best reflects you.
Personal brand creation doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it is preferable to have a simpler-is-better mentality, as long as the result isn’t generic, corny or flippant. This individual branding also doesn’t have to be slick and sleazy, either.
Think of it as an elevator pitch but about a person instead of a project. Take an honest personal inventory. Brainstorm by asking questions like:
What is my proudest professional accomplishment?
- What am I famous for?
- Am I the ‘go to’ person when it comes to one field or subject? If so, how or why?
- How do I add real, 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 tag line. Perhaps you are the “speech coach to the stars” or the “dog walker for divas”–whatever it is, make it yours and use this positioning to create your space in the marketplace through a powerful personal brand.
Sherrie A. Madia, Ph.D. is an educator, author, and trainer. Her most recent books include The Social Media Survival Guide (Also available in Spanish), The Online Job Search Survival Guide, and S.E.R.I.A.L.PRENEURSHIP: The Secrets of Repeatable Business Success. She is frequently cited by the national media as an expert in social media. She is Director of Communications, External Affairs, and a Lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
To schedule an individual consultation or group workshop on online job-search, visit http://www.OnlineJobSearchBook.com.
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