Personal branding has become a buzz term that we are hearing more and more of.
We have often thought of a brand in the context of a Coca Cola logo or Nike symbol. As the world changes and we shift out of lockdown mode it has never been more important to ensure your personal brand is on point.
We reveal some simple but effective techniques to get you there - for a recruitment agency perspective these are things that we consider when finding staff for our clients.
If you've looked at job listings and noticed that applicant totals are sometimes in the triple digits, you may be wondering to yourself how you can stand out.
Unfortunately, there is no correct answer when it comes to building your brand.
Not only do you need to worry about competition in the workplace, thinking about this quote from Tim Ferris:
"Personal branding is about managing your name - even if you don't own a business - in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your "blind" date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto."
Here are some tips that can help you begin to build your brand with regards to LinkedIn.
Fix your URL
Most default LinkedIn URLs contain a long string of random numbers. It's an easy switch to change the URL to www.linkedin.com/in/yourname.
Profile Photo
A professional headshot is the first step to making a good impression. Choose an image that shows your face clearly, with appropriatelighting and clothing for business casual occasions! A low-cost strategy to getting a good headshot is asking your favourite Instagrammer to take yourphotos.
Ask for recommendations
There's a good chance you have a former peer, boss, or mentor in your connections. Ask them to craft a recommendation tohighlight on your profile. These will give prospective recruiters much more insight into you than a resume will.
Craft a compelling description
You're not just a name on the internet.
You have dreams, aspirations and motivations that make you who you are - so write them down! Your profile should be more than your resume; it needs to speak about what will motivate people as they visit (or click) around to find someone like themselves for any industry or role desired.
Target your skills for your desired role
Adding skills to your profile is a great way to insert yourself into the job market. A surefire way of getting noticedby recruiters? Search through job listings and add some key skill sets! You have 50 skills to choose from, so why not spend them all on something that willset you apart from other candidates.
Publish an article
It's daunting to put yourself out there, but writing about your educational experiences, projects you've worked on, or your thoughts ontrending topics within your industry is a great way to demonstrate you're serious about your career.
Interact with professional groups
Networking is an important part of the job search process. Regardless if you want to learn about new technologies orgrow your network, there are groups for everyone!
Engage with your connections
A simple but effective way of expanding your reach is by engaging with people you know and trust. It's an excellentopportunity for feedback, which will help both yourself and others in the long run!
Open to work and location
Recruiters often begin to look for candidates by searching job title and location. On the “Let Recruiters Know you are Open to Work,” you can select up to 5 locations. Use cities, not small towns. Listing states are a good option too. Many recruiters say that they are looking for candidates who are likely to accept the job offer.
Building your brand is a process, but starting with the list above will most likely already put you ahead of your peers. Spend an hour today addressing these points - you'll experience results quickly.