The Importance of Personal Branding

In the digital age, it is becoming more difficult to differentiate oneself when thousands are applying for jobs online.

Personal branding will help you stand out to employers and showcase your personality!

What is personal branding?

Personal branding is best defined as creating a social and web presence that best reflects you as an individual. In other words, using text, image and words to showcase your personality and goals. There are multiple ways to go about creating a personal brand, but remember that the goal is to differentiate yourself from others by being unique and professional. Here is a list to get started on forming your own unique brand.

CORE ELEMENTS OF A PERSONAL BRAND

• Unique and Professional Resume- Resumes are the most important aspect of a personal brand for many job seekers. A successful resume will be extremely professional while still standing out. Use unique colors and an eye catching logo to get the attention of a recruiter, however make sure that you still remain clear and professional.

  Social Media Presence- Social media can be extremely important to prospective employers. Make sure that your social media accounts accurately reflect your brand and personality as a person. Clean out old posts and replace them with creative ideas that match your brand image and goals!

  Customized Website- Depending on your industry, a website can help to further differentiate you from other candidates. Particularly for creatives, having a well made portfolio site will make sure that potential employers can see your creative work. Make sure that the site is easy to use and still matches the overall aesthetic of your brand.

  Logo or Branding Mark- A logo is key to any brand and is certainly integral to a personal brand as well. A logo can consist of images, words, or a combination of the two. Hire a graphic designer to ensure that you start with a professional basis for your brand.

Why does personal branding matter?

In order to understand why personal branding is important, let’s consider this job hunting statistic.

“40% of hiring managers spend less than a minute reviewing a resume.”

Less than a minute is an extremely short amount of time. In fact, some recruiters will spend less than 15 seconds looking at a single resume. These short seconds showcase exactly why personal branding is so important. A good resume will instantly halt a hiring manager and convince them to read more about you. If a resume is not eye catching and representative of you, it will instantly be thrown away. Here are some tips to make sure that your resume gets attention.

RESUME BRANDING TIPS

• Use bold colors to bring attention to important information. Your branding logo or name should be extremely eye catching.

• Ensure that all fonts used work together and are cohesive.

• Do not include an image of yourself or an unprofessional email address.

Besides just a resume, social media presence is becoming extremely important to many employers.

“85% of U.S. recruiters and HR professionals say that an employee’s online reputation influences their hiring decisions at least to some extent. Nearly half say that a strong online reputation influences their decisions to a great extent.”

Needless to say, make sure that your social media accounts are professional and match the positions that you are applying for. Try to post things that let an employer know about your personality while staying professionally minded.

How do I make a personal brand?

Some of the key elements of personal branding rely on your goals as a professional in the workplace. Your brand should reflect your personality and how you want prospective employers to view you. Try to form your brand by asking yourself these questions.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

• What is my true passion and how can I represent it?

• What unique value do I bring to the workplace?

• How do my friends and family describe me?

• What are some of my best personality traits?

Make sure to take note of these questions and answers. After forming your brand, make sure that these questions are answered by what you have made! Remember that your unique characteristics are what will set you apart in an online job search!

“Of all recruiters, 95 percent believe that the job market will remain or become more competitive. If you don’t stand out online, your competition will.”

Next time you go about searching online, think about your personal brand. You will find that showcasing how awesome and unique you are will lead to incredible opportunities!

If you need help with your resume or other career advice, email us at officecoordinator@psipersonnel.com!