In this competitive job market, applicants must do everything they can to stand out from the crowd. Whether you are actively seeking a job or not, it’s important to develop your personal brand now to be prepared for the job interviewing process. Developing a personal brand requires more than just beefing up your resume and should be something you work on regularly while continually evolving to meet the demands of this competitive job market. Here are five tips on how to build your personal brand:
Figure out your niche. General skills won’t distinguish you from the sea of other applicants, and so it is essential that you specialize. Highlight your best job skills and continue to hone in on them since those will be your best asset. However, it is important to make sure that your specialized skills are relevant to your industry and potential employers.
Build upon your knowledge. Even if you believe you are one of the best at what you do, there is always more to learn. Continue to educate yourself on your industry and stay on top of innovations to avoid falling behind the learning curve. Whether it be attending a seminar or obtaining a new certification, continue to look at ways to increase your knowledge.
Establish an online presence. Social media has infiltrated the professional world, so it is important to have your business profiles on sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google +. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have your blog or website containing solely your content to reflect your original ideas and creativity. Just remember to keep your online business presence separate from your personal life and that everything you post mirrors your desired personal brand.
Network with influential people. You probably have heard the saying, “You are who you surround yourself with.” The same applies to the professional world and networking is vital to connecting with other influential business professionals. The more people associate and develop strong relationships with, the more potential opportunities you create. Attending meetups and the local chamber of commerce events are a great way to meet other business professionals within your community.
Set goals for your personal brand. The problem many people have with developing their personal brand is that they never have clear goals, which often leads them to put it on the backburner. Establish specific and time-measurable goals to not only hold yourself accountable but also give you direction in the pursuit of your ideal personal brand.
Building your unique personal brand should hold a high priority in your career development goals and associations like the National Association of Distinguished Professionals can help you accomplish the tips above. Even if you aren’t actively seeking employment, a personal brand isn’t something you put off until you begin your job search. Instead, you should continuously work on it to evolve with the ever-changing job market and be able to distinguish yourself from the densely populated business world.