Standing out during a recruitment process, when networking, creating an application and interviewing is a challenge when the competition is high. During campus recruiting it is not unusual to have 200+ students chasing a few positions. Making plans to impact recruiting staff in person and with written communication is where the consistency of a solid personal brand can make all the difference.

“Your personal brand is a consistent expression of self-marketing and effective communication in print, online and in person.” Russell Garrett

Here are seven ways to make your personal brand effective.

1. The Art of Self-Promotion – One of the most important realizations and areas that job seekers need to take responsibility for is self marketing. After all it is called “self” promotion. No one will do it for you – it is a decision you alone can make! If you don’t feel comfortable or prefer telling people about your success and accomplishments, your are not alone. Pushing past this discomfort happens  largely when people realize that employers are “expecting” candidates to differentiate themselves through their communication and personal presence. If you have had success with various skills, they will not know unless YOU tell them. Measuring how strong, capable, experienced and successful you have been is simply done by using words that describe how well things went and/or turned out when your skills were put to use. A perfect example of this is when most people include words similar to “Proficient in MS Office.” Truthfully, these words alone will not help you. In fact, what does that really mean? However, when you measure how you have utilized Word effectively, or how you are advanced in your Excel skills or have created compelling presentations n PowerPoint to increase stakeholder engagement…you now have my attention! Removing the guess work for the recruiters by communicating how strong you are with your skills and what they have accomplished is best. Then results are tangible. Without self promotion you could risk the chance of ending up with a great hobby instead of a vibrant career!
2. The Ease and Impact of Your Introduction – Your personal branding begins when you meet people for the first time. The ease of your conversations and the strength of your introduction can make a long lasting impression. Being able to open conversations with “ice breaker” introductions will help you begin conversations and create interest from people quickly. Positive statements about the catering, the quality of a staff member’s presentation, specific questions about the person’s role at the company, or compliments regarding a person’s successes, career progression or even their clothing can create an open door for further discussion. (Your research will help you greatly with  your prep here)
3. Business Cards (Calling Cards) – I parenthesized  the title of this point because you should never use your current company’s business card while you look for work at another company. Most employers will not appreciate this and will anticipate you doing the same thing with their business cards one day.  What you really need is a “calling card” although the term is not widely used anymore. Create your own card with your own branding. You really don’t need another brand to market you anyway – you are good enough on your own. Consider a design that is professional and not reminiscent of a Real Estate Agent. )To be clear, remove the pic.) Using “DAP Candidate” is a good brand as well as some marketing terminology such as “Client Driven – Analytical – Technically Savvy”. Of course, this is not done without the common contact and social media information.
4. Your Paperwork’s Visual Brand – The visual impact of your documents is also part of your brand along with the tone and voice of how you showcase your past performance. Ensure you use the same header, margins, spacing and font, so that when printed or being viewed, you look very consistent and technically strong in your written communication. Avoid resume layout styles that cramp your information into small text areas or boxes. Reviewers may just be saying to themselves, “Oh no, do I have to read this?!” Make sections and information easy to locate so they are never trying to figure out what it going on instead of reading the information you have prepared for them.
5. Polishing Your Online Presence – Whenever you are updating your resume and including the relevant skill set needed for your new career target, it is time to add more value to your online profiles too. You just have to know social and professional profiles are being reviewed by over 90% of employers today and are seen as a platform for networking, personal messaging and brand consistency. If you don’t like the aggregate message of your social media and online presence – change it! There is a value in creating a consistent brand here rather than compromising your brand with contradicting messages. As well, be sure to follow and connect with companies that you are pursuing. They will notice. The opposite is also true!
6. Planning Quality, Voice and Tone of Your Written Document – Always remember how employers do the math, “Past Performance = Future Behaviour!” Model the visual brand of your calling card and make sure all your documents reflect that same look = consistent branding. Avoid the temptation to only list the duties you were “responsible for” (remove these kinds of general words too) , and get to what I like to call “the employer language” which is a combination of accomplishments and the skills used to achieve them. Make sure results are the cornerstone of your resume and cover letter and always ensure that a confidence and belief in yourself is reflected throughout. Avoid the words, “I think” and replace them with, “I believe”, I’m confident” or simply “I am.”This is just good branding!
7. Interviewing and What You Leave Behind! First impressions and last impressions will be made during an interview. And then of course, there is the all-important middle. Your ability to engage in small talk and then “hit a home run” with your first answer to their opening question is what you need to aim for. Then be prepared to answer behavioural questions where you will need to showcase where you were (situation), what you did (actions/skills) and what happened (results). Whether first round, conversational or final round interviews, take every opportunity to keep your brand consistent. Then when they ask you open-ended questions, capture your strengths at every opportunity as well as display your knowledge of the company whenever you can. Lastly, before you leave the room summarize your confidence in being able to be successful in the role and your passion for the company (not jus the position).

Good luck!

Russell

Russell Garrett is the Owner of Protocol Business Solutions, a Certified Career Consultant and your DAP Career Coach. Russell will be delivering the Winter/Spring Career Workshop Series from January 9 – March 27 2018, as well as other workshops to prepare DAP students for 2018 Spring/Fall CPA recruiting and overall job search strategies. Russell will also be on campus for in-person coaching during the same period which can be accessed through COOL. He is also available to DAP students for online coaching appointments set up through email.  

Contact Russell at dapcareersupport@sauder.ubc.ca.