If no one knows about a product, it cannot be successful. Enter: marketing.
Marketing gets the right people to know, like and trust your product. When done effectively, it encourages those people to invest in what you’re selling. At least strategically, marketing fails to send the right message to the right people at the right time.
It works the same way in your career. When the right people know you, like you, and trust you, more career opportunities will come your way. Your application will leave a stronger first impression with recruiters and hiring managers, ensuring you get an interview. Your current manager will consider you for important projects and promotions. Your colleagues will be more receptive to you. People might even contact you about job opportunities when you’re not looking for them!
Before we go any further, let’s talk about what defines your personal brand. Your personal brand is what you are known for. It’s people’s perception of your skills and expertise, and the value you bring to a business. It’s also what you need to market yourself as a professional product.
The best marketing strategies can be used over and over again over the years – and you don’t need to achieve influencer status to develop them. You can still cultivate an ongoing marketing system without constantly writing articles, attending meetups, or engaging on social media.
Creating and optimizing three key marketing assets will help you communicate your personal brand and position yourself as a hot professional product.
Let’s dig into each of these elements.
Woman sitting at home and researching job market
resume
A strong resume will stand out from those submitted by other applicants for a job. It catches the eye of a recruiter or hiring manager who is excited to interview you. Your resume should focus on results rather than responsibilities. Use action verbs to express exactly what you did. Instead of saying “I was responsible for customer service” try “Managed a five-person customer service team that handled 1,000 cases per week.”
LinkedIn profile
Your profile should work in tandem with your CV to guarantee you interviews – but an optimized LinkedIn profile will also allow you to be discovered by companies looking for potential employees with your experience.
With a little extra attention to three specific elements of your profile, you’ll have a better chance of showing up in search results for recruiters and hiring managers.
LinkedIn Title: The title is the text that appears below your name at the top of your profile. If not personalized, it will default to your current job title and company…which doesn’t say anything meaningful about you.
Your title should be a combination of what you do and what makes you unique. It should also include words and phrases that recruiters and hiring managers might actually use to search for someone like you.
About: When writing your About section, include the following information to develop your title:
- Notable results and results from previous roles
- Relevant training or diplomas
- Relevant professional or industrial experience
- What you are looking for in your next role
- Side projects that offer examples of soft skills in action
- All the deal breakers for future roles so you can deter the wrong kinds of opportunities from coming your way
Together, these elements should be enough to give readers an idea of your work experience and what makes you unique.
Professional experience: The Work Experience section should provide clear evidence of your skills and experience. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t just want to see a list of where you’ve worked. They want to know what you did while you were there. What you write for your work experience should mirror what’s already on your resume. Go ahead and cut and paste, but feel free to add more details. A LinkedIn profile looks incomplete without bullet points under each of your previous jobs.
Pro Tip: The first sentence of each part of your Work Experience section should provide the reader with an overview of the company.
Job or interview presentation
If your CV opens the door for you, a job or interview presentation can get you hired. You are a stronger candidate when you can To display your skills and experience to hiring managers and recruiters.
The most common mistake candidates make in interviews is leaving out important details about their work. Why did you do what you did? How? What tools did you use? Who was involved? What was the result ? This level of background will set you apart from other applicants.
These three assets – your resume, your LinkedIn profile, and your job or interview presentation – will help you market yourself on an ongoing basis.