Establishing a strong personal brand is a major key to success in today's job market. As easy as it is to develop it, it is just as easy to inadvertently ruin it with your own choice of words. Choosing words without careful consideration can hurt your personal brand, so learning to overcome the natural inclination to compare yourself to your competition is important.
Those Four Little Words
Unfortunately, many job seekers — especially those who lack certain types of experience — find themselves trying to compete with others in their field. While this isn't a problem per se, what these job seekers tend to do is work to convince employers they are "just as good as" others who have more experience or more education. This is a no-win branding strategy, according to Karen Siwak at Career Realism.
The Problem With Comparisons
When you use the phrase "just as good as" and compare yourself to others in your field, you highlight what others do well instead of focusing on your own attributes. Employers already know what your competition has, so there's no need to remind them. When establishing your personal brand, keep the comparisons to a minimum. Your brand is all about you: your accomplishments, your character and your story. Instead of comparing yourself to others in your field, find ways to talk up your own accomplishments and unique qualities.
Get Creative With Selling Yourself
Your personal brand is all about convincing employers that you are better than your competition. Let's say you lack the master's degree or 10 years of experience that comes standard in your field. Instead of apologizing for the things you lack, shine the light on your other great attributes. The skills you've acquired in other industries or through additional study or volunteer work could be the missing link that an employer looks for to take their company to the next level. It's up to you to advertise it.
Lead with Your Strengths
When building a strong personal brand, putting your strengths front and center is paramount to creating a successful personal brand. List your key skills and greatest accomplishments first on your resume to grab a hiring manager's attention right from the start. Create a compelling tagline for your blog, website, LinkedIn profile and other social media pages to bring a powerful and consistent message to your brand. Make it easy for employers to tell at a glance what sets you apart from the competition.
When you work to convince employers that you are just as good as the next candidate, you actually do yourself a disservice. Your personal brand should display your achievements and strengths without mentioning other candidates. Put your best self forward both online and in person, and the only person you have to worry about competing with is yourself.
Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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