How do you make sure your resume makes a compelling case on your behalf to get your foot in the company door?
In last month’s post, I talked about storytelling and how to add some sizzle to your narrative. This month, let’s chat about how branding comes into play.
Steve Martin once said, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” That’s one hurdle down. Now, how do you show it so they [a.k.a. hiring managers] don’t ignore you?
Make yourself valuable…
In today’s world of information overload, that’s no easy task. That’s why personal branding is crucial; it helps you cut through the noise and signal your unique promise of value to the world. According to William Arruda, the Personal Branding Guru himself, here are the benefits of a strong personal brand:
- Understand yourself better
- Differentiate yourself from your peers
- Increase your visibility and presence
- Make a mark on your organization / company
- Choose better, more interesting assignments or attract your ideal clients
- Increase your compensation, pay or fees
- Expand into new business areas
- Thrive during downturns in the economy
- Increase your confidence
- Achieve your personal and professional goals.”
Remember this: the higher the perception of your value, the more irresistible you become. So, put in the time and effort to develop your own personal brand. It’ll pay off in spades when it comes to propelling your career.
Make yourself memorable…
Visual branding plays a critical role here. In essence, it demonstrates to hiring executives how you solve problems and get things done in pictures. It captures and retains your audience.
We’re bombarded with 5X more information today than we were 30 years ago, and since we process a visual 60,000 times faster than text, it only makes sense that you tie in the written content of your resume with a chart, graphic, table, infographic, or other form of data visualization that appeals to the human brain.
Color branding…
Research shows that people decide whether or not they like a brand within 90 seconds of their initial interactions, and approximately 62-90% of that initial assessment is based on colors alone.
It goes to show color is a powerful force in our lives. Color psychology studies indicate it influences how we feel and act; we all have personality colors. Just as it does for companies, color creates powerful impact for our personal brands as well.
Long story short, personal, visual, and color branding not only work together to give your target audience the total brand experience, they subliminally communicate your value and personality through compelling content, imagery, and design style.
This is the career marketing mix that takes you from nobody special to irresistible—and wins you interviews.
