Many job seekers find themselves plunged into the world of personal branding by default. You need to find a job, so you have to market yourself.
But many of those job seekers have never had to conduct a real job search before. Maybe you’ve had a corporate job for 15 or 20 years, or maybe you’ve had a series of them but have always been recruited into your new role. It’s entirely possible for a person with an advanced career to have never written a resume.
So if you find yourself building your personal brand from scratch and it’s gotta get done now, here’s a 5 day guide to creating a professional presence that will get you a job.
Day 1: The necessities – Resume, cover letter, elevator speech. These are the three things that you must have in order to successfully search for a job. Truthfully, you should be using the elevator speech first and much more often, but this order – resume, then cover letter, then elevator pitch – is a common procession for putting together the information. Don’t go crazy with your resume at this stage. Find a good reference, and go from there. If you don’t have a resume, build one from scratch. If you do have one, spend the time updating and targeting it for your next role. Write a good, basic customizable cover letter. Then, develop a 30-second speech that tells people who you are and what you have to offer in a professional, compelling way. Sure it’s good to have a good finished product here, but remember that this process will help you prepare for future networking and interviews by reminding you of the great things you’ve done in the past. The process is just as important as the result.
Day 2: Develop a networking plan. The old adage is that “people buy from people,” and it’s just as true in hiring. People hire people, not resumes. So while the resume is an important tool to support your efforts, you’ll get a job much more quickly if you can get a lot of face time. On Day 2, make a list of all your options for networking, including professional associations, general networking groups, faith-based organizations, meetups, yahoo! groups, social networking and more. Figure out how much networking you can realistically do, alloting time for travel, events, and follow up with each of the people that you meet. Consider moving beyond attending into volunteering or even speaking. Develop a general outline of how you can make the most of your time through events and programs that will support your networking goals.
Day 3: Manage your online image. Google yourself. What do you see? If it’s less than flattering, or if you don’t see yourself at all, make a proactive plan to address the problem. Start a blog on a topic related to your field, create a profile on LinkedIn and other sites that are indexed by Google so that they appear in the search results. Tweet. Write articles and submit them to blogs, article sites, etc. Whatever it takes to get your name associated with your professional work online.
Day 4: Create your brand message. Do you have a tagline? A mission statement? How do you explain who you are and what you do? Work to create various ways to express your value. Have a business card that captures your message. Have a tagline. Revise your online and offline materials to answer the question, “Why should I hire you?” Have that answer ready.
Day 5: Get feedback. Ask people that you know and trust to review your materials, online and off. Make them commit to giving honest, impartial criticism. Enlist them in helping you be the best that you can be. Ask them what your resume says about you, if they find your cover letter engaging, whatever makes sense. Internalize their criticism and make it your springboard for excellence.
Of course, personal branding is not a 5-day effort. Effective personal branding requires cultivation over time. But this 5-day plan will kick start your job search efforts and help get you started on the way to success. Once you’re on your way, just keep moving. Eventually, you’ll get the superstar status that you deserve.
Kristi Daeda is a Success Coach and creator of Career Adventure, a blog which helps professionals in the pursuit of their inspiring work. To receive her free report, 51 Ordinary and Extraordinary Places to Find a Job, sign up for her free Career Kick Start newsletter.
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