So you hired a resume writing company to craft your resume and develop your personal brand. Now, you feel adequately prepared to plunge into the highly competitive job market. You feel confident that you are moving forward in a positive manner, but you feel like there might be additional things you can do to enhance your job search while minimizing the time it takes to receive another job offer. A good place to start is establishing your personal brand on LinkedIn. By establishing your personal brand on LinkedIn, you are increasing your visibility while demonstrating your ability to build relationships with key players in your field through your LinkedIn connections. But one of the most frequently asked questions regarding resumes and LinkedIn profiles is whether or not you use the same content in both your resume and on LinkedIn. The answer might not be what you think!
Using Consistent Brand Messaging in Resumes and LinkedIn Profiles
With the rise of social media over the last few years, jobseekers have recognized the value and power of social media in their job search. LinkedIn has become an extremely hot commodity when it comes to personally branding yourself, increasing your visibility in the job market, networking with professionals and companies in your field, and sourcing job leads. But one of the biggest mistakes jobseekers make is thinking their resume should convey one set of content and their LinkedIn profile should contain something totally different. On the surface it sounds good because you have different things to mention on each medium. But consider applying Marketing 101 principles to your personal brand. The first rule in marketing is that consistent branding is one of the core marketing strategies that enable differentiation against the competition. The same holds true for jobseekers competing in a saturated job market. You must have consistent branding on your resume and your LinkedIn profile because it allows hiring managers to easily recognize you in a sea of other applicants.
Defining Your Brand Messaging
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One of the secrets to successful personal branding on your resume and in your LinkedIn profile is to map out your key selling points before you develop your brand messaging. Consistent brand messaging is important because consistency in itself is also a brand promise that you are always delivering on. It evokes the perception that you are the best candidate for the job while showcasing your commitment to excellence in your next company. Your brand messaging is a part of your brand identity, which helps to define your unique personal brand, who you are, and what you can do for another company. How do you want hiring managers to perceive you? Do you want to be easily recognized? You work hard building your personal brand and creating a positive impression in hiring managers’ minds to help distinguish you from other jobseekers. Ensuring that this messaging remains clear and consistent requires a well thought-out and solid brand strategy.
When it comes to promoting personal brand consistency, you must consider the core elements that go into building a solid personal brand. Your unique identity, visibility in traditional and social media, perception of being the best candidate for the job, and ability to build relationships will all play a role in building and promoting a consistent personal brand. If you plan out your brand messaging correctly prior to developing your resume and your LinkedIn profile, you will attain instant recognition with hiring managers while minimizing the time it takes you to receive another job offer.