Written by: Jeff Altman, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When I worked in recruiting, I developed a lot of expertise. I was known to some in the New York City market but nowhere else. Everyone had inflated job titles like VP, Talent Acquisition for North America... with 2 weeks of experience. That wasn’t me.
I didn’t use a title even though by this time I had more than 20 years of experience. I realized neither job hunters nor corporate recruiters were being signaled by the recruiter’s title of their experience because of title inflation.
I started to think of how to differentiate myself, and brand myself in a way in a way that signaled my expertise. Into my mind came the phrase, “The Big Game Hunter.” It was familiar but different than the term “headhunter” that most know but one I was able to trademark for all categories of employment. Strong, yet different. It worked for me in search and now in my work as a coach offering no BS career advice.
Career branding as a strategy can help you stand out from others and position yourself for professional success. If you’re feeling uninspired about your job search or career, or just want to stay ahead of the competition, it may be time to develop a career branding strategy that will help you not just now but for years to come.
That being said, many people are hesitant when it comes to branding their careers. They act like they’ll need an advertising team from Mad Men or marketing degrees to develop one. But this isn’t true at all and is an excuse for self-sabotage by inaction.
Branding your career as an individual doesn’t have to be complicated; even small steps can impact your future job prospects. Let’s look at 4 simple tips for career branding that will help you for years.
Evaluate where you want to go
Where do you want to go with your career? Are you happy with your job and the work you’re doing? Do you want to move up the corporate ladder? Are you looking for something completely different? Do you know how people like you develop the expertise to get to where you want to get to?
Assess your strengths and weaknesses and think about the type of work you really want to be doing. Are there any specific companies or industries you’d like to work in? If you can’t find anything that fits your career goals, is it time to consider starting your own business?
Meet with people who are doing that type of work to see if it really is what you want to do.
Once you’ve identified the types of careers and industries you want to explore or businesses you are interested in, it’s time to talk with real people who are doing that work. Find out where networking events are taking place and attend as many as possible. You can also connect with people on Linkedin to meet with people in the professions you are curious about or who are doing the work you aspire to. You may discover that you’re completely uninterested in what you thought you wanted to do and discover something new, better suited to your skills and passions. You also learn steps that they took to get to where they are which will save time with your efforts.
Define your brand and your target audience
Now that you have explored options and collected information, you have to define your brand. What do you want people to think about when they hear your name or see your resume? What are your core values? What do you want to be known for? What are you most proud of? What types of industries and positions do you want to target? Be as specific as possible.
For example, if you want to work in the healthcare industry, there are many subspecialties you can pursue, from nursing to pathology. Yes, you can be a generalist, however, firms value specialists more than generalists, especially early in your career.
Once you’ve identified your target audience, you need to know how you’re going to reach them. This can be done through self-branding, asking for advice from knowledgeable friends or former colleagues, or hiring a branding company to help you develop your career brand. Whichever route you choose, make sure that your brand is authentic for you and represents your best self. It’s also important to make sure that your social media is aligned and congruent with your brand and the message you want to convey to people.
Recalibrate your thinking
If you’ve tried all of the above and are still feeling uninspired, it may be time to recalibrate your thinking. This doesn’t mean that you need to change careers completely, but rather embrace the aspects of your job that you enjoy and find ways to make it more fulfilling.
For example, if you’re working as an accountant but would prefer to work in marketing, you can make adjustments to your daily duties to make them more closely align with your career goals. These steps can help you develop a career brand that is true to your values, passions, and skills. This will help you stand out from the crowd and get the attention of potential employers and influencers. Even if you’re not currently looking for a new job, implementing these tips will strengthen your professional brand, making you more marketable in your current position.
Showcase yourself
Once you’ve started to promote your brand, it’s time to start networking with potential employers and recruiters. Network, network, network! Become active on LinkedIn. Find groups that are related to your industry. Participate in discussions in groups and in the feed. Share your expertise and knowledge. No arguing! Discussing is OK! You never know who is reading your posts, and you may just spark someone’s interest and have an opportunity land in your lap.
Choose 1-2 achievements from your past and create a visual representation of them, such as a poster or infographic (Canva is great for this). You can then use this as a social media cover or profile picture, or provide it to people you meet at networking events and job fairs.
Become a guest on podcasts. Find groups to speak to and offer your expertise. Write a book and, if that seems to difficult, start writing articles. There are many sites including LinkedIn and medium.com you can publish them to that will give you greater professional exposure.
Many of you have chosen to be invisible professionally and missed opportunities to be escorted to the front of the line because you are seen as an expert, if not THE expert. Branding, knowledge, and expertise work hand in hand to help you throughout your career.
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Jeff Altman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is a career and leadership coach who helps people with their careers, including job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading, and resolving workplace-related issues while being the person they want to be in life. He has written 9 books and guides to job search and hiring, including "The Ultimate Job Interview Framework" and "The Right Answers to Tough Interview Questions." He is the host of No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the 1 podcast in Apple Podcasts for job search with more than 2100 episodes, as well as JobSearchTV.com on YouTube, Amazon, Roku, Apple TV, and 90+ smart sets. Jeff works with clients worldwide and is a popular speaker.
