There seems to be lots of marketing language and terminology surrounding the whole job application process. Sell, market, brand, promote, position, competition, etc. But what exactly does it all mean?
When you think about it – you are the commodity that’s on offer. So it makes sense that you look after your brand well, and that it accurately reflects the you you’re promoting.
Like marketing a product, you want to make sure that you:
- are aware of your competition – industry knowledge
- can describe the value of your skills in today’s market – self awareness
- have the ability to reinvent yourself, keeping your value – lifelong learning
- can stand alone – resilience
- combines well with others; like tea and biscuits – teamwork
Who are you?
Brand ambassadors will tell you that it’s very easy to market something that they like and value, but extremely difficult to sell something they dislike or are ambivalent about.
It’s really important to think about who is the you that you typically want to present to employers? For example, do you think you might be an extroverted leader or an introverted creator? More importantly, does your archetype suit your chosen field?
Alongside marketing yourself to an employer, you also need to be clear that you like who you are, you like what you are doing, and you have a good idea of what you’re good at and believe in what you stand for.
Sharing Your Story
When you are across all of the this is who I am, you’re ready to promote the aspects of you that you want to share.
You’ll need to be consistent in your approach to defining yourself across multiple platforms. This means any documents or digital media a potential employer has access to, e.g. your resume, LinkedIn, Instagram, personal website or blog. You don’t want to distort your brand with contradictory messages.
If you want to start exploring your personal brand, check out UniHub for upcoming workshops. Our Graduate Gateway series will also look at developing your personal brand.
