For decades, the sure-fire way to build your career was to have an impressive resume, written down in uniform black and white. In recent years, however, there has been a shift from resumes being the primary career tool. In the digital age, successful personal branding is more likely to get you noticed and win you widespread acclaim.
The difference between a resume and a personal brand is obvious. While the former focuses on qualifications and professional experiences, the latter allows for personality, values and life experiences to shine through. What a qualification lacks that people have in abundance is unique value. It is this realisation in the context of today’s digital age that is furthering the careers of more individuals than ever before.
Personal branding has been made possible for almost anybody through social media and the internet. Value lies in a strong online footprint with hundreds, thousands or even millions of followers and useful content attributed to you and your personal brand. A clear understanding of your niche and what you want to be known for helps you to stand out from an increasingly saturated online market. With consistent branding across platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and personal websites, you can eliminate confusion and build a strong online presence.
There are multiple ways of growing an established online presence and presenting yourself as an authority figure within your niche. You can publish articles, share insights, and engage in relevant online communities to demonstrate your expertise, passion and commitment. In this way, you will be able to build up both your network and your personal brand image through genuine interactions rather than through pure self-promotion.
Despite the prevalence of personal branding in today’s professional sphere, it is not a replacement for CVs and resumes which in many sectors still retain their importance. Personal branding is more of an enhancement tool, adding credibility to an existing CV. Employers can refer to your personal brand to verify your expertise through online portfolios or content- it adds an extra layer to your professional profile.
Even for the smallest of personal brands, navigating the online world and building up a reputation is still challenging. For those who may be struggling, or are unsure how to get started, here are some resources and success stories that may be useful:
7 Steps To Create A Powerful Personal Brand
Personal Branding Speaker & Expert | Bianca Miller
A New Approach to Building Your Personal Brand
10 Steps to Building Your Personal Brand on Social Media | Digital Marketing Institute
I Wish I Never Built a Personal Brand
To conclude, the value of a personal brand for an individual who wants to stand out in a certain market or niche cannot be underestimated. However, this value increases when there is a CV or resume in black and white to back it all up (and vice versa). Building a personal brand is rarely linear, but with today’s resources, is more possible than ever.
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