Personal Branding – cutting through the clutter… 

A sleek, tailored resume aligning our ‘personal brand’ qualities with our future aspirations; a list of well researched companies to target; a bunch of network contacts willing to connect us with decision makers within; relationships with two or three key recruiters specialising in our field; a LinkedIn profile promoting our brand to the world…as a job seeker, we’re doing all we can to land our ideal role right?

Would it surprise you to know that job applications are frequently scanned for key word match against the advertised criteria before a human eye even sees them? And those that make it through will garner less than 6 seconds viewing as the pile is reduced to the few worth closer scrutiny? And that 95% of recruiters and employers will then turn to Google to research the owners of these applications?

What’s more, given the onerous task of wading through a possible 300+ job ad responses, recruiters, head hunters and employers are increasingly turning to LinkedIn to cherry pick from the rich talent pool of potential job fits within. And should we surface during their key word search, our profiles will receive less than 36 seconds viewing time. Why? Well only 65% of our LinkedIn profile is actually about us. Ads, other visuals and other people’s profiles will distract their attention and potentially lead them away from our information.

So how are we to cut through the scanning, speed-read and clutter and stand out from the masses?

Today’s employers are seeking as much information as they can to ensure a ‘perfect fit’. They are looking to assess elements such as professional qualifications, history, skills sets, subject matter expertise, thought leadership, achievements, connections, personality, creativity and cultural fit. So much more than can be conveyed in resumes and profiles and if we are to succeed in a competitive marketplace we need to innovate from such traditional approaches.

Enter the Personal Web Page…

The best sales people know how important it is to make personal connections with their clients. Whether through a shared hobby, an experience or a life philosophy; making a connection with our audience reminds them that we’re a real person. Difficult to do through a resume, easy through a visually stimulating Website.

For years, prominent authors, musicians, politicians and other personalities have used websites to raise their profile and provide a place to showcase their careers. What these people know is that having a website is a powerful tool for both building a personal brand and connecting with their audience.

Unlike social media sites, a personal website is 100% about you and; given that people remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read and 80% of what they see and statistically spend up to 3 minutes viewing visually stimulating websites, what exactly are we waiting for?

Still unconvinced? Here’s 5 reasons why we should consider creating a personal website: (more…)