Brand Yourself!

It’s a dog eat dog world out there, ladies, especially on the job market. You have to make sure your resume gets to the top of the heap and your potential employer knows who you are before the interview. One of the best ways to get yourself out there is also one of the hottest new trends: branding yourself.

No, I don’t mean actually taking a red-hot piece of metal and scarring your body, but that would certainly make you memorable. I’m talking about creating a niche for yourself, so to speak. For example, when a Cincinnati woman wants to get fashion, health, beauty or career advice, what is the first thing that pops into her head? Why, Cincy Chic of course! You want to do the same thing for yourself.

Keep in mind; branding isn’t just about promoting yourself. It’s about creating a trusting relationship. It’s like buying a certain brand of jeans because you like the way they make your butt look. You go with that brand because you know what they’re all about. You want potential employers to feel the same way about you.

So, how do you develop your brand? First, you have to determine what you love, what you hate, what you’re good at. And then you have to make it look good.

Dawn Werner, the owner of Career Vantage located at 8044 Montgomery Rd # 700, says the key is creating an individual look. Whether it is your resume or your letterhead, or whatever you send, when someone opens it they need to know whom it’s coming from. Be sure your strengths and skills are clearly displayed along with your contact information and a nice headshot so they’ll recognize you when they meet you at the first interview.

Other than your resume and cover letter, another great tool for branding yourself is having a Web site. Think of all the cool things you can do: videos, pictures, blogs, links to projects you have contributed to, even a full bio. Try making a short video explaining yourself, your strengths, the jobs you have had, what you would like to do and why. It would be like a video resume. Keep up with the trends in your industry and blog about them.

And whatever you write on your Web site – it’s always a good idea to have someone else edit your content before you go live.

One thing to beware of is your MySpace and Facebook pages. Employers now search for their prospective employees on social networking sites to try to learn more about them. It probably isn’t a good idea to have those bachelorette party pictures available for just anyone to see.

Branding is about advertising yourself. By creating an organized, professional image, you can have potential employers lining up to offer you jobs!