Looking for a career move? Brand yourself

When I first graduated from college back in 2012 with my degree in criminal justice and fresh out of an internship with the Department of Forensics, I truly believed that landing a job would be the easiest part. My resume felt complete being able to list this accomplishment alongside the skills that I had learned along the way. The only thing that seemed to be lacking was experience in the criminal justice field. Most of the positions I was seeking required 3 years minimum of police training. It did not keep me from applying for various positions in the field. However, I did not get many interviews and that was discouraging. Reflecting on this, I think of what I could have done differently to make myself more appealing as an applicant. You know the old saying, 'it's all about who you know.' While this may be true to some extent, when it comes to marketing yourself to prospective employers it is also about how you brand yourself. Not just on your resume, but also on the internet.

Branding is central to customer recognition of a product or business. For instance, if someone were to say to me, "Just Do It", I would automatically think Nike. Or, "What would you do-oo-oo with a Klondike Bar?" Now, I have never actually had a Klondike bar nor do I know what I would do for one. What I do know is, that is some good branding and it instantly makes me think of that product. Plus, the slogan is catchy! When there are so many other options, it is important for companies to make their brands stand out from the rest. Likewise, when seeking employment in this job market, you must think of yourself as a product that you are selling. What is going to make you stand out among the rest of the applicants? What value can you bring to that business?

Having a solid resume helps but you want to make sure you are highlighting accomplishments and skills that relate to the job you are applying for. When I was applying for jobs in the criminal justice field, I did make sure to list my internship but I made the mistake of not listing any of the knowledge and skills that I gained from it. However, in today's digital age, it is not just your resume that employers are looking at. Employers are, also, considering your online reputation. They are Googling you, checking out your social media pages, and anything else they can find to get an initial impression of you.

If you are looking to build your own personal brand, then you might be wondering where to start. LinkedIn is one of the first places I would recommend starting to build your brand. If you were to view my LinkedIn page today, you would see, alongside my job history, that I am affiliated with various groups and organizations in my community in which I volunteer my time along with my list of knowledge and skills. On my Facebook page, you would see that I manage a business page for a university, and if you were to go to that page you would be able to view some of the content that I have created for that page. You would also find links to my professional blog. These are just a few of the things I have done in the past three years to brand myself in my current position that could later be used to set me apart from others in an applicant pool.

According to Business Insider, your personal brand is your reputation and it is not something that happens by accident. Rather, it is something that you intentionally invest in and manage to market yourself to the job market. Think of it as a way to display your personal qualities and traits that are not often found on one's resume. Glassdoor, a prominent job board site, gives some great advice to those looking to build or revamp their personal brand through their online presence. One of the best tips was to show your expertise by creating your own content and sharing it on your LinkedIn, Facebook, and twitter. Or, creating a personal website to display your portfolio.


It is also important to note that even though social media is a great way to express our opinions and share our interests, what you say and share publicly on social media can also be used against you in the prospect of employment. If you have a tendency to post a lot of politically framed and/or vulgar content, then please be aware that the could be a possible deterrent for employers who may not share the same views as you.



Whether you are fresh out of college or have been working in a field for 10 plus years and looking to switch careers then I encourage you to use the tools available and build your own personal brand online. It is not going to happen over night so start small with a LinkedIn account then go from their. Are you attending industry events to grow your knowledge? Share it! Are you writing content to display your expertise? Share it and maintain it. Also, make sure all of your social networks are linked together and accessible. The job market can be a dog-eat-dog world and that is why it is so important to show what makes you stand out and building an online reputation can help you do just that.


Thank you for taking the time to read this weeks post. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences.