How to Build a Personal Brand That Attracts Job Offers

The job market has changed in the last few years, and that means a resume isn’t enough to land your dream job. Employers want to see the full look at who you are, what you stand for, and how you can add value to their organization.

Did you know that 75% of recruiters research candidates online before making a hiring decision? In fact, 57% say they’re less likely to interview a candidate if they cannot find the candidate online. That makes branding yourself online crucial.

Your personal brand is your professional reputation. It can be intimidating to represent yourself in such an official way, but it’s how you can earn more opportunities in today’s job market. When done right, it can make you a target for recruiters and hiring managers.

The best thing? It’s not that hard to do. Whether you’re early in your career or looking to make a pivot, you can take the same steps to brand yourself for job offers.

What is a UVP, and Why Does It Matter?

A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is something you usually hear in business or marketing, but it’s exactly what you need to build your own brand. What is it about you that sets you apart from other people? That’s what your UVP is: a clear statement of your skills, strengths, and the value you could bring to an employer and company.

Think of it as your professional elevator pitch. It’s not a simple statement, but a detailed look at your strengths. You should go further than stating a job title and look for features in your experience that would interest an employer. Look for measurable impacts, unique skills. An example of a UVP would be: “I’m a data-driven marketer with a passion for storytelling and a proven ability to grow social media audiences by 30%.”

How to Identify Your UVP

So how does one define their own UVP?

• Reflect on Your Strengths: What are you naturally good at? What do others compliment you on?
• Consider Your Passions: What excites you about your field? What problems do you enjoy solving?
• Align with Your Career Goals: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How can your UVP help you get there?

Once you’ve defined your UVP, weave it into everything you do – your resume, LinkedIn profile, and even in interviews and discussions with companies.

Optimize Your Online Presence

Craft a Standout LinkedIn Profile

Whenever you want to market something, it’s important to know where your customers are. Your “customers” here are recruiters and business professionals. That means in most cases that your LinkedIn profile will be the cornerstone of your personal brand. Here’s how to make it shine:

• Headline: This will be the first thing people see, right beside your name. Go beyond your job title. Look to highlight all of your strengths.
• Summary: Write a compelling narrative about who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and where you’re headed.
• Experience: This is similar to your resume, but allows you to expand a bit on the nuances of each job. Focus on achievements, not just responsibilities. Use numbers to quantify your impact (e.g., “Increased website traffic by 40%”). If you’re struggling to figure out what to write, AI tools can help you start.
• Skills: List relevant skills and ask for endorsements from colleagues or mentors.

Leverage SEO for Personal Branding

Just like companies optimize their websites for search engines, you can optimize your profiles. Use the words and phrases most common in your industry. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, include terms like “branding,” “Adobe Creative Suite,” and “visual storytelling.”

Curate a Professional Image on Social Media

While LinkedIn is the most important platform, it’s not the only platform. Recruiters often check candidates’ Twitter, Instagram, or even TikTok profiles.

Showcase Your Expertise

Write Blogs or Articles

Many people build their personal brand through thought leadership, discussing the challenges in their industries to build a reputation. You don’t have to go that far to build your own personal brand, but any posts that share insights into your work experience can go a long way.

Recruiters won’t just look at your profile – they’ll look at your posts and the posts you engage with. Share lessons from your experiences, or offer tips for solving common problems.

Share Insights on Social Media

Social media isn’t just for memes – it’s a powerful tool for networking and building your brand.

Find and follow the biggest leaders in your field and engage with interesting content. Social media gives you the opportunity to interact with big names as well, which can be useful in an interview situation.

Many people like to keep their professional and personal accounts separate, which is perfectly fine.

Network Strategically for Personal Branding

Engage with Industry Leaders

Networking is always great for career progression, but certain individuals can help you build a following and a brand. Find your industry thought leaders and leave thoughtful comments on their posts. This puts you on their radar and could earn you some followers from others reading their posts.

Attend Events

Whether it’s a virtual webinar or an in-person conference, events are a great way to network. You can hear leaders’ unfiltered thoughts and interact in a more meaningful way.

Leverage Informational Interviews

If you do get on a thought leader’s radar, don’t be afraid to ask for a quick chat. If they’re really there for that reason, you’ve got a good shot of being successful. Many people will shy away from this, but it’s perhaps the most valuable part of building your reputation – after all, studies show that 85% of all positions are filled through networking.

Use the opportunity to learn about their career path and ask for advice. Not only will you gain valuable insights, but it might lead to future opportunities. At the very least, you have a heck of a story for your next interview.

Stay Consistent and Define Success

Finally, it’s important to define what success looks like for you. Some try to build as big of an online presence as possible, and others only want to optimize their profiles to earn more interviews.

No matter your route, the way to succeed is the same.

Set Small, Measurable Goals

Building a personal brand takes time so it’s important to stay consistent. Set achievable goals like:

• Posting on LinkedIn once a week
• Connecting with five new people in your field each month
• Writing one social media post or website article per quarter

These goals don’t have to be incredibly ambitious, just consistent. Consistency with the time you have available will help you set expectations that actually impact you positively.

Track Your Progress

To that end, you have to track your progress to know what success looks like. Keep an eye on your engagement metrics like likes, comments, shares and the opportunities that come your way – followers, connections, and interview requests. This will help you see what’s working and where you might need to change strategies.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a new job, take the time to build your personal brand. It doesn’t have to be a lot – simply taking the time to optimize your profiles and share some work experiences from time to time can pay massive dividends.

By defining your UVP and optimizing your online presence, you can showcase your strengths and earn more opportunities in the job market.

Alessandro Cozzi

Alessandro Cozzi is the Founder and CEO of Hello I, a platform revolutionizing how talent and opportunity connect. Alessandro has spearheaded large-scale acquisitions, integrations, and market expansions across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Today, he leverages his expertise to help organizations hire smarter. Find him on LinkedIn.