How to Identify Your Personal Brand for Your Resume

To create a resume that resonates with employers one must understand and leverage their personal brand.

 

A personal brand is all about who you are and what you want to be known for.

 

A strong resume is your personal sales tool, which positions your authentic offerings and unique value in a way that compels employers to invest in you.  A lack of branding in a resume is therefore a lack of strategic focus – and could end up selling you short.

 

Many people feel overwhelmed by the task of narrowing down everything they have to offer into a distilled statement. Yet branding isn’t about one-liners or snappy statements. It’s simply about you and the value you have to offer prospective employers.

 

Some easy steps to help you with brand exploration and identification:

 

  1. Seek insights from trusted friends, family, and coworkers.
  • How would they describe you?
  • What words are used most often when referencing your work style?
  • What would they say you are best known for? Ask them to narrow this list to just competencies or abilities.

 

  1. Explore the emotional aspect of your work and work ethic:
  • What personality traits do you think people love about you?
  • How do you normally make people feel when you are doing your best work?
  • In what ways do others benefit by working with you?

 

  1. Write a list of your top skills. Unsure what these are? Ask yourself:
  • What have I done and done well in my work?
  • What skills did I use to create successful outcomes?
  • When did I go above and beyond a job description?  Why?

 

  1. Ponder the business impacts you are known for:
  • What special problems have I solved for my companies? How did I do it? What skills did I use?
  • Have I made suggestions that improved workflow or processes?
  • Did I find ways to make my job more productive?
  • Have I ever been asked to be part of a special project or take the lead on a task?
  • Did I create or assume new responsibilities?
  • What special recognitions or awards have I received?
  • What compliments have I received from managers, clients, or co-workers?
  • Have I saved my company time or money? Made my company money?

 

 

  1. Finally, ask yourself: “What makes me stand out from everyone else”?
  • Write out your answer in a short paragraph.
  • Revisit the paragraph and add in the proof (specific results that demonstrate success).
  • Specify the skills you utilized to achieve great things.

 

 

Now when you go to create your resume you can draw from these answers, and your newly formed paragraph, to identify a theme…understand your top skills…and position your notable career achievements.  All of these items make you who you are – this is your personal brand!  Own it and share it in your resume to increase job search success.

 

  • Skye Berry-Burke is an award-winning, multi-certified resume writer who helps bring job seeker’s careers to new heights! Want to win the interview with a resume that gets you noticed?  Reach out to Skye online at Skye Is The Limit Resume and Career Solutions to learn how.