When actively searching for a job, a commonly overlooked tool is your personal brand. Candidates with a personal brand stand out amongst those who don’t, leveraging your search. A personal brand can showcase your accomplishments across your entire life, versus a resume that only displays your professional achievements. For example, if you are head of the local soccer club, your brand can promote your leadership skills and community involvement in the arena, and can tie them into the leadership skills and teamwork on your resume.

Personal branding can also facilitate networking. You can work your brand when you go to career fairs and other networking events. Additionally, if people are looking for teamwork and leadership skills, they are likely to reach out to you.

Listed below are three effective ways to build your brand while job searching.

Curate your social media accounts to reflect your brand

Be sure to keep consistency across all of your social media accounts in order to efficiently advance and reflect your brand. For example, if you are a proven account specialist with leadership skills and teambuilding experience, it should be clearly shown throughout your online presence. Also, make sure your personal posts and pictures reflect the image that you would want an employee to see.

Most importantly, your brand should be exhibited on LinkedIn. Not only is this the most important social media for job seekers, but LinkedIn’s layout seamlessly integrates personal and professional information. It clearly displays both your personal and professional interests and experience, and how they can be related to one another.

Social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can help display your brand as well while reaching new and different audiences.

Update your accounts frequently

When you build your personal brand, be sure to follow the same principles as business branding. One crucial principle to keep track of is the frequency your accounts are updated. For example, Coca-Cola would never advertise every six months. If this were the case, the viewing public would lose interest.

This same idea also applies to your personal brand. Post frequently and on as many platforms as you can. You could also use Twitter to publicize what you post. The main goal is to drive as much traffic as you can, as frequently as you can.

Participate in groups

Social media is appropriately named considering it facilitates communication between people all over the world.

One of the best ways to build your brand and communicate with new people is to join groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. It is most beneficial if you participate frequently, comment pleasantly on other people’s contributions and give advice and information so you appear as a thought leader.

How a Staffing Agency Can Help

Looking for a new job? Gainor Staffing offers opportunities and advice.