VII.16.2019 - Job Search & The Brand Called You
One of the critical mistakes people make when initiating a job search is not taking the time to consider how they will articulate their value to an organization before submitting a résumé. The ancient Greek maxim to 
“know thyself” is the real starting point. In the movie, The Matrix (1999), the Wachowskis used a Latin version of this aphorism as an inscription over the Oracle’s door. Tom Peters introduced the approach in his book, The Brand Called You. Your skills change and grow over time so it’s important to have a current self-awareness of your brand’s value and how you can communicate that clearly and persuasively to other people.
When I work with my clients, I recommend starting with a list of the core competencies that they are offering — the foundation of their brand. What have you been recognized for in the past? What accomplishments were you able to achieve because of your core competencies? How you describe your brand will differ based upon the position that you are seeking, the industry or the profession. And once you have mapped out your core competencies, it is time to assemble a complete list of your career highlights, achievements and learnings. This is the first step to defining The Brand Called You and these “elements” will form the central focus for the the content of your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé. Note: a CV and résumé are different and I will address those differences and uses in a future blog.
There are key factors that always come into play when conducting a successful job search such as how you communicate your career goals as an extension of your brand identity and why hiring you is the best decision a recruiter could make. And that brings us back to the beginning: How do you put yourself ‘out there’ if you don’t know who you are and what you have to offer? This lack of clarity is the main reason why recruiters and hiring committees filter out CVs on the first pass. If you don’t know who you are and what you have to offer, you can’t expect other people to fill in the blanks!
Knowing yourself and communicating your value to other people is the first step towards creating The Brand Called You and, of course, securing that job that you want (and deserve).