Personal branding myths job seekers should ignore

Personal branding plays a vital role when seeking a job. Recruiters and hiring managers use it to find talents. This process is similar to a corporate brand. However, it is created and maintained to build a reputation, gain visibility and improve your chances of getting hired.

Because of its importance in the hiring process, thousands of people who are looking for a job are now jumping on it without understanding its full scope. Moreover, you will find several misconceptions that can ruin your chances of finding a job. In this post, let’s talk about those personal branding myths that job seekers should ignore.

1. It is only beneficial for freelancers.
Some people in the best cities for young professionals believe that personal branding is only for sole proprietors. It is true that freelancers can take advantage of it because its enterprise is associated with their personal identity. But personal branding can also work with individuals who want to join a company.

They can show off their credentials that made them successful. It can help them build their reputation and make new connections. These connections can lead to a sale or experience to improve their skills.

Thus, you can use personal branding as your leverage point to make connections, forge partnerships and find work.

2. You don’t need a web presence
Even if you hate social media, you should have active social media feeds to make it easier for employers to notice you. It is especially true if you wish to have a job in a digital marketing world.

One of the reasons some individuals don’t want to have an active web presence is that they don’t want to bare their soul. But the good thing is that building an active web presence doesn’t necessitate revealing your soul. In other words, you don’t need to share photos of your lunch or dinner every day. 

To create a web presence without exposing your soul, you need to choose at least one social media platform and actively engage with content that is relevant to your expertise. Then, share and comment on some posts regularly.

3. It requires creating a false identity
Au contraire, effective personal branding requires authenticity. You don’t have to fake your image so that you can appeal to the needs of the outside world. Thus, personal identity means telling other people about who you truly are and communicate with it authentically.

Personal branding is also not used to brag about yourself. Rather, it is about being honest about what you can offer. For example, if you have accomplished something that had benefited other people or current employers, you should share it with your target employers without enhancing your story. You may consider it as a way to educate people about how you can help them.

4. It is a short-term strategy
No, it’s not. Rather, it is a long-term strategy that gives you benefits over time. Thus, you can’t play around with it for  a few weeks. Personal branding helps to build a reputation. And reputation building is not done overnight. Instead, you need a slow start with limitless growth. To fully take advantage of it, you need a strategy that requires months or years of continuous effort.

You can use it to find a new position, meet new individuals or increase your visibility to future employers. It is like marketing. The results are dependent on the time you spend on it and the time will eventually pay off.

5. It is a useful tag line for a resume
If you believe it, then you have not defined your personal brand fully. Personal branding requires knowing what differentiates you from others. You need to back it up. That’s because personal branding allows you to communicate your unique qualities. These qualities are the things that you use every day to navigate your personal and workday life.

You need to brand yourself as a whole package and not just your skills. You should showcase your creativity, passion, personality, etc.

All effective personal brands are based in reality. For that reason, you must focus on who you truly are.

6. It is frustrating
If you do it incorrectly, personal branding can be frustrating. However, if it is done right, it can be a fun task. The entire process requires that you spend a few minutes of your time each day to work on your personal brand.

If there’s something that you need to fix, you must fix it. You may have a bad personal brand but there’s always a way to resuscitate it. It does not mean that you have to bury the truth. Rather, it means that you are revealing your authentic identity.

Guest post by Catrin Cooper

Thanks, Catrin! Kathy

Catrin Cooper is a freelance writer and content manager from San Francisco. She sees her purpose in providing people with up-to-date info in spheres of marketing, self-development, and real estate. Apart from work, she adores traveling and yoga.

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