What is a Personal Branding Statement?
A personal branding statement is similar to traditional resume objectives, but with a more personal touch that helps to share your own skills, experience and the value you will add to a company if you are hired in. This statement helps you to express yourself without sounding too generic and without the classic lines of why you want the position yourself. When you use a personal branding statement, you will not only stand out against other potential candidates, but you have the ability to build a more positive reputation for yourself.
Why These Statements Work Better Than Traditional Objectives
Using a personal branding statement on your resume is a way for you to stray away from classic lines used in traditional objective statements, as these messages can be highly personalized to fit each position that you are applying for individually, giving you an advantage over other candidates who are not using them, but generic objectives instead.
How to Create the Right Resume Objective Statement
Once you begin brainstorming to create the right resume objective statement, it’s important to consider the position you are interested in and the value you will bring to the company if you are selected for an interview or hired in. Creating a personal brand for yourself is a key factor to having success when you are developing your resume: It is important to consider specific words that represent your personality, and will appeal to employers based on the position you are applying for and the responsibilities associated with the job. Using words such as courageous, resilient, robust, intuitive, communicative and even persuasive is a way to appeal to employers while allowing them to gain insight into your own personality and what you have to offer. Understanding the type of leadership style you have and how you communicate can also help you with forming the right objective statement that will work for you. If you are experienced in specific subjects and industries, consider using words that are more likely to appeal to your future employers because they’re relevant to the work you plan to do. Write down personal traits that are useful for the positions you desire to get an idea of the type of personal branding statement you want to implement in your resume before applying for any position. If you have natural gifts and talents, be sure to create a list of your skills, ranging from problem-solving to speaking multiple languages or understanding how to program. The more you have to offer and share with potential employers, the easier it is for them to determine whether you are the right fit for the job.
Preparing the Personal Branding Statement
Once you have a list of skills and positive traits about you that are useful for the position you are interested in, you can then select one skill from each list that fits you best. It is also important to research each company you want to work for individually to ensure that you are utilizing the proper wording, and appealing to companies based on their needs and the company’s work environment. Including the number of years of experience you have is also highly recommended, especially when you have been working in the same field or industry for years and want to showcase that you are familiar with all aspects of the position you desire.
The Difference Between Classic Resume Objectives and Personal Branding Statements
Classic resume objectives are generally simple, short and sweet, which can often appear as “too generic” to potential employers, who receive hundreds of applications on a regular basis. Rather than creating a resume with a typical resume objective that says something like, “To secure a position as an employee and to work hard for a growing business”, opting for a bigger introduction that is more detailed and relevant to your specific skills, interest and experience is such more effective. Sharing the skills you have with descriptive adjectives and the value you have to offer to the companies you want to work with will allow you to gain an advantage regardless of how in-demand your desired position is.
