Your resume is a document that summarizes your skills and experience, but you need to go a little further to catch the eye of potential employers. Your personality, what you are passionate about, and the specific value you will bring to the potential employer at the job you are applying for are all essential elements of your resume. You can tie these elements into your resume personal branding statement.
Your personal branding statement can contain the same ideas of what you have to offer to the working world, but may need to be altered for each job you are applying to. Your personal branding statement should be placed under towards the beginning of your resume, under your contact details. Here are some things to think about when you are creating your personal branding statement for your resume:
1) What does the future of your career look like?
To write an effective resume branding statement, you must have an idea of what you want the future of your career to look like. Are there specific tasks you are interested in performing? Are you looking to stay in one role for a few years or progress to another role at some point? Or are you still exploring what you want out of your career and are looking for a job that allows you to wear different hats and develop skills in different areas? In your personal branding statement in your resume, express how your experience qualifies you and makes you likely to succeed in your desired role.
2) What sets you apart from the competition?
Think of how others describe you. If you need more insight, ask people that have worked with you in the past what they consider to be your unique asset. Also consider your greatest accomplishments in your career and what personality traits or strengths have helped you accomplish them. These are the attributes you want to strongly express in your resume branding statement. Look at the job description and combine the most important personality traits and strengths needed for the job with the ones you have that have helped you get to where you are in your career.
3) What are you passionate about?
Think about what’s important to you in a job and in life. Aside from possessing strong skills, having a strong desire and passion for certain aspects involved in a job make it more meaningful to you and therefore make you likely to be more motivated on the job. Your resume personal branding statement should show the employer what drives you, the impact you want to make on the world and how. Is there a specific audience you want your work to benefit? Is there something you feel you can’t do without in your workday, such as interaction with clients? When creating your personal branding statement for your resume, also consider what kind of work environment you prefer. Do you prefer a close-knit staff or having more personal space on the job? Do you prefer having the option to telecommute and have experience doing so successfully?
Below is an example of a strong resume personal branding statement that is likely to stand out to employers:
“I am a resourceful, powerful leader that possesses sharp intuition in many aspects of retail store management. I have extensive experience with troubleshooting retail technology systems and acquiring the right level of inventory without exceeding or wasting budget funds. I have a passion for working with a large team, motivating and inspiring them to go above and beyond and deliver exceptional customer service. I am at my best when I get to be hands on with customers and store aesthetics.”
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
