‘The best personal brands aren’t overly curated’: six dos and don’ts for the jobs market | Stand Out By Design

Personal branding has undergone a radical rebranding. The way we present ourselves in the workplace and labor market is being transformed by the tools at our disposal and changes in society, such as the convergence of work and life. Twenty-five years ago, you had a resume, and if you wanted a new job, you updated it and sent it to prospective employers. Your reputation may have improved your prospects, but when it came to the job search, your qualifications and resume were pretty much the only window dressing you had.

With the internet, everything changed – and then changed again with social media and smartphones. Suddenly you were visible to millions of people on a device they carried in their pockets. These same tools have given you the ability to go from resumes to elegantly presented websites and slides. And social media has given everyone a platform to build and manage their personal brand in real time.

Today we’re looking at another big change as increasingly sophisticated tools allow anyone to create near-professional visual and video content on their smartphones. Meanwhile, platforms and social channels continue to proliferate, and technologies like artificial intelligence provide once-unimagined possibilities.

So what are the rules of personal branding in our radical new world?

Use new tools
A good personal brand takes the best parts of you and what you offer and packages them in a way that appeals to your audience, says personal branding expert Jennifer Holloway. “Using tools to enhance that packaging can really add impact, whether it’s creating your own website with polished images and sleek video, or posting engaging content on social media platforms, or creating cleverly designed marketing materials.” “

We’ve all instinctively honed our visual skills thanks to the photo editing tools on our smartphones and the widespread use of images, memes and gifs on social media. Of course, this raises the bar when it comes to packaging your personal brand: the better everyone gets, the more nimble you need to be to stand out from the crowd. Apps that allow you to create whatever content you want, such as Adobe Express can be a game changer in this regard, helping you create eye-catching designs easily, quickly and for free. They also allow you to easily embrace newer design features that use generative AI.

Be natural – but also true
“The best personal brands don’t look overly curated, they effortlessly capture someone’s personality and the parts of it that make them unique,” says Daisy Morris, Adobe Express evangelist and author of Community Is Your Currency. “No one can repeat your own individual story, that’s what makes you different and memorable.” Of course, even though we all know the importance of being authentic, this buzzword has become so ubiquitous and ridiculous. It can be difficult to define what being authentic actually means in practice in today’s workplace and job market. Striving for an authentic appearance can sometimes feel contrived or create a conflict between being your true self and the best version of yourself.

Holloway says that while you should certainly highlight the best parts of yourself, you should be extra careful to make sure everything you say is true and accurate. “The opposite can lead to problems down the road when what people think they’re buying turns out not to be true,” she says. “The goal is that as people come into contact with your personal brand, they get a sense of what they would get if they met you in person.”

Experiment
Not everything will work for everyone, so try different media, platforms and channels and find out what works best for you. “You can start on LinkedIn by writing a newsletter or Substack, or go for written content on Instagram with visually designed carousels using Adobe Express,” says Morris. Explore the channels and focus your efforts. “It’s better to commit to one or two channels and really go for it, rather than trying to spread out and build a presence on all of them, ultimately diluting the impact of your personality and your unique message,” says she.

Don’t feel like you have to share everything
We’re often encouraged to “bring our whole selves to work” and told that opening up and showing vulnerability helps build relationships. But it’s okay to keep parts of your life private. Think about what you want your personal brand to be. Some people like openness, others have a strictly professional approach. If your personal brand is going to work for you, it should be something you feel comfortable with.

Don’t expect overnight success
Social media promotes the idea of ​​zero-to-hero successes, but those whose personal brands really work have almost always put in the hours. So, take your time, stick with it and don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a million followers in your first month. “Allow yourself time to experiment with your content, don’t fall for the ‘overnight success’ narrative that can often be touted on social media,” says Morris. “Use the lock and mute button if you have to. There’s no shame in shutting out useless noise.”

Learn from others
See the people who do it well and be inspired by them. Today’s world of personal branding is so dynamic with evolving technology and best practices that it’s important to keep up with how other people are upping their game.

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