Building Your Personal Brand: A Comprehensive Guide

Having a personal brand isn’t just for influencers and corporations. You should too—here’s why.

Introduction

The rise of automation in the hiring process has also led to the rise of something else: A need for personalized, direct, and connected experiences between the hiring entities and prospective employees. Video resumes and a powerful self-brand are helping candidates of all ages move up and out of the hiring pool to the jobs of their dreams—but the extra effort involved has some questioning if the return on investment (ROI) is worth it. 

We’ll tell you—it absolutely is. 

At least 91% of hiring managers prefer an employee with a digital brand, which means that it’s time to define yours. 

Read on to learn the exact steps you need to walk through on your self-branding journey, HR best practices for branding yourself, and free tools you can use to make your mark as you move through the hiring process—whether you’re a new grad looking for work, or a seasoned pro looking for your next opportunity. 

What Is Personal Branding (And Why Should You Care?)

Before we get too far, though, we need to clarify what personal branding really is. 

Your personal brand, much like your favorite company or influencer on social media, is a public perception that showcases what you want prospective employers to know about you. 

As over 74% of hiring managers say they use social media to screen candidates, you want to ensure you’re curating what you’re putting out there and how you’re putting it out there—giving yourself a leg up on your competition.

Now that we’ve defined what a personal brand is, it’s time to figure out your next few steps to success as you create yours. 

The first? 

Finding your voice. 

Finding Your Authentic Voice in the Self-Branding Process 

Take a second and ask yourself: How are you going to sound in someone else’s limited view? 

While it might be tempting to go with a “proven template” voice you love on social media, we’d recommend against it. Trying to be someone else always backfires, and won’t give your prospective employer a view of the real you—which is the entire purpose of your personal brand. 

Instead, try asking yourself three questions to get to the root of your professional identity: 

• What five words would I use to describe who I am? 
• What skills, strengths, or experiences set me apart from other candidates? 
• How do I want employers to perceive me?

Crafting Your Perfect Video Resume for Maximum Personal Brand Impact

Once you’ve developed a voice you love, it’s time to shoot an elevator-pitch style video resume that showcases the “true you.” Extra effort? Sure. Worth it? Of course. 60% of hiring managers actually prefer video resumes to traditional resume formats—and that number gets exponentially higher when there’s effort and care poured into the process; leaving you with a result that you (and your potential employer) love. 

The best part? It doesn’t even have to be long to do the job. Most find success in just 60 seconds or less, summarizing who they are, what they do, and why they’re the absolute best fit. 

Instead of just shooting your shot on a video clip, though, our experts recommend using holistic video resume tools like Real Hire. 

Using Real Hire or other similar services leaves you with a holistic, shareable profile that covers everything employers need to know about you—and you can tailor different video profiles to show different sides of your qualifications and personality. Additionally, most of these tools offer helpful prompts to start you off well; saving you time and effort as you work through the process.

Building Consistency Across Your Brand

Don’t send your first (or your tenth) shot until you’ve evaluated it for self-branding consistency. You want to come across as authentic and “YOU” as possible—and getting there might take a few passes. 

Here are just a few areas to consider as you infuse your personal brand into your video resume: 

Your appearance 

Visuals are a major part of your brand identity—whether you’re a corporation or a job seeker. Try to choose clothes that remain true to who you are, while still accounting for what your employer will expect to see. For example: If you’re looking for employment from a law firm, your employer might expect you to show up to your interview in a pantsuit or more formal attire. 

Your surroundings

Just like in a virtual interview, your background matters. We recommend shooting your video resume in a neutral location, such as a sunny corner of your apartment or your home office. Be sure to clear out any clutter or distractions in the background. 

Your presentation 

Tone, voice, words, and style matter as you record your video resume. You want to come across confident, competent, and prepared. Here are a few tips to help you shake the pre-recording nerves and record a five-star take:

‍

• Don’t overthink it. Simpler is better. You want your total video to be 60 seconds or less, so cut words where possible and don’t feel pressured to overexplain. (Personal timers, Thesaurus.com, and ChatGPT are great resources to help you say what you need to in less time, and generally as you’re branding yourself!) 
• Be calm and clear. Your tone should be calm, confident, and clear—loud enough to be heard, but not so loud that it sounds like you’re yelling at the camera. 
• Be YOU. Don’t try to change who you are or how you speak. You have something powerful to offer the world—and you deserve a chance to be seen for who you are by your prospective employers! 

Takeaway 

Personal branding isn’t just for your favorite influencers and celebrities. It’s critical for you too—especially in today’s job market. Defining your voice, and using tools like Real Hire to help you on your self-branding journey are the best ways to show who you really are to your employers, even before they formally “meet” you in the interview. 

Ready to start and shoot for free? Create your Real Hire account today.