Personal Branding is one of the key aspects of professional positioning. And one of the most significant ways to express it is in your resume, CV, or bio document.
Such a document, has two specific benefits:
- It is personal and encapsulating to you, as it describes your relevant career history and offering, and
- It appeals to the career for which you are applying, or aspiring
It is a document that provides a Picture of You.
What you write both summarises your past, and projects where you wish to be heading, in your next career tasks.
It is a document worth time and investing.
Yet, developing it can create inner resistance.
After a redundancy, or when in the throes of career transitioning, you may be experiencing a lack of confidence. Or you just don’t know how, or where best, to begin.
Here is a simple beginning that I sometimes give coachees as an exercise, to get them into the upswing, and make the process a little less stressful, and more pleasing, when they begin developing…
- Take out your old, existing or draft resume, or start with a dot point summary of your responsibilities and achievements with organisations in your career history, and look at it.
- Remind yourself of the parts of your career that appealed, or were inspiring, to you, particularly. The ones you liked. And the parts you were proud of, acknowledged for, and/or were highlights. And bring them to the fore.
- This changes your energy, towards positivity, initially. Then, put a smiley face next to each of them. Appreciate them.
- Likewise identify what you didn’t like. And place a sad face next to them. Remind yourself of what you would like less of. Affirm to yourself that you are worth, and capable, of more and better. This enhances your self-directedness.
- A neutral face, or leaving blanks, is a good strategy for the rest of them. Just observe them, as acknowledgement.
- Then, have a look at the big picture, and draw out the points with the smiles as the core feature, for the key points going into your new document. This is the process that brings forward your best. And draws attention to what you are looking for, and that will give you more career satisfaction.
- Identify some themes that were happiest in your career, and what you would like to bring into your future, more proactively. This positions you toward making your next career move more ideal for you, in terms of skills, achievements, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Focusing on the things that you’re good at, and appeal to you.
- Prepare a new document into a draft layout, incorporating up to date contact details, relevant training and courses, your skills and achievements against the organisations you worked for, with your smile points. You can scatter some of the other points amongst it, if you choose, or have room.
It is from here that you can summarise an overarching statement of three to four sentences, of what you offer to others or an organisation from your career highlights. That becomes your bio or summary statement. Sometimes called a capability statement, or professional value proposition.
Finally, ask someone, like a career coach, to review it. To help you draw out the right features in it, for the industry and roles that you will be applying.
The most important part is to overcome resistance, find a way to enjoy the process, with an element of self-appreciation, and begin, on an upswing.
You can then glide toward the finishing line, having adopted a document, that increases your confidence, reminds you of your brilliance. And establishes a true, and positive, Picture of You.
If you or your people need some assistance with career positioning I have coaching programs that incorporate personal branding. Feel free to connect with me.
SaraSwati Shakti