By Leeza Byers

The competition in today’s job market is fierce! Therefore, it is critical for job seekers to revolutionize their approach when seeking employment ― whether you’re unemployed or seeking new opportunities for advancement in your career.

Today, employers want to buy brands ― unique promises of value. Just as large companies cultivate their corporate brands, professionals can ― and should ― do the same for themselves. In fact, personal branding has become the pinnacle to one’s professional success when in search of a job.

So what exactly is Personal Branding? It is a way of clarifying and communicating what makes you different and special ― using those qualities to guide your career decisions.

It’s about understanding your unique attributes ― your strengths, skills, values, and passions ― and then using them in such a way to separate yourself from your competitors or peers ― i.e. other job seekers. Essentially, it is the process of unearthing your unique promise of value and then demonstrating that value in all that you do or have done. It’s about being your authentic self and consistently delivering your tremendous value to your team and/or companies you’d like to target in your job search.

Here are five simple steps that you can implement right now so that you can start communicating your own personal brand to employers:

1. Create Your Vision ― no matter your current situation, you want to write out your goals and your vision for your future. Ask yourself: What type of job do I want to position myself for? Where do I want to work? How much money would I like to earn?

2. Your Driving Motivators ― these are things that matter to you most― “I have to have this, no matter what!” type of need. Examples include: having to stay in a specific geographic area, making a certain amount of money that matches my capabilities/skills, or having to get out of a particular industry.

3. Your Brand Identity ― what do others know and admire me for? What am I doing when I am “loving” my work? What “promised experience” is a company going to have when they work with me? It is also important to describe the type of company or business you envision yourself in.

4. Your Value Proposition ― what are the positive results you bring to employers (current or past), what problems do you solve? I suggest listing at least 10, so that you can get really clear on your value which in turn you’ll communicate on your résumé or website.

5. Your Career Marketing Kit ― of course you’re going to need a really polished looking résumé, a value proposition letter, and LinkedIn Profile ready to go (and a website if you’re going into business for yourself)! So, determine if you will design your résumé yourself or if you should have your documents professionally designed.

In summary, you can land YOUR ideal job RAPIDLY in any economy and at the salary you deserve.

If you’d like to learn more, just click on the link below to get your FREE eCourse complete with handout now:

Leeza Byers helps professional women find careers by matching their strengths and interests to ideal jobs.