Impressing a prospective employer these days is far more than just what’s on your CV. Your profile on social media also needs to be considered-your personal, online brand.

It’s always been a good idea to have a positive personal brand but the fact is that your profile is now visible across many channels. So for anyone serious about their career, consistency has become crucial.

Yyour personal brand spans your social media presence, your relationships with past employers, your work network and personal networks, including how you work with recruiters.

Not only that, your personal brand is your reputation – for what you are known for – and harnessing this will help you demonstrate what you have to offer an employer long before you meet in person, with a recruitment consultant or potential new boss.

Companies want to ensure that prospective employees are a cultural fit, and have the right skills. Social media makes checking you out online easier for employers and potential managers so it’s imperative that you take control and actively create and manage your personal brand online and offline.

In the years to come, we expect employers to be even more discerning and articulating your personal brand will help to demonstrate the value you would bring to an organisation if you were hired.

To start developing your winning personal brand use these five tips:

1. Carry out “brand audit”

List the words that people use to describe you as “reliable,” “positive,” “focused” or “unreliable,” “distant,” “unattentive.” Put some thought into what works for you, and what keeps you back. Ask a manager or mentor for feedback but be ready to hear the truth. If you are not ready to listen to it, you can not change a habit or behaviour.

We suggest that your personal brand audit as honestly as possible is an important first step towards building a winning personal brand. If there are areas you want to improve on, you could get yourself on a short course with a view to building new skills and breaking bad habits,, like time management, etc.

2. Social media

Your personal brand is only a click away from recruiters, employers and potential managers viewing it. The good news is that social media provides an easy and quick way to build, maintain and control your personal brand.

Make sure your online profile and activities are aligned with the personal brand you want to project. For instance, if you are building a personal brand that stands for leadership and creative problem-solving then you don’t want your online activities to be negative or cliched.

We recommend creating and maintaining a LinkedIn profile and being active in endorsing skills and asking others to endorse or recommend your skills. Consider joining your industry or profession-relevant online groups or even following industry leaders on Twitter. Better yet, start up a Twitter feed or blog related to the industry to share useful insights and links.

3. Stay connected to former peers

It is vital that you stay in touch with former managers and other referees to let them know when you are applying for a new role, and if they will be contacted, but also to project your personal values for the brand. Ensure that you remain respectful of people’s time but, where appropriate, provide updates on your skills and level of responsibility, and congratulate others on their career gains. You never know who will be in a position to hire or recommend you.

4. Make the best use of Recruiters and Talent Acquisition Managers

Building a relationship with a recruiter is an important way to promote your personal brand. Recruiters are also a great source of employment and salary trends information and, of course, the details of any job they put forward for you.

It is vital that you put maximum effort into your interactions with recruitment specialists. If you impress the recruitment consultant, he or she is going to become your employer advocate. And even if the initial role is not right for you, recruitment consultants that know your personal brand values will remember you when other relevant roles come along.

As recruitment consultants are engaged in finding the right candidate for a role by an employer, it is important to always be consistent with what you say to consultants and employers. For example, if you tell a recruitment consultant you ‘re going to accept a certain salary but tell an employer another figure you ‘re going to risk destroying your personal brand with both sides.

5. Set aside time to network

There’s no point in spending time and effort cultivating a personal brand unless you’ve ever put it to work. Continue updating your LinkedIn profile and updating any other social media that you have created, such as a Twitter feed or a blog from the industry.

​We advise you to keep up with news about employment and salaries. Consider joining an industry association or a group of professionals and attending functions or seminars when possible.

Make time for a coffee chat with someone at least once a month who can help with your career. Stay in contact with the recruitment consultants with whom you have had positive dealings. Even when you are in a job, it pays dividends to keep valuable contacts up to date.