As a life sciences professional, finding ways to stand out from other candidates is essential. Often, job seekers competing for the same role have highly similar skill sets. As a result, you can’t always leverage your achievements alone and expect to separate yourself from the pack. Instead, you need to use another approach, such as the power of your personal brand.
Your personal brand is a reflection of your professional self, and it can serve as a differentiator. Here’s a look at how life sciences professionals can use their personal brand to stand out in the job market.
Highlight Your Uniqueness
Often, it’s challenging to showcase your unique strengths or experiences on your resume alone. By using other available tools – such as social media or a personal website – you have more room to showcase intriguing capabilities, achievements, or credentials that may not fit on a traditional resume. As a result, you’ll have an easier time standing out, increasing your odds of moving forward in the hiring process.
Demonstrate Your Value
Similar to the point above, fully demonstrating your value on a resume by itself isn’t easy. Resumes can’t be overly long, so you’re stuck picking and choosing what to include. By leveraging social media or a personal website, you’re giving yourself far more space. In turn, you can discuss more of what you bring to the table and provide detailed examples to support any claims.
Additionally, social media platforms like LinkedIn and personal websites give you the ability to curate professional recommendations. While those won’t typically stand in for the reference calls employers need to make when hiring, it does give them insights into how you’re perceived by current and former colleagues and managers. That additional information can turn into a differentiator, making a hiring manager more confident about moving you forward during the hiring process.
Broaden Your Network
Networking is often touted as a key to professional success, and your personal brand can make networking effectively easier. Your personal brand is usually created by establishing a professionally-oriented online presence. Whether that’s posting on social media, commenting on the posts of other professionals, engaging in groups, or participating in forums, those all become opportunities to engage with a broader audience. In turn, you can forge connections that may benefit your career far easier than if you use another strategy.
Showcase Your Personality
Resumes aren’t known for their ability to showcase a candidate’s personality, as typical approaches to writing them are relatively rigid and a bit sterile. By cultivating your personal brand, you have an avenue for showcasing your passion, establishing yourself as a thought leader, and highlighting your overall mindset. As a result, the right positioning can entice hiring managers to learn more about you, and that works in your favor.
Ultimately, your personal brand is a powerful weapon in your arsenal, and it can make a difference when you need to stand out from the competition. If you’re seeking out new job opportunities in the life science industry, the Staffing Resource Group can simplify your search by providing connecting you with leading life science employers in the area. Apply Today and SuRGe your career forward.
