February 27, 2025
In today’s digital world, branding extends beyond businesses. Professionals can use a personal brand to showcase their ambition, core values and unique traits. A positive online presence can make or break a job application — around one in five recruiters has rejected a candidate after looking them up on social media and finding less-than-desirable information.
As the employment landscape becomes increasingly digital, a professional brand will soon become an expectation. The employment landscape continues evolving, and organizations prioritize the long-term potential of their applicants. Knowing how to build a personal brand while job hunting can position candidates positively in the categories that matter to employers.
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A personal brand represents an individual in an intentional, strategic way. Similar to a corporate brand, personal brands illustrate a professional’s values, personal experiences and goals. They should create a seamless, consistent and cohesive depiction of a candidate’s personality. A personal brand communicates a compelling and professional identity to potential employers and clients.
Online search and social media have expanded the audience for personal branding, but they have also added more risks. Today, job seekers must monitor their public presence in new ways to keep their brand positive.
A collection of personal branding elements creates a cohesive whole. The different aspects of a personal brand include:
Brand voice: A brand voice refers to the consistent emotion and personality each professional infuses into their communications. It brings humanness and reliability to a professional brand and showcases the individual’s values. A brand voice also distinguishes candidates from their competitors.
Creating a personal brand demonstrates a professional’s passion and dedication to their careers, allowing them to market themselves and their expertise. A candidate’s brand can play a significant role in starting or boosting their careers. Some of the many benefits of a personal brand include:
Professionals can take these steps to create their brands.
Authenticity exists at the heart of a successful personal brand. Professionals must get to know themselves and define their strengths before they can market themselves to prospective employers. They must consider their values, what they stand for and what skills they bring to a professional setting. Individuals can craft a personal brand that stands out with a clear UVP.
Any professional identifying their strengths should position themselves as a unique and passionate solutions provider. A personal brand goes beyond a resume and creates a map of the future. In addition to understanding their current strengths and improvement areas, professionals should determine the skills they want to develop. Thinking ahead helps candidates uncover the traits that differentiate them and areas they may want to improve.
Whether professionals have begun crafting a personal brand, their peers and associates have already created perceptions about them. Taking stock of their current personal brand helps identify improvement opportunities. During this process, candidates should consider several factors:
A personal brand should have a clear and cohesive message that entices its ideal audience. To do that, candidates must have a clear picture of that audience — who they want to reach and why. The better they understand their audience, the more effectively they can craft their stories. Candidates who know their audience also understand where they spend time. For example, recruiters and managers typically spend time on LinkedIn, while designers may spend time on individual websites.
Any professional entering or changing careers will benefit from connections with passionate industry experts. Candidates should include research on their industry and relevant experts as they map out their careers. They should examine what these experts do and how they connect with their audiences.
Once candidates understand their purpose, value and current personal brand, they can highlight their skills and perspectives. A compelling brand narrative translates across media and settings, creating a cohesive overall experience. For example, candidates should be able to deliver their narratives online, on social media and in conversational settings.
Candidates can construct an authentic narrative by presenting experiences that align with their best qualities and most relevant skills.
Building a personal brand takes time and dedication. These steps will help professionals build a personal brand while job hunting.
Social media provides a platform for any professional starting or changing careers. On LinkedIn alone, eight people are offered a new role every minute. In addition to leading to potential roles, social media platforms give professionals opportunities to connect, share updates and post industry knowledge. Before directing people to their social media, professionals should ensure that none of their accounts contain damaging or unprofessional content. They can delete anything in conflict with their personal brands.
Many professionals benefit from having a dedicated online space that gives potential employers a more comprehensive picture. Unlike social media, a website or portfolio eliminates the clutter, allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills to recruiters and organizations. The content can be related to their careers or even their passions and goals for the future. Candidates can link to their online space from their social media and include the details on their resumes.
Building credibility requires a genuine and consistent engagement in thought leadership. Candidates can write blog posts, publish articles on LinkedIn, or share content from industry leaders. Each candidate should aim to establish themselves as someone who stays current with industry trends and brings value to the conversation.
Candidates should participate in impactful conversations and engage with like-minded people. They can drive small but meaningful change by sharing valuable content across their platforms, primarily related to their industry. Instead of sharing to share, they should engage with interesting and uplifting content.
Professionals can build their brand by networking with people who can advance their careers. They can attend networking events, join online communities and contact mentors in their fields. By sharing their brand narratives, they can build relationships and trust with mentors who can refer, endorse and hire.
In an interview context, candidates benefit from tailoring their personal brands to the interviewer. Regardless of their online or written content, how a candidate presents themselves will make or break their personal brand. Branding creates a picture in the minds of others, and it includes the way people dress, speak and act. Candidates should dress appropriately for interviews, networking events and meetings to create a consistent and cohesive image.
Even with a polished personal brand, job searching can be challenging. Setting realistic goals can make the process more effective. Quality often beats quantity for job applications, and candidates should research prospective employers and narrow down the ones that push the boundaries of possibility. Focusing on positions of genuine interest and tailoring each application to the potential hiring organization often yields better results.
All application materials, including resumes, cover letters and portfolios, should align with a candidate’s personal brand. Some tips for creating a job application that complements a candidate’s personal brand include:
Every candidate has distinctive strengths and talents. The chances of candidates sharing the same top five traits in the same order are one in 33 million, which means every professional brings different skills to their organization. A personal branding strategy showcases these skills so that applicants present themselves positively in an interview.
Candidates can brand themselves in interviews with the following strategies:
Whether entering the workforce or changing jobs, candidates should aim to find employers who share their values. They can grow and elevate their brands more effectively in an organization that provides and encourages professional growth. Candidates should research an organization thoroughly for two reasons — to show that they care about its goals and mission and to find common ground.
A personal brand positions you to push boundaries and tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. At Danaher, we believe in making fearless discoveries and innovating at the speed of life. As a global force in life sciences, biotechnology and diagnostics, we believe in helping our team thrive in their careers. You can work with industry leaders who feel genuinely invested in your success.
The Danaher team supports you as your career evolves. You’ll see the impact of your work and push beyond what you thought possible. Whether starting your career or changing jobs, work with an organization that redefines innovation. Browse our job openings today!