Time and again, I encounter job seekers that have good prior or current work experience, pretty sharp resumes, and a convincing cover letters, but still struggle to get interviews.
Related:Is Your Personal Brand Wrong?
In situations like this, I like to suggest having a closer look at their personal brand. Personal brand? What do I mean by this exactly, and might this “personal brand thingy" also apply to your situation? Personal branding is a complex subject, and in my opinion there is no one good definition that sums it up entirely. In my opinion, the bottom line and smallest denominator one can understand under the term personal branding is one's reputation and legitimacy. And that is exactly the part that does not add up for some job seekers.
Random Resume Example
Take, for instance, a classic resume statement that recruiters frequently see in applications:“Public speaker, author and presenter."This can indeed be a powerful statement: the candidate appears as subject matter expert and great and knowledgeable communicator. Now, imagine the impressed recruiter or staffing specialist. He or she types your name into Google, Bing, and Yahoo (yes, they actually do this if they are interested in you!). However, the search results don't show any speaking engagements or publications.