Posted March 11 2024
By Mary Munoz
If you’ve been wrapped in the cosy glow of your current job for several years, or are currently on furlough, chances are your CV is nothing more than an unloved Word Doc gathering virtual cobwebs. You probably can’t even remember what you’ve saved it as or which version is the most up-to-date.
Your CV and your personal brand should always be kept fresh, no matter what stage of your career you find yourself at.
A clean and polished profile, in paper and online, is absolutely essential to being recognised as an authentic voice within your particular market. This extends to networking sites, such as LinkedIn, as well as your own CV.
Generate an online presence
In terms of presenting a credible personal brand, it starts with the little things. Having a professional looking headshot on your LinkedIn profile looks far more appropriate than a posed, night out picture. Quality testing your profiles – actually reading what you’ve said about yourself – is also key. It might shock you into action.
You should also regularly publish articles or share posts regarding any developments within your chosen field of work. LinkedIn is also part of social media, and has become much more personable in the past few years. So feel free to share ‘personal content’ such as pictures of the latest munro you’ve bagged or nice latte art from a client meeting. By generating content consistently, you may well end up being seen as a specialist by your peers, especially if your role is quite niche.
You have to think about what separates you from everyone else who performs a similar role? What’s your USP (unique selling point), as the marketing team might ask.
Personal development
Networking successfully online, through webinars and LinkedIn group, is a great way to get your voice heard and be seen as dedicated and passionate about your line of work. It also feels slightly less daunting than walking into a room full of people you don’t know at an actual conference.
Online personal development courses (free or otherwise) are also a great way to further your knowledge and skills set – and you can add it to your CV.
Updating your CV
Taking the time to update your CV – no one cares that you were Head Boy or what part-time jobs you had as a student – is so important for personal branding. It shows you are able to determine what information is relevant and, by updating any new skills that you have acquired, it underlines that you are always willing to take on new challenges and keep learning.
Keeping things fresh is particularly important in global marketplaces that are always changing. New technologies or new ways of doing things are always happening. You have to be able to demonstrate that you can roll with the punches and aren’t being left behind. Even the ‘standard’ format of a CV is subject to change. There are plenty of tools and guides online that can help you get yours in order.
It’s like any task in life – if you keep working away at it whilst you have the time, it doesn’t become an insurmountable task when you have a deadline to meet.
In taking these steps to refresh your CV and your personal brand, you are also prepared for the worst. Should your circumstances change, and you need to find new means of employment, then you’re already one step ahead.
If you are networking properly, sharing content and have a completely up-to-date CV and skills set, you won’t need to waste precious job-seeking time starting from scratch with these types of tasks.
If you’d like to speak to our teams about exploring your market and the possibility of making a career move, click here to get in touch.