WHAT CAN CHOCOLATE TEACH US ABOUT STANDING OUT TO EMPLOYERS?

This is probably not the first time you will hear this, nor likely the last. The job market is now super competitive, regardless of the figures that suggest low unemployment. However, there are measures you can take to give you the best chance of being picked for the job. From an abstract view the recruitment process is surprisingly similar to choosing a chocolate in your local corner shop. Listed below are a number of the similarities:

But what can we learn from this strange comparison? There are little differentiators offered in both scenarios which makes the choice particularly difficult. What the big players such as Mars and Cadburys learnt was that branding is key. A consumer is statistically most likely to choose one of the branded chocolates on the shelf (Lybeck, 2007). Creating your own personal brand has countless benefits:

•     Increased influence
•     Difficult to forget
•     Ahead of the competition
•    Seen as a thought leader

The benefits I’ve listed are all desirable features of candidates and act as your competitive advantage over other candidates.

Creating your own personal brand isn’t as difficult as it may sound. Below are three easy steps you should follow that will help you begin your personal brand journey.

Create your online profile - If you don’t have one already, make sure to sign up to LinkedIn and Twitter. Regardless of your job role, having an online profile can give you that competitive edge over the other candidates. An online profile is also handy to keep up with current affairs or relevant industry information which might affect you.

Keep your profile up to date - Recruiters want to know the current you, not how good you looked at 25 with a full head of hair. Also LinkedIn has a feature that lets employers know that you are looking for work, which means they may even come looking for you.

Post regular content and give your opinion - Show your personality through what you post and the comments you make, employers don’t just want a pretty face.

Having a good personal brand is not a guarantee that you will be given the role over other candidates, but if you haven’t been chosen, you were most definitely runner up to someone also with a personal brand of their own. So get creating/updating your profiles and follow our website, LinkedIn and Twitter for more useful tips!