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What is in a Resume? How to brand yourself.

The main goal for branding yourself is to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.

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The main goal for branding yourself is to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.

What is in a Resume? Not just a resume but a good one for this sake?

Most students in the university do not know the importance of a good name until they start looking for good job. I am talking about creating a brand which is you. We identify ourselves by our name, family names, nicknames, Pseudonyms and more.

Our names say a lot about who we are at the end of the day its the good things we want to be identified with. The main goal for branding yourself is to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. To make you stand out .This might be for purposes of Landing a good job or simply building a good CV.

When you hear of branding yourself, it might all sound so simple. But most student and recent graduates get it wrong. It is a pity that our curriculum does not teach us the basics of branding ourselves.

So what are these common mistakes we make?

1. Being too superficial 

Nobody’s is perfect. So when you praise yourself as an expert or mogul, it might be misunderstood as baseless bragging. State your skills and expertise in the simplest way possible and where applicable, provide portfolios.

Let your work speak for itself and yourself, let others praise you. By this, you ensure you don’t raise the reader’s expectations too high and by that you also manage to not burn your bridges. Like I always say, leave some room for a surprise or two.

2. Do not be a robot

Most student make the mistake of using same old phrases used all over .A good example; team players, Multitasking, skilled professional. No one wants a robot if you use the same old rusty, dusty and old phrases what does that say? Try something new. It does not hurt to be different.

3. Do not dwell on past victories 

When branding most job seekers tend to focus so much on their past victories e.g. I was elected chairperson of schools, worked in a big company meet my deadline, etc… rather than telling the recruiter what they can do for them. You’re not reviewing your old job but applying for a new one. So find a way to tell them how much they will benefit by having you based on your previous experience. I’m not saying do not be proud of your success just do not dwell on it so much that you forget what you will uniquely offer your current employer.

Branding is all about you the person. Tell us what you are passionate about, what drives you to succeed. Organizations and employers know they are not buying a robot but a hiring a human .So tell us about you. The person behind the profession and the skills you possess that sets you apart from the rest.

As a student or recent graduate share with us the challenges you face when it comes to branding yourself we would love to hear from you and help.

This article was first published on CampusBiz, the leading career platform for student and recent graduates in Kenya.

Written by

Kelvin Mokaya


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