Many professionals strive to be one of the best at their current workplace. It allows them to excel in their position, achieve recognition, and potentially advance. Plus, being viewed as a top performer can give you job security, as most companies aim to keep their best and brightest on staff.
However, by taking the right steps, it’s possible to achieve more. You can make yourself one of the best (if not the best) candidates in your field by using the right approach. If you’d like to know how you can position yourself as such, here’s a look at what you need to do.
Build Your Brand
Your professional brand is something that needs to be crafted and honed, not created incidentally. It spotlights the best of what you have to offer, along with your unique voice and perspective.
For most professionals, crafting a brand means developing an online presence that aligns with your career and area of expertise. This can include a combination of approaches, such as creating an active LinkedIn profile that includes details about your skills and experience as well as your accomplishments, writing blog posts that are highly relevant to your field, and engage appropriately with other experts on social media or in suitable forums.
A dedicated website can also be part of the equation. It can serve as a place to showcase your experience, discuss your thoughts on relevant trends, and otherwise showcase what you have to offer.
Your goal should be to establish your expertise, not solicit job offers. By keeping that as the focus, your brand concentrates on your capabilities, not your job search.
Keep Current on Trends
Those who are perceived as experts or thought leaders are well-informed about trends that impact their field. They keep current when it comes to relevant emerging technologies, shifts in their corresponding marketplace, and changes in public sentiment.
If you want to make yourself the best candidate, it’s wise to remain up-to-date at all times. That way, you can discuss the future of your industry, both in posts that support your brand and during interviews. Many hiring managers appreciate job seekers who can explain how what is on the horizon can help their company excel, mainly when it is relevant to the role the job seeker is trying to land.
In some cases, going further is also a smart move. For example, acquiring new skills on your own time that relate to emerging technologies can help you stand out from other candidates and increase your perceived value.
Engage With Your Network
If you only connect with members of your network when you need a new job, you might not be establishing yourself as a keen professional. Ultimately, you are missing out on opportunities to enhance your brand, including general awareness of what you have to offer.
By engaging with your network regularly, you are becoming an integral part of more communities. Your name will remain in the minds of those you connect with, and that may give you access to more opportunities, including those that aren’t publicly advertised, because your network feels confident about what you have to offer and your level of involvement in the field at-large.
In the end, all of the tips above can support your goal of making yourself the best candidate in the eyes of those hiring in your field. If you’d like to learn more, the staff at The Advance Group can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our skilled team today and see how our career management and professional branding expertise can benefit your Michigan and Ohio job search.
