You may have heard about the need to build your personal brand online, but as a financial professional you may have also disregarded that information. Is it really necessary for someone in finance or accounting to have a personal brand? While you’re looking for work or trying to advance your career, your personal brand could be barrier between what you want and how to get it. Consider these simple things you can do today to build your personal brand and make yourself stand out as a stellar financial candidate.

• Portray your authentic self. Never try to mold yourself to be what the firm or employer wants you to be. This is a recipe for long-term disaster as you will find yourself in a situation or environment that is not a good fit for you. You will be unhappy and so will your employer. Instead, when building your brand, imagine the kind of environment that would be healthy and happy for you. When you project an image, you attract the right jobs.
• Become a subject matter expert. In order to build your financial brand, start by being a subject matter expert in your field. Start a blog. Approach local industry events and ask to be a speaker. Get out into the community and show your worth to others. You never know when someone might hold the keys to a new opportunity. And, in any case, it builds a good reputation for you as a leader.
• Build an online presence. The next step is to build this same positive reputation online. Buy your own website domain using some combination of your first and last name. You can use this for anything. Build a website that will act as an online resume or portfolio. Host your blog here. Then, do the same with all of the appropriate social media sites. LinkedIn is obvious for professionals, but having a Facebook page and a Twitter account will also build your brand.
• Continually educate yourself. It is important that, as you build your brand throughout your career, that you never stay stagnant. Working to continuously improve your skills and the services you can offer employers or other consumers will only enhance your personal brand. Take classes or learn new things on line as often as your schedule allows.
• Market with your resume. Finally, all of this needs to be distilled into your most important document. Your resume can’t tell the entire story, which is why you need a strong personal brand, but it should convey the basics about who you are in one or two pages. Use a format that suits your experience and personality. And always include personalized cover letters when reaching out to potential employers.

Do you want to know more about creating a personal brand? We have finance recruiters located in Phoenix, Orange County, Los Angeles and Denver who can help you today, so call now!