Having been made redundant, I now find myself ‘open to work’ for the first time in over 20 years and I missed the memo on personal branding and why the admin profession needs to get onboard.
I read a post recently from a Hiring Manager that stated they discount any applicants who have no presence on LinkedIn… before they even look at their CV. So, you could have an amazing candidate, who is a perfect fit for your open role, and you will toss them straight onto the reject pile if they do not have a profile picture on LinkedIn and have never written a post?!?!
I’m shooketh!
This speaks to the current hiring market. With the sheer volume of applications for an open role, you need a filtering system to get those down to a manageable number. It’s like ATS (aka the nemesis of an applicant!) filtering applications automatically based on given criteria such as keywords, skills and education. I guess rejecting LinkedIn profiles is a new way of filtering.
But, why?
A CV is a formal document and can be quite samey (who hasn’t managed complex diaries?) amongst admin professionals. It doesn’t really give a sense of whether you’re a good culture fit for the company or what makes you unique. Having a presence on LinkedIn (and other social media platforms) gives insight into you as a person, it gives you authenticity and credibility, a sense of the employee you will be before even getting to an interview.
Now I’m starting to think that I might need to get on board with this personal branding thing, where do I start?
Well, this… this blog is where I start! But personal branding isn’t just about getting noticed for a role. Within the admin profession we spend our careers amplifying others, so it can be daunting finding, and using, our own voice. It’s important that we have an identity in our own right and don’t play into being just an ‘admin’.
The way to remain authentic is to write for yourself, not to satisfy the expectations of others. Being given this space to write by the wonderful Emily Mills at Lily Shippen has allowed me to develop my interest in writing; how words can provoke thought, spark debate and shape views. I’d love to read your thoughts on personal branding as an admin professional.
Personal branding doesn’t have to be a big investment (we’re busy enough, right!) so start small; comment on a post, add your perspective to an article, and when you do there’s a whole network of admin professionals waiting to enjoy reading what you have to say, I know I am!
