Self Branding Part 1 - the resume

So from what I can tell, there isn't a substantial amount of information out there about self branding, and everything I do see is very self-motivated: I like self branding because I brand myself and like it - I am a product to be bought and sold, or I hate self branding because I oppose the idea in principle and am not a commodity. There's not much there in terms of an actual somewhat objective analysis as to what self branding might accomplish, in what circumstances it's appropriate, and what it may entail. So consider this a tutorial for those interested, this being part 1, the basics. When you don't know where to start, start with the resume.

Designer Callie England's application package. Self branding in action. 

Your resume is extremely important, in more than just the way most people think. Yes, it outlines your qualifications and skills, your experience, and expectations from a job, etc etc. It's vital to ensure your resume aligns with the expectations of the hiring manager, so on and so forth. This is all old news. What has changed over the past couple of years is the start of self branding on resumes.

The advantages of self branding on a resume are numerous, but mostly, it just means it's more eye catching and memorable than other resumes. When they're looking at a stack of resumes, sometimes it's even more important to just stand out in their mind rather than meet the qualifications. Wow them into forgetting you are missing a couple of their desired traits.

There are however, disadvantages as well. These can be avoided with well thought out branding strategies, but it's very important to keep them in mind when you're developing a self brand, or even considering it. If you don't have artistic talent, chances are your efforts will look contrived and juvenile. Your resume should look flawless, and  putting on any type of branding just for the sake of it, will likely lead the hiring manager to send your resume around the office as a laugh rather than a serious candidate. Second, you need to ALWAYS keep in mind the industry you're applying in, and the position you're applying for. If you're applying for a job at an ad agency, things like a well done brand will make you stick out, whereas if you're applying for a job in manufacturing, they might just think you're not the right fit for the job. Finally, it really just depends on who's reading it. If it's a manager in your department, they'll see it much differently than if someone from HR is reading it, or if it's just being screened through software. So find out as much as you can before sending anything in.

So really, it's not black and white. It's not, self branding is horrible, it's a way of getting something more about you across than a normal resume would, but it's also not the end all be all of applications, and without it you'd be lost. Make the right decision for your capabilities and industry choice.

That said, I am not a self branding expert. I am an HR Generalist, not a marketer, who would probably be able to give you tips on colour choices, shapes, and other ideas. What I can tell you is from an HR perspective, if you're going to use a self brand on your resume, make sure it's small enough so that the hiring manager doesn't think that you're just filling in dead space, and make it easy to read and understand, we're not marketers either.

Coming up, Part 2 - the cover letter