Building a personal brand? · Six Degrees Executive

The new era of emerging and disruptive technologies brings a new scope of capabilities to all industries; increasing employment, productivity and growth. It’s also shaping a new talent model that impacts active job seekers.

So what qualities sets a high calibre candidate apart from a mediocre one? A high impact cover letter is a good start.

Without doubt the conundrum “to cover letter or not to cover letter” continues to be a consideration for most applicants. For HR managers and recruiters however, written effectively, a cover letter has the power to sum up, in a single page, the reason why one applicant should make the shortlist.

Of course it doesn’t tell the whole story - that’s your CV’s job - but it can emphasise your Personal Brand and set you apart from hundreds of other candidates.

Whether you have been in one industry for most of your career or are considering moving into another industry or role for the first time, you should aim to cover off the following skills and attributes in your cover letter. To position yourself as knowledgeable, experienced and relevant for the industry, focus on these key areas:

Industry skills

Business knowledge including

• International business practices, laws and regulations
• General management and business

Numerical aptitude

• Financial planning
• Budgeting

Other

• Workflow optimisation
• Languages other than English (if relevant, for global scope)

The Essentials

• Be realistic - determine what you’re qualified for now.
• Consider your true career goals - the industry is rapidly evolving, remember that.
• Create interest. Grab the reader’s attention - don’t be generic.
• Make it readable - that means be focused, clear and brief.
• Sell you and only you - this is your chance to stand out from the crowd.
• Be succinct and on-message - match your information to the role.
• End with a call to action - let the recipient know you would like to hear from them.

If you are applying for managerial level roles (and above) you should also consider including actual examples that demonstrate how you:

• Have effectively identified critical work-related issues.
• Have capacity to monitor and assess the business.
• Are an adaptable thinker with the ability to assess problems of a logistical nature.
• You are up to date with industry technological trends.

Brand Appeal

Now and in the future, technological innovation will continue to positively impact efficiency and productivity. Businesses will start thinking about new ways to innovate and will be looking for talent who can initiate and implement it.

So, beyond the basics, why not take some innovative license now and add your personal trademark into your cover letter for your job of the future. Building ‘brand appeal’ is essentially writing about yourself like advertisers’ profile new product or services - focusing on the features and benefits - of your capabilities.

Great ‘brand appeal’ builds on a generic description of yourself, for example “qualitative skills” making it more conversational and relatable, so, “a problem solving and logical communication style that is critical for this role because….”

Building a picture of your innovation capabilities through demonstrated experience will provide future employers with invaluable insight into how your skills will fit in with their future strategic plans.

For more help on building your personal brand, speak to one of our specialist recruiters.