Differentiate yourself from your colleagues and gain a competitive advantage in the interviewing process by maximizing the use of your personal brand statement – include it a part of your executive profile on a resume; revise it to create your attention-getting 30-second elevator pitch; expand upon it through career success stories in an interview; and communicate it frequently to others in networking events.
In the following examples, we will be using the same personal branding statement that was developed for a manufacturing executive.
Personal Brand Statement:
Engaging cutting-edge technologies to advance corporate-wide initiatives that expedite manufacturing processes and achieve aggressive revenue growth, cost-cutting objectives, and profitability margins.
Enhance Your Resume’s Title Header
With only 30 to 60 seconds to catch a recruiter/employer’s attention, you can greatly increase the readability of your executive resume by strategically placing a personal branding statement along with your title header.
Before:
After:
Engaging cutting-edge technologies to advance corporate-wide initiatives that expedite manufacturing processes and achieve aggressive revenue growth, cost-cutting objectives, and profitability margins.
Incorporate It Into Your Executive Summary
Senior executive with broad-based expertise steering multimillion, global manufacturing companies. Strategic thinker able to engage cutting-edge technologies that expedite manufacturing processes, improve internal operations, and achieve aggressive revenue growth, cost-cutting objectives, and profitability margins. Creative leader with proven strengths in P&L management, product innovation and turnaround operations.
Please note: You should not use the exact words in the title header and the executive summary on the same document.
Add Power To Your Elevator Pitch
If you are using networking as a key component of your executive job search campaign, most likely, you are frequently participating in professional events. When you have a strong branding statement, you can use it as the foundation for building a memorable elevator pitch.
Before:
“Hi, my name is Carl Brown and I am a Manufacturer Executive with 15-plus years’ experience with multi-million, global manufacturing companies.”
After:
“Hi, my name is Carl Brown. As an experienced Manufacturing Executive, I have engaged cutting-edge technologies that helped global manufacturing companies achieve aggressive revenue growth and improve operating cost objectives. Some of the top companies I have worked with include ABC Plastics, Newform Manufacturing, and TechNec Corporation.”
Make An Impression in Interviews
No matter how many doors your executive resume opens, you will not get job offers unless you ace the interview. Once you have a good understanding of your personal brand, it can help you answer critical questions in the interviewing process. Use it as a base/foundation for developing powerful interview responses.
Question: “So Carl, tell me about yourself.”
Possible Answer:
“Okay. As my resume demonstrates, I bring over 15 years’ experience in P&L management, product innovation and turnaround management. Throughout my career, I have been repeatedly employed cutting-edge technologies that expedited manufacturing processes and achieved aggressive revenue, cost, and profitability objectives for global manufacturing companies in the plastic industry.”
Question: “Why should we hire you?”
Possible Answer:
“I deliver results through technology-driven strategies—in every company, I have integrated cutting-edge technologies and new manufacturing processes to propel aggressive revenue growth, achieve cost-cutting objectives, and increase profitability margins.”
Question: If we hired you today, what immediate value can you bring to our operations?
Possible Answer:
"I would introduce cutting-edge technologies that would eliminate operational inefficiencies, expedite manufacturing processes, and accelerate revenue growth and profitability while achieve cost-cutting objectives."
Beef Up Your Email Signature
With technology playing an integral part of our lives today, you will be conducting a fair amount of your job search through electronic and online arenas. Use your email signature as another opportunity to sell yourself.
For example:
Carl Brown
Senior Manufacturing Executive
Linking Cutting-Edge Technologies With Manufacturing Operations To Grow Revenues, Cut Costs, & Achieve Profit Objectives
Cell Phone: 806-555-1212
Home Phone: 806-121-8654
Web Portfolio: carlbrown.com
Overall, you have spent several years building your professional reputation and acquiring attributes that make you a unique executive candidate – why not make all of it work effectively for you?
Copyright 2008 Premier Writing Solutions, LLC