Personal Branding 101 for Job Seekers, with Jessica Fiesta George

If you think only online influencers have personal brands, you’re mistaken. As a job seeker, your personal brand is what makes you stand out from the crowd of other seekers. But how do you build your own brand? Find Your Dream Job guest Jessica Fiesta George says you begin by clarifying what you want, who you are, and the unique value you offer. Jessica also stresses the necessity of interpersonal relationships and networking, as well as sharing content online that will help increase your professional network. Being consistent in what you share is crucial for your brand, as it builds trust with hiring managers and employers. 

About Our Guest:

Jessica Fiesta George is a seasoned recruiter with more than 20 years of leadership in talent acquisition. She also hosts the Jess Get Hired Podcast. It’s a weekly career advice show.

Resources in This Episode:

• Learn how to get hired, get promoted, and get noticed by downloading Jessica’s podcast, Jess Get Hired Podcast.
• Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn.

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 479:

Personal Branding 101 for Job Seekers, with Jessica Fiesta George

Airdate: December 4, 2024

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

A strong personal brand can make a big difference in your job search.

How good is yours?

Jessica Fiesta George is here to talk about personal branding 101 for job seekers.

A seasoned recruiter, Jessica has more than 20 years of leadership in talent acquisition.

She also hosts the Jess Get Hired Podcast. It’s a weekly career advice show.

Jessica joins us from Pensacola, Florida.

Well, Jessica, let’s start with definitions; what is a personal brand?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Personal branding refers to the practice of marketing yourself, and in this case, your career as your brand. Whether you look at it or not, you are your brand, you are your business, you are your own company. When you influence someone else’s decision, you are, inherently, using your brand, your image, and your reputation.

So when you can clearly define who you are, what you stand for, and that unique value that you can offer, that is what encompasses your personal brand.

Whether that’s online or if you’re offline.

Mac Prichard:

What difference can your personal brand make in your job search? How can that affect the next job you get?

Jessica Fiesta George:

It makes a huge difference because it will help you stand out. In this crowded job market, a strong personal brand will set you apart from a lot of other candidates. It also helps potential employers see why you’re the best fit for that role and also makes you a little bit more memorable. If you have a distinct personal brand, I’ll say, it makes you more memorable and also allows recruiters and hiring managers to think of you when different opportunities arise.

Also, I think having a good personal brand is increasing your exposure. If you have a well-crafted brand, that will increase, not only your online visibility, but it does make it easier for employers to find you and you start to connect with and attract like-minded professionals, and I’m sure we’ll get into networking a little bit later, but building your authority and credibility also will help you in showcasing your expertise, your accomplishments, and then you start becoming what I call a thought-leader, especially in your industry.

A strong brand will establish you as the thought leader, maybe in your field, which can also help attract employers when they’re trying to look for talent. If you have more of a consistent brand image that ensures that everything ties together. Whether that’s your resume, your online profile, and your personal interactions, they start to mesh together and it gives you better clarity in the purpose and communicating what your career goals are, so that people understand, long term, what your potential could be.

Mac Prichard:

There is a lot going on there, isn’t there, Jessica? I mean, what I’m hearing is, that when you have a good personal brand, from the employer’s perspective, you’re memorable, I heard you say that you’ll stand out, and you establish credibility and authority.

Do you have to be a marketing expert to do these things? What would you say to somebody who says, “I’m just looking for a job, I’m not an expert in marketing. How do I do these things?”

I know that we’re going to talk about that. What skills do you need to have a strong personal brand?

Jessica Fiesta George:

You know, a lot of people think that personal branding is something professional marketers or social media influencers can do but the truth is that anyone can build their personal brand. You don’t have to have a marketing degree or years of experience in advertising. Really, the bottom line about personal branding, whenever I talk about this, it’s about being authentic and consistent in the way that you present yourself. If you learn to identify your skills, your experiences, your values, what you’re passionate about, that’s your story.

When you start sharing your story and sharing your expertise, that is how you start building your reputation and, ultimately, your brand. For instance, if you’re an HR professional, maybe you talk about experiences like recruitment, you can start sharing tips and engaging with other people in your field on different platforms, for instance, LinkedIn. LinkedIn is key when it comes to networking for professionals.

When you start sharing your journey and what you know, then you start creating more of a polished, so to speak, marketing campaign. To me, you don’t have to have a degree to do that. If you’re just constantly setting aside time to do that, and planning ahead, and leveraging all of the tools, and focusing on all of those key things, and you’re consistent, that’s what builds your brand.

Mac Prichard:

Well, let’s talk about how to do that, Jessica. I know that you mentioned this a moment ago, it’s important to be clear about your job search goals and why they matter to you. What do you have in mind here? Why is that an important first step in establishing a strong personal brand during a job search?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, in the job search, it’s a crowded job market. If you look at LinkedIn all the time, you see people posting that they’re still looking for work. Employers look for candidates who bring something unique to the table. When you have a strong personal brand, you’re showcasing your unique value proposition. I always tell people to start there.

You have to think about what makes you different from the candidate that might be applying for the same job. That could be in your skills, in your experiences, your perspective, so really understanding that is important and it really just starts with self-reflection. When you start thinking about building your brand, what is it that you’re trying to get out of even creating it?

If, in this case, it’s trying to get a new job, get promoted, or just stand out to promote your either brand or your business, then setting a goal is, ultimately, the direction that you need to focus on first, and then everything kind of falls in line after that.

Mac Prichard:

What do clear job search goals look like in your experience? How specific do you need to be about the position you want or the places where you want to work? What have you seen be effective in creating a strong personal brand?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, I think, first of all, really understanding what it is you want out of your career. Whether that is getting to the next level, or even changing jobs. Being clear and understanding your own personal goals. My goals are going to be different than yours, so it’s going to really mean that you’re honing in on what your specific goals are and where can that transfer into other positions.

Targeting other companies that you aspire to work for, doing your research and finding people who work there, and constantly networking and engaging with them, is going to open up new opportunities, and usually, employers and recruiters seek out those candidates who have that strong, visible presence.

Mac Prichard:

Can you have a strong personal brand if you’re not clear about your job search goals?

Jessica Fiesta George:

I don’t think so. I mean, again, in order for you to have a brand, everything has to have a clear goal in mind. You have to have direction and purpose, and that will help you focus your efforts on what truly matters and aligns with what you want to do long term.

Mac Prichard:

We’re going to talk about more steps involved in creating a strong personal brand during a job search, but in general, Jessica, how long does it take to do this kind of work? We all have busy calendars and other commitments. What’s been your experience?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, personal branding is not something that can happen overnight. It takes time. If you think about some of the brands that you enjoy buying and the places that you like to eat or shop, it’s taken them time. It’s not an overnight success. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend all of your time, but it is a little time-consuming. So, if you set aside time each week to work on your personal brand, that could be 10-15-30 minutes, that could make a huge difference.

I like to try to plan ahead with a content calendar. If you’re trying to boost up your online presence and planning out your posts and all of your activity, that will help you stay organized and consistent. There are a lot of tools, and, of course, AI helps now that we have all of the tools available, with ChatGPT and different content management systems that will help you streamline all of your efforts, and then just focusing on high quality.

I think a lot of people who are trying to brand themselves, especially on LinkedIn or Instagram or TikTok, all of those socials, they chase these vanity metrics and feel like, “I need to have more followers or subscribers,” when in actuality it’s not about that. It’s about having an engaged community and people who are genuinely there to support your efforts.

Mac Prichard:

Terrific. We’re going to take a break.

Stay with us.

When we come back, Jessica Fiesta George will continue to share her advice on personal branding 101 for job seekers.

We’re back in the Mac’s List studio. I’m talking with Jessica Fiesta George.

She’s a seasoned recruiter. Jessica has more than 20 years of leadership in talent acquisition.

She also hosts the Jess Get Hired Podcast. It’s a weekly career advice show.

Jessica joins us from Pensacola, Florida.

Now, Jessica, before the break we were talking about personal branding 101 for job seekers, and we talked about why personal branding matters to employers, how it can help you stand out, especially in the current, crowded job market, and we began talking about steps you can take to strengthen your personal brand and we touched on the importance of having a clear job search goal.

Another step I know you recommend for starting a personal brand is to write your own mission statement. How does having a personal mission statement help with your personal brand and your job search?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, if you think about it, most companies have a mission/vision/values statement that they live and breathe by. When you start by a mission statement that is personal to you, that’s going to define your purpose and what you stand for, and I think that guides your decisions, your actions, and, again, ensures, consistency across your personal brand, online or offline.

When you start doing it, it helps you identify what your values are, what you’re passionate about, what motivates you, and then ensures that you’re having a concise message across the board and that it’s easy for you to remember and start communicating that. Especially if you’re talking to hiring managers or when you’re showing up on platforms like LinkedIn.

Mac Prichard:

What’s the best way to put together a personal mission statement? Should you follow practices that you might’ve learned in the workplace? What have you seen work with the people you coach?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, I feel like once you get down to the very basics, and I’ve said this a couple of times, what is your ultimate goal in creating your brand? What are your values? What are your goals? What are you passionate about? Just writing those out and creating goals that are, you know, we talk about SMART goals all of the time in business: specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound. Once you write out all of those out, then you can start aligning what your values are on a personal font and then professionally, and then from that, you can start building out what your personal mission statement is.

Mac Prichard:

Another step you recommend for creating a strong personal brand when you’re looking for work is to be consistent in your messaging and everything that you do online. What kind of messaging are we talking about here, Jessica? And why is it important to be consistent in what you say, especially online?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, it’s important because consistency in your messaging is just going to build trust and credibility. It’s going to create a cohesive image when you show up across all platforms. If you do it well, it’s going to unify your profile and ensure that your online presence, whether that’s Twitter, your personal website, LinkedIn, your resume, all of that is consistent, and your messaging is consistent, your content with your personal mission statement and your goals is also important to keep in mind.

A lot of times, if you’re inconsistent, if you’re not clear, again, it starts with your personal mission statement, but if you’re not clear from the very beginning, you start sending mixed messages, and that creates a lot of different personas on different platforms and that’s what you want to avoid.

If you keep your profile up to date, your content updated, and it reflects that mission, then again, consistency is key and you’ll be cohesive across whatever you’re doing.

Mac Prichard:

How can inconsistent messaging online affect your job search? What happens when a hiring manager looks you up, Googles you, and sees those inconsistent messages? What difference can it make in hiring decisions?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, you come across, really, as someone who is not sure about themselves. When employers are looking at your personal brand, they’re looking at a couple of things. They’re looking for a cultural fit, you know, are you going to align with the values and the work ethic that the company has set in place? Does your personal brand demonstrate that alignment? How are you going to show up on the team if you’re hired? Does your brand give the employers insights on how you might fit into that team dynamic?

Also, employers want to make sure that you’re not a risk when it comes to hiring you. They look at your presence online. Are you someone that they can trust? Are you transparent? And then, ultimately, when you get hired into an organization, you become a brand ambassador. What type of brand message are you setting for the company? You have a direct influence on the company’s reputation when you’re hired, and so, if you have a good personal brand that can enhance a company’s reputation, then employers look at it more positively and want to reach out to you.

Mac Prichard:

In our first segment, you mentioned networking and how important it was, both to personal branding and looking for work. Let’s talk about networking. I know that you say that successful personal branders pay attention to where you network, who you network with, and who you add to your network.

Walk us through those three steps. Why are they so important to your personal brand, especially during a job search?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Well, networking is crucial for career growth, and I know you’ve had guests on your show that have talked about this very thing. The quality of your network can open doors to opportunities and provide you valuable support and insights, and introduce you to things that you were probably not aware of. If you do it well and you’re strategic, you can really focus in on aligning your specific career goals and your interests.

Again, if you chase vanity metrics, that’s not going to help you, but you have to learn how to build quality over quantity. If you prioritize those meaningful relationships, either in person or online, you’re simply increasing your number of people who can also introduce you to other people, so that’s important, and then, really engaging actively.

If you interact with your network, share insights, offer help, participate in discussions, that’s going to help you be top of mind whenever it comes to opportunities.

Mac Prichard:

How do you do that strategically, Jessica? Do you tie it back to your personal mission statement and your job search goals and do you say no to opportunities? What have you seen be most effective?

Jessica Fiesta George:

I think most effectively, you have to avoid adding people to your network without considering how they align with your goals. I know a lot of people just accept random invites, say on LinkedIn, just because, like I mentioned earlier, they’re chasing those vanity metrics. When you start strategically adding people who are going to bring value or can bring a little bit more thought into, especially, your job search, that’s important. Also, not just collecting connections, but actively nurturing the people that you connect with.

Many times, and I do this, too, I’ll accept an invite with a good intention to follow up with them or learn a little bit more about them. The more you can actively put that as part of your rotation every day, to build your brand, you have to nurture and engage your relationships.

No matter what you do, especially in this heated political environment, you have to remain professional across all platforms and in your interactions and be mindful about how people may not see things the same way that you do.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s been a great conversation. Now, tell us, what’s next for you, Jessica?

Jessica Fiesta George:

Next for me, I’m still recording my podcast, Jess Get Hired, and I lead talent acquisition for a private equity firm, and I’m continuing to help our founder-led organizations with building their talent process and just continuing to network and meet great people like you.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s a terrific show. I do hope listeners will check out Jess Get Hired. I enjoyed listening to your interviews and your solo episodes, so kudos to you.

I also know that listeners can learn more about you by connecting with you on LinkedIn, and when you do reach out to Jessica, please mention that you heard her on Find Your Dream Job.

Now, Jessica, given all of the great advice that you’ve shared today, what’s the one thing you want a listener to remember about personal branding 101 for job seekers?

Jessica Fiesta George:

I can summarize it in one sentence. Your brand is your story, and you need to make sure it’s one that you’re proud to tell.

Mac Prichard:

Next week, our guest will be Beth Benatti Kennedy.

She’s a leadership coach, a resiliency-training expert, and a speaker with more than 20 years of experience.

It’s important to deal with disappointment when you look for work.

And resilience also matters after your job search ends.

Join us next Wednesday when Beth Benatti Kennedy and I talk about how growing your resilience helps your career.

Until next time, thanks for letting us help you find your dream job.

This show is produced by Mac’s List.

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media.

Our sound engineer and editor is Matt Fiorillo. Dawn Mole creates our transcripts. And our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.