Use Your Career Brand Story to Invite and Ignite Interest
Written by Jeanette Walton, Career Brand Consultant
Jeanette is spreading the word about the essentiality of career branding for all professionals. As a Career Brand Consultant, she has pioneered a career branding framework, amongst other educational resources, to amplify the use of career branding to cut through and stand out.
In a world overflowing with polished profiles, keyword-loaded resumes, and AI-generated content, it’s your story that makes you memorable. More than a list of qualifications or a string of job titles, your career brand story is what invites curiosity, builds trust, and sparks connection. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being felt.
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” (Philip Pullman, UK writer)
I’ve been on a life-changing self-discovery journey over the past 18+ months. I’ve been figuring out who I am as both a person and a professional, what inspires and motivates me in both contexts, and the most rewarding way for me to interact and advocate for myself. This has significantly influenced my transition into the role of career brand consultant and has fuelled my desire to broaden awareness of, and interest in, all types of professionals defining and applying a brand.
It's our career brand that differentiates us
As highlighted in a presentation I recently delivered at a SIETAR Global symposium, it’s our own unique brand stories and experiences that are going to ignite and inspire us, and that will keep us appealing and competitive in digitally saturated landscapes. AI-generated content is a prime example of how we can be eclipsed in online searches, particularly as thought leaders. Storytelling is consequently a key aspect of our career branding; it escalates our ability to relate and resonate, once we’ve reeled in readers.
Use stories that stir feelings and emotions
Storytelling has always been a powerful form of human-to-human connection and communication, pretty much since we wore loin cloths and hid from prehistoric predators. I recently conducted a career branding strategy session with a client who has been working in the social justice space for many years. It was when we dipped into her childhood memories that we really lifted the veil, in terms of what had first influenced her and what continued to add depth and enrichment to her brand story. I literally felt tingles when she shared the firsthand experiences that had no doubt lit up her preferred career path.
Highlight that you’ve been where they are
While I’m continuing to fine-tune my career brand story, I find it’s the ‘hero’s journey’ messages that are particularly appealing. As a once-struggling single mum who took financial risks, including prioritising job opportunities over job salaries, some of my target audience no doubt feel an affiliation. I’ve been where they are in terms of taking sleepless-night career change actions, which slowly but surely transitioned me into the highly rewarding, internally agreeable career branding and development domain. You’re going to further validate your professional status when you demonstrate growth and evolution.
Be your authentic self; it’s what’s expected
While we can embellish our brand stories to derive greater tension and excitement, we need to stay true to our inner essence and values. When I was a student writer, workshopping non-fiction pieces with other budding creatives, it became clear that my content was less convincing, less credible, when I wasn’t honest and vulnerable. When I only lightly touched on the typeface of my written words, I was picked up for not giving enough away. Some topics were personally challenging to write about, yet that’s often the stuff that really impacts. Most of us want to feel a sense of mutual trust and understanding.
Align your stories with your core career branding
With most of our prospective audiences swamped with options, the three marketing Cs of clarity, consistency, and constancy are essential across branded content and collateral. While there’s more scope for creativity when providing a career story, as opposed to a formal career summary such as your resume, it’s still important to keep your underlying messages aligned with your foundational branding. You’ll convey relevance and reliability when there’s consistency and clarity across your digital profiles, and it will also be beneficial for your online rankings in terms of search engine compatibility.
Avoid overdoing the ‘rock star’ promotions
While sharing your career accolades and market acknowledgements will enhance brand credibility, there’s also a risk of exceeding expectations and consequently deterring readers. It’s best to maintain a well-considered balance between substantiation and reverberation, where you’re sharing insights that can assist target audience needs while also verifying that you’re a plausible expert based on industry recognition and rewards.
“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come. ” (Steve Jobs, US entrepreneur)
If a core professional ambition is to continue to expand your brand reach and reputation, to assert yourself as an industry specialist or thought leader, consider storytelling to engage and enthuse prospective audiences. Interweave life story chapters and episodes into your brand content to convey digitally differentiating human-ness and your eagerness to truly connect.
Read more from Jeanette Walton
Jeanette Walton, Career Brand Consultant
Jeanette is a Career Brand Consultant who helps professionals worldwide to enhance their career prospects. To address a gap in the market, she designed a career branding framework that helps professionals design and apply their own unique career brand. She also avidly writes articles, newsletters and eBooks, features on podcasts, partners with industry alliances, and delivers educational presentations on the benefits of career branding. In her spare time, Jeanette fosters dogs, visits an aged care resident, and co-facilitates a LinkedIn Local networking group.
