I started working within the marketing recruitment industry six months ago. Having previously enjoyed working in the fast-paced, flashy TV advertising industry for 8 years, it felt intuitive to learn about the challenges businesses face with attracting the best marketing talent to anchor visionary strategies in order to compete in today’s more affluent but attention-poor world.

It was encouraging to learn that managing stakeholders within the recruitment arena wasn’t that dissimilar to managing the needs of stakeholders within the world of TV broadcasting. But somewhere between learning about social media listening tools and effective customer acquisition ideologies, I found the hidden insights about successful self-marketing to be most compelling on my personal journey so far. As a candidate within a selection process, your personal brand is unquestionably paramount. With 70% of communication said to be non-verbal, why not amplify your impact along with all those great open hand gestures and evolve into an absolute knock-out candidate?

The three key strategies below will help every savvy marketing professional on the way to the top of their game attract the attention of recruiters and employers for all the right reasons. I recommend you…

1) PPC - Personalise your Particular Craft. Standing out from the crowd and catapulting your brand ahead of your competitors can feel like you have to reinvent the wheel. It feels like a challenge because for the most part it IS. That is unless you are able to package your skills and unique set of competencies in a way that celebrates your point of difference. If you are new to the UK, champion the idea that you bring an international perspective to any team and demonstrate through tangible ROI how impactful you have been in previous organisations. Or, if you have been working in marketing as an interim for 3 years and now want to join an organisation on a permanent basis, present your past experiences as being reflective of your highly adaptive style and your priorities are now focused on joining a company you feel excited about committing your skills to for your long-term development. Re-imagining your personal brand through the perspective of employers encourages you to self asses your experiences and goals honestly. This can assist with leaving a more impactful and authentic impression with key decision makers along the way to securing your dream role.

2)SEO - Savour Every Opportunity. Whether you long to be the one who brings marketing plans to life or you yearn to actually create and curate the content you are entrusted to upload, it is important to your development in the long run to fully grasp the duties of your current role, whilst learning from the experts around you whenever possible. Having cultivated strong relationships with those you admire, you will not only acquire more knowledge and understanding within an area that excites you, but you will come across to employers as more positive and highly resourceful. In pursuit of your goals, whether you believe in the law of attraction or lean towards a practical belief that consciously upping your game yields results, the positive tone and proactive approach to your own self-brand could make all the difference in how you are perceived, which could unlock the door to an opportunity you hadn't realised you needed a key for!

3) UX UZ (there are far too few adjectives that start with X and you know it) - Unapologetic Zeal.

This is that special sense of destiny expressed at pivotal moments en route to your dream job. A few well timed displays about what really excites you can positively influence your search. What is it about the industry you work in that you enjoy the most? Who inspires you and why? Attuning yourself to your core motivations and communicating this with unapologetic zeal can amplify your brand immeasurably. During interviews, employers can be very interested in learning about the genesis of your journey and this is where tapping into that childlike passion comes in. Imagine being told a highly engaging story - think now about how being taken on a stimulating journey keeps you glued to the unfolding of events. It’s important to take the time to assess whether an interviewer may prefer straight answers and adjust your style and tone depending on the circumstance. Whichever style of communication you discern is needed, always remain true to yourself and help your brand become more memorable by including anecdotes about the incredible training you received, never forgetting to take the scenic route when relaying how you overcame challenges. Punctate your story with boldness and vigour, and increase the likelihood of igniting an emotional connection, a key element proven to influence behaviour and decision making!

Employ these 3 strategies and you will demonstrate you are anchored by emotional intelligence, resilience and authenticity. Good Luck!