THE POWER OF BRANDING

A company can be well branded, however, a major factor in presenting this to the public is the Hiring Manager and how they communicate about their company to the candidate. For example, a company representative can say “I am Head of Talent Acquisition for a top FinTech company,” or they can say, “I am Head of Talent Acquisition at a multinational FinTech company who just secured a contract with the top 3 global retailers.” Both refer to the same company but the way they are presenting it gives us a bit more insight and reference of their branding.

As for a professional, a person can say, “I am at a top-tier securities firm,” or they can say “I am at a securities firm in charge of the largest IPO last year, selling securities to sovereign wealth funds.” The latter provides a greater perspective on their high-caliber clients and experience.

We don’t need to be a top branded company, or a top-tier professional in order to brand ourselves. Branding is not only what you have done, but more so about what you are bringing to the table for the future using your past experience. Branding is how you can add value to a company (help them generate more revenue with your position); or how the company can increase the quality of life for a candidate (increased compensation, the opportunity to grow, or improve the quality of their workplace environment).

Here are some steps to take for branding based on my experience from speaking with large multi-national companies as well as with professionals in positions earning $1M+ salaries:

?????? ???????????? ????????????????

Every company has their Pros and Cons (focus on your company's Pros and also mention some Cons) – Achievements that you see, or don’t see, may not be what professionals in the industry see. Point out the Pros of joining your company and add a bit of sincerity to the conversation by providing some of the Cons in your company that are common in your industry. With all the companies I have worked with in recruitment, I have not found a single company that did not have something positive or a Pro to joining their company compared to others in the industry. If we dissect our company, we can find advantages over other companies, and if you find it difficult, you can get in touch with a recruiter in your field and ask them, they will be glad to give you feedback and keep you as a contact for future hiring needs you may have. I know I would be glad to speak with you.

To get initial ideas, you can copy and paste your website “about us” section onto ChatGPT, or enter your company’s name and city, and ask “what are the advantages to joining this company as a portfolio manager?” ChatGPT will give you some initial ideas.

Express your company’s growth prospects – Professionals don’t necessarily want to join a large established and well-known company, some professionals sometimes want to join a smaller firm if it has prospects of growth where they are more likely to get promotions and learn more, rather than a vertical structured large global company.

?????? ??????????????????????????

???????? ???????? ???? ?????????? – The highest levels of professionals I have worked with, including a CIO, CEOs and CFOs, all had 1-to-2-page CVs (and maybe an excel spreadsheet to show their numbers). This makes it easier to read and each point makes a strong impact. If your CV is too long, use ChatGPT with a command along the lines of “reduce this CV to 2 pages, making it stand out for a financial asset management role.”

???????? ?????????? ???????????? (a couple short sentences with a few bullet points that capture your abilities and experience) – Always start with a greeting and the first name, avoid using the last name of the person because it loses its personal touch. Followed by 2 sentences, one to say your name and your sector, and another sentence to show your interest on how you can support their team, e.g. “My background is in investment firms, and I would love to contribute to your Private Equity team.” Follow with 4-6 short bullet points of your relevant experience. End the message with the next step, e.g. "let's talk, see you soon!"

???????????????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? (direct email to the HR, email to the hiring manager, email to the executives, online application, follow up call) – This has two effects: One, it shows your interests and makes stand out among those that just apply with a traditional application; two, when the reader sees and hears your information repeatedly it makes a longer-lasting impression and makes you seem more valuable and/or accepted once they hear your name from others in their company.

???????????? ?? ?????????? ???????????????????????? ?????? ???????? ???? – This is very rare, but very impactful because it showcases your presentation skills. If your presentation skills are lagging, well that is an easy fix: write 3 paragraphs and put them in front of you while you record yourself. It will take you about 20 takes and 1 hour, but at the end you will have a complete introduction video without the need of reading a script. As far as equipment, it is as easy using your mobile phone as a camera, an earpiece as a mic, and a tablet as a teleprompter. And why go through all this trouble you may ask? On average, employers spend 6 seconds scanning a CV before they decide to pass or to read further. The reason is because 50%-80% of the CVs a company receives for a job posting are not relevant to the particular role. It is easier for a hiring manager to click on the “Play” button on your CV rather than scan your email, and the curiosity of watching you in action will also lead them to play your video. Once you create the video, upload it to a software like Veed.io. If you would like reference, here is my first CV 3-minute introduction video that I made:

https://www.veed.io/view/a3d1db41-aa8e-4303-b616-c2f598c137e5?panel=share

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and I will be glad to share more details with you.

?????????? ???????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? – This might sound like a daunting task, but in reality, it can be as simple as talking in front of a camera about your experience or news in your sector. I do this with a video podcast called Banking and Financial Insight. This bi-weekly podcast, and believe it or not, this is done with a mobile phone and earpiece at the comfort of my home. And what do I talk about... well I spend a couple hours researching the top newspapers and news platforms in my sector, then put all the highlights in one sheet which I then use as a teleprompter (tablet) as topics to speak during my podcast. This helps in 3 ways: number one, you create a gap between you and anyone in the industry that does not speak in public because you are branding yourself as a knowledgeable person in your industry. Number two, you will be able to create contacts in your sector with viewers that initially contact you regarding your podcast, creating an opportunity for you to network. And finally, number three, you will be known as someone who is up to date on events in your industry. For reference you can view the first podcast video I created:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOmMTElMDKU

Whether you are a top tier professional or not, whether working under a branded company or not, there is no requirement on when and how you can begin to brand yourself or brand your company. All branding starts with a small step, as small as making an informative post on your LinkedIn.

All the best and have a great week ahead!

RGF Professional Recruitment