Featured image by Ivan Samkov

As professionals prepare for the workforce and progress through their careers, they’re often taught the importance of traditional résumés and cover letters for making a first impression. But as the business world continues to move on from outdated practices in favor of digital ones, does the physical résumé hold as much cachet as it once did? 

While many job applications still call for a cover letter or standard résumé, these have become the bare minimum. With sectors of all sorts embracing digital transformation, networking and hiring processes are following suit with new resources and expectations — both for candidates and recruiters. 

From strong social media profiles to pristine portfolio websites, the bar is higher than ever for job seekers looking to stand out. But with some strategy and creativity, building a personal brand doesn’t have to be daunting — it can be a fulfilling way for workers to learn how to market their unique strengths and subject matter expertise. 

 

Why Prioritize Personal Branding? 

Whether in professional or personal settings, humans tend to place more trust in personalities than entities. It’s why companies across industries make concerted efforts to humanize their brands, be it through distinct personas, well-crafted storytelling, or people-centric content. This measured approach can help companies make inroads with customers who are skeptical or simply have short attention spans. 

The same logic applies to the job search — when hiring managers are wading through an ocean of applications, being able to put a face to a name becomes hugely beneficial. Candidates with a distinct personality and proven presence are well-positioned to cultivate trust and credibility with recruiters and other key stakeholders. 

To address the elephant in the room: candidates’ social media content can (and likely will) be considered, as 70% of employers say they screen their candidates on social media. This has the potential to be a make-or-break moment for job seekers; professional content can provide a leg-up, while problematic content can be jeopardizing.  

With 57% of employers saying they’ve found social media content that caused them not to hire a candidate, there’s a massive opportunity for job seekers to instead use social media as a force for good. But with today’s sweeping social landscape, where’s the best place to start? 

 

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Personal Brand 

The most obvious place for modern professionals is LinkedIn, considering that it’s purpose-built for networking and hiring. Though it’s ubiquitous in corporate circles, it’s not just for white-collar professionals; the platform continues to add new features and cater to a wider range of workers. Notably, it provides an accessible outlet for long-form content like articles and newsletters, whereas other platforms tend to skew toward short-form. 

This trend is especially seen through the recent rise of video content. Although YouTube has been a player in this space for decades, newer apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels have ascended thanks to punchy, digestible videos and highly personalized algorithms. Even YouTube has embraced this shift with its integration of Shorts, which are suited for showcasing thought leadership, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content. TikToks and Reels, on the other hand, can offer a boost to professionals in creative or digital roles, enabling visual storytelling with ease. 

Twitter, now known as X, can be a good place for those who prefer to share their thoughts in writing rather than multimedia, making it viable for quick insights and industry commentary. It’s also a conversational platform by nature, which provides an opportunity for engaging dialogue and knowledge sharing. Similar apps such as Bluesky and Threads have emerged as other options for text-based social media. 

 

Creating Content That Elevates Your Personal Brand 

Although “the medium is the message,” deciding where to post is just half the battle. Deciding what to post defines social media success; strategic content can soar, while generic content gets ignored.  

Regardless of a content creator’s niche, success hinges on providing value to the end user. Value can come in many forms — step-by-step breakdowns, project highlights, lessons learned, original thought leadership, research, or even entertainment, like “day in the life” videos.  

Valuable content can be bolstered through storytelling techniques to convey passion and maintain consistency in tone, visuals, and messaging across platforms; content that checks all these boxes is especially impressive when it comes to creative staffing. 

 

Best Practices for Growing Your Audience 

Once the content strategy is solidified, it’s important to follow the fundamentals for execution. This includes the platform best practices — such as utilizing relevant hashtags and trending topics — but it also goes a few layers deeper.  

Audience engagement is essential; responding to comments, participating in Q&A discussions, and hosting live streams are all actionable ways to create connections. Collaborating with industry peers is another way to grow, boosting overall engagement by bringing multiple audiences together. 

Personality is integral to a personal brand, of course, but it’s still smart to avoid over-sharing on social media; all content should feel aligned with the professional persona established through the previous posts. 

 

Social Media Success Stories 

Does this really work? For many creators, the answer is a resounding yes. When it’s used strategically, social media can create career-changing opportunities.  

A few success stories come to mind: Jackie Vargas, a young job seeker, created a TikTok video résumé that garnered 55,000 views and immense praise. Similarly, a New Yorker named Nicole Vawter submitted a video application for a Barstool Sports internship, receiving over 657,000 views. And after being laid off from her Big Tech job, Elvi Caperonis built a strong LinkedIn presence that led to a successful coaching business. 

Like anything in life, social media can feel like a numbers game. But to quote the great Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  

 

Taking the Leap 

There’s no doubt about it: the job market is as competitive as it’s ever been.  

That’s why it’s such a great time to start building a personal brand; even taking small steps now can lead to great gains down the road. With a sound strategy, creative content, and consistent execution, life-changing opportunities can be unlocked online.  

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Joseph Matalone is Executive Vice President of Swoon, where he is responsible for the execution of sales strategies with a particular emphasis on Swoon’s enterprise-level global clientele. He has 18 years of experience in the staffing industry. Matalone has a unique perspective on the business, having been Swoon’s first employee. He has helped shape the company’s strategies, culture and growth in the U.S., Canada and Australia.