Do You Have a Brand?
Everyone has a brand. Not like Martha Stewart, Pepsi or Nike, of course, but everyone has a reputation and skills for which they are known. Your brand is simply how others perceive you and what you stand for as a business professional. Your brand is a composite of everything you project including how you dress, your communication style, the quality of your work, your ethics, mannerisms, your digital footprint, your business contributions, and any number of other qualities.
Your logo is the visual identifier of your brand and business logos for individuals involved in a job search often provide a value statement or keywords identifying the person's skill set or a unique contribution. Logos for businesses selling a product don't have to be complex to be effective - think Nike or Apple. The logo for Apple is generally displayed as a simple symbol, while the Nike logo is often seen with just its' trademark "swoosh" or with the branding statement - "just do it." In either case, the logo is representative of the quality of each company's products and your response to the logo image.
The video below provides a few examples of simple branded logos that could be incorporated across all marketing documents used for a job search. The important point is to convey a professional and unique image that is memorable to a prospective employer reviewing a large number of resumes or related marketing materials.
There may also be occasions when branded stationary can be used during the job search. Our recommendation is to keep the stationary professional yet distinctive. The next short clip provides examples of some unique stationary, which may prompt some creative ideas for your own material.