The job market is evolving more rapidly than ever. The recent surge in the development and use of AI and digital technology has ushered in a highly competitive period that has seen a spike in demand for its incorporation in hiring practices and also to combat skills shortages gathering pace in certain sectors. Throw in a tumultuous economic background and it is clear that candidates today still find themselves having to navigate uncertain waters, in order to stay visible and attractive as a prospect to hirers.

Nothing epitomises this more than the well-documented skills shortage widely seen across several industry today. A recent article in Fortune focused on this particular challenge being experienced across many sectors and is likely (according to the Future Of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum) to get worse before it gets better – referring to a ‘skills gap is so big that nearly half of workers will need to retrain this decade’.

And whilst employers are already feeling the impact and squeeze on their hiring and business objectives, employees too are well aware of the need to keep pace with the changing landscape and ensure their employability in the long-term. Upskilling and reskilling have become the talk of the town amongst professionals today, but one thing that most commentators agree on the likelihood of a skills-based revolution, where certain soft skills are quickly rising in importance.

While functional or hard skills are an ever-crucial skill area for professionals to develop, they are often given the lion share of attention, sometimes at the expense of some core soft skills that have proven to be crucial for career success. Regardless of whether you’re a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional, these are skills that will make the most difference in accelerating your career, as they equip you with the necessary qualities to help you manage your mind, communicate well consistently, and influence your team to improve their performance.

This is particularly pertinent when discussing the future of work for professionals across a variety of industries, as the role of AI and digital technology in streamlining processes, commoditising work and automating less complicated aspects of the job, is only set to increase going forward. In such a scenario what will be left for aspiring candidates to shield themselves from the resulting job slash is the chance to prove their worth in the high-value or newest aspects of their line of work, among which is the human-to-human interaction necessary for effective client and relationship management.

Considering this increasingly becoming the general consensus around the impact of digital technology, it’s clear to see where the demand is going skill-wise.

Soft Skills for Growth

A highly desirable aspect of a professional’s skillset is the ability to manage themselves and their relationships with others through profound self-awareness, effective communication, willingness to listen and capacity take on feedback. And it isn’t just required to excel in your role, it is indispensable for personal and professional growth.

Here at Clayton Recruitment, we assist candidates in developing their careers where we consistently share the softer skills that need to be developed. Below are the ones most important to build:

Self-Awareness

One of the key challenges when managing and developing a team is a lack of self-awareness from the employee.

You will hear the term emotional intelligence shared in many circles. The term was defined as a person’s ability to manage their feelings and to express those feelings appropriately and effectively.

(The original book on this topic by Daniel Goleman, is definitely worth a read).

Who has not come across a colleague in the business who has zero idea about their impact on others? A candidate once approached us looking for a new role because of the behaviour of a new manager in the business; yes, managers can lack self-awareness too.

It appears that every morning the manager in question would appear with a sore head, grumbling and snapping at people. The individual had no idea how his behaviour affected the team.

Self-awareness also covers motivation, empathy, self-regulation, and appropriate social skills.

Communication Skills

All professions include varied people with effective communication skills and some that don’t hold the ability to have a conversation. Summing up a procedure to employees with jargon-free lingo are all expected skills for someone to hold. However, talking over a team member in a meeting does not demonstrate communication excellence.

A large part of being a great communicator is the ability to listen. We can all tell the difference when someone hears the words you are saying or when they are actively listening.

As an experiment, notice how often people have their phones open during conversations or look over your shoulder at other people and what’s going on when speaking with you; worse, they sit on the edge of their seats waiting to interrupt.

Active listeners, meanwhile, pay close attention to meeting presenters, offer up clarifying questions or responses, and refer back to notes in future discussions. They do not need things repeated to them because they heard them the first time, making active listeners respectful colleagues.

Openness to Feedback

This might sound like a different soft skill, yet a lack of openness to feedback often indicates an individual is stuck in a pattern and unwilling to learn.

The ability to accept developmental feedback is critical for all of us; otherwise, how will we improve? Think about it; constructive feedback will help you do the best job possible when it comes to your role, and yet often, people take it personally and react defensively; when this happens, feedback is not heard.

No one is ever perfect, no matter how long they have been in a role. Reflecting on this, when did you last ‘overreact’ to feedback?

Growth Mindset

Having a growth mindset leads to the ability to accept feedback. Individuals with a growth mindset see feedback as the gift that it is.

Their mind is focused on what is possible rather than what is not. No matter what role, you will encounter roadblocks, disappointments, and other situations that might frustrate you. A soft skill critical to your ability to persevere is having a growth mindset.

Dr Carol Dweck conducted the original work on this several years ago. Her book is well worth reading to identify if you have a growth or fixed mindset.

For instance, someone with a growth mindset who did not achieve their billable target would look at this as an opportunity to double down and focus on what they could do differently in the next quarter.

Whereas someone with a fixed mindset would see this differently, complaining that the target was too high, the clients they were working with were demanding, and the list of complaints goes on.

Adaptability & Flexibility

The last few years have been a challenge for many, yet certain employees have stood out above others; Two words describe them.

• Adaptable
• Flexible

No matter your role in your business, the ability to adapt to change and a positive, flexible attitude about what is happening never go unnoticed.

Many people have no idea how negative they can be when something does not go their way. Worse still, they become a classic mood hoover.

Fact: Our business landscape is changing, and no matter what role you hold in an organisation, you have to be willing to adapt and change.

Analytical & Creative Thinking

Analytical and creative thinking are reported to be the two most important skills for employees in 2023 according to the Future of Jobs Report, with over 70% of businesses surveyed as part of the research, citing these as the most valued core skills. A purposeful increase in both of these cognitive skills clearly reflect the increasing importance of complex problem-solving in the workplace.

Analytical thinking is the ability to approach complex problems or situations in a systematic and logical way, breaking them down into smaller components, analysing the data, identifying patterns and relationships, and using that information to draw conclusions and make informed decisions.

It is of particular value in roles that require problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills such as data analysts, business analysts, financial analysts, engineers, scientists, strategists, and management consultants, among others.

Employees who display these skills are deemed to make sound judgments and decisions, and solve problems effectively. Analytical thinking is also useful for identifying trends, opportunities, and potential risks in a business, which can help organisations to innovate and stay competitive.

As a jobseeker, there are several ways you can highlight these skills during the process – starting with your CV; using relevant that demonstrate your skills here such as:

• “data analysis”
• “problem-solving”
• “critical thinking”
• “research”
• “logic”
• “strategic planning”
• “quantitative analysis”

Simply put, if you can provide concrete examples of when you have applied analytical or creative thinking, all the better.

In your interview, be prepared to demonstrate your skills and discuss specific examples of how you have used analytical thinking to solve problems or make decisions. You could even prepare a case study or work sample that showcases your analytical thinking skills.

Technological Literacy

Technological literacy is also deemed to be one soft skill that is growing in prominence and importance across a variety of sectors and roles. However, it is not just about using technology for everyday tasks like sending emails or using social media. It also involves having a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts and principles of technology, as well as its societal, ethical, and environmental implications.

In today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving technological landscape, technological literacy has become increasingly important in many industries and professions. Jobs in fields such as engineering, software development, digital marketing, and healthcare require a high level of technological literacy, as employees need to understand and use various types of software, hardware, and digital tools.

Moreover, technological literacy is essential for individuals to participate fully in a rapidly changing society and workplace.

Demonstrating technological literacy is relatively easy to do on your CV and during the interview process – although it is important to list those that are relevant for the job in question. It is a good idea to include specifics here such as level of qualification so a hiring manager can assess your exact competencies from the get-go. Additionally, be prepared to talk about examples where you have used your skills to solve problems or improve processes. This is arguably where you will stand out as a candidate… focusing on the impact these skills have had in your previous roles.

In Summary

Amongst the many developments we have seen emerge in the past few years, such as the gradual shift towards greater flexibility in the work life of professionals, the incorporation of AI technology into business and hiring practices and the transition of the industry away from established traditional norms comes a particularly pertinent point of discussion – and contention – one that has (and will continue to) influenced how businesses will operate in years to come: The well-documented skills shortage experienced by companies across the market.

Having an awareness of what these skills ‘are’ exactly is important – particularly if you are to be successful in your hunt for a new opportunity (and know the areas where you yourself may need to upskill).

Upskilling is more than just a buzzword doing the rounds – it is very much centred on the wider issues of skills shortages and ever-changing working conditions and environments that are affecting jobseekers and employers alike. And it seems like the focus on the importance of soft skills in giving you a competitive advantage (again, in your capacity as a jobseeker or employer) is not going away.

Simply put, soft skills focus on developing a positive can-do attitude. A well-worn statement perhaps – yet developing abilities like this will help you navigate most things that are thrown your way while making you stand out as a potential new hire for a company (as well as being areas to focus on if you are indeed in the hiring seat, and looking for a standout candidate to bring on board).

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989, and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability. With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, and Engineering appointments, on a permanent basis.

If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Has the time come for you to make a new move in your professional career? 

While it’s advisable to give the idea of leaving your current job some thought before coming to a decision – there are certainly red flags that when present in your work life, signal an immediate need for a fresh start in pastures new.

These could include signs of burnout, difficulty in maintaining the same level of interest and engagement you once had in your job, or frustration borne of the lack of opportunities afforded to you to grow and develop as a professional.

If you find yourself grappling with any of the above, you might have already begun your job search either online or by asking peers, and have come up short. That is where you can benefit greatly from the support of a specialist recruiter, and in such cases, we highly recommend giving us a call – however, bear in mind that you are not the only candidate that will have contacted a specialist recruiter like us.  

It’s not unusual at all for consultants to receive many candidates for each job vacancy, and their reputation (as well as yours) is on the line with each placement recommendation they make. So how do you sell your value to recruiters and give them a reason to recommend you to employers looking for nothing but the best talent available? 

In short… how can you ensure that they become your advocate and help to ‘sell’ your worth and fit for the role(s) in question?

Getting The Basics Down

Here at Clayton Recruitment, we have been receiving candidate CVs for over 25 years, and we can (still) say with confidence that this document remains an essential part of how candidates get their profile noticed and progressed to the interview stage. 

Whether you’re in the early stages or more into the twilight years of your career, your CV is a document that both employers and recruiters will expect to be crafted and polished to perfection. A standout CV creates a compelling case for you to be considered as the ideal candidate not only by backing up your (relevant) list of skills and experience with tangible results but also by doing so without being peppered with unnecessary and overused CV cliches and with a clear structure and format to keep it easily digestible. If CV writing is proving to be a challenge for you, check out our blog here on how to craft a CV that catches the eye of employers. If you can write one capable of grabbing their attention, you can be sure it’ll grab ours. 

All of which bodes well for you, the candidate. So how do you get on the radar of a great recruiter and maximise your chances of securing that dream job? 

Conduct An Online Health Check

You will likely be well aware by now of the importance of having an online presence that underscores your suitability to prospective employers, but if you haven’t yet done due diligence in this particular area, then now is the time to take it seriously.

It is well known by hiring experts that a first impression of a candidate usually comes before the interview, and with social media screening becoming increasingly popular as a prerequisite amongst employers to progress candidates’ applications to the interview stage, giving your digital footprint a thorough examination (especially if you have a strong online presence) should be a must if you want to appear as the top candidate for selection by a recruiter. 

This is especially pertinent when it comes to LinkedIn, as it is the go-to social media platform for prospective employers, and consequently recruiters for potential candidates. It’s therefore vital to make the most of the opportunities your LinkedIn profile provides to help you in professional career progression and opportunity. Tidy up your profile, ensuring that keywords & key phrases relevant to roles you might be on the lookout for are present in your skills experience section and make sure your interaction on the platform – both past and present – reflect the professional image your profile is trying to portray. Get rid of anything you don’t want potential employers or any recruiter to see, (pictures, bio, comments).

We go into further detail on how to create a LinkedIn profile that stands out to employers here. 

Both employers and recruiters will be looking for certain skills that highlight how well a candidate meets the criteria of the role in question. While you will naturally have ones acquired from your qualifications present on your CV and LinkedIn profile, you should also be paying equal attention to transferable skills, as they are not only always applied across roles, but they also highlight how you work in terms of communication, integrity and experience. If you have gained four, six or eight years PQE since you were last on the job market, you will have extended your skillset considerably and so now is an appropriate time to review them and ensure you use them to sell yourself as much as possible. Make sure to back up each skill mentioned with an example of how you demonstrated it. 

Are You Spotlighting Your Skillset?

Both employers and recruiters will be looking for certain skills that highlight how well a candidate meets the criteria of the role in question. While you will naturally have ones acquired from your qualifications present on your CV and LinkedIn profile, you should also be paying equal attention to transferable skills, as they are not only always applied across roles, but they also highlight how you work in terms of communication, integrity and experience. If you have gained four, six or eight years PQE since you were last on the job market, you will have extended your skillset considerably and so now is an appropriate time to review them and ensure you use them to sell yourself as much as possible. Make sure to back up each skill mentioned with an example of how you demonstrated it. 

Could you talk about any of the following perhaps?

Teamwork – Show you can work effectively within a team towards mutual goals.

Time Management – Demonstrate how you prioritise and manage your workload (and potentially that of others). Include examples of taking responsibility for your own work, balancing tasks and hitting deadlines.

Leadership – Indicate initiative and motivation. Examples of how you have built rapport with clients, colleagues and influenced decisions. How have you inspired others?

Technology – Knowing how to use the latest software and technology is essential. Additional skills such as being able to troubleshoot complex problems, or understand data security, will provide an added benefit.

Adaptability – Nothing stays the same forever. Everyone has to adapt, adjust and change. Showing you are versatile and agile indicates a willingness to move forward and embrace change. This sort of positivity is crucial to progress your long-term career.

Problem-Solving – Offering solution-orientated answers indicates your ability to use emotional intelligence, manage risk and make decisions.

Communication – As well as being able to communicate your own ideas to others verbally or on paper, being able to listen is a great skill, and developing listening skills can help alleviate potential misunderstandings and costly mistakes.

Does The Shoe Fit?

It might sound obvious, but working with a recruiter is a two-way street and meant to benefit both parties, meaning that decision of which recruiter to work with is just as vital as their decision to collaborate with you. 

Therefore, before making the decision to partner with a particular recruiter, do your homework to ensure their values align with yours. How long have they been in business? Do they put the needs of their clients and candidates at the heart of everything they do, striving to nurture and build relationships? Are they trustworthy and transparent? Do they highlight ethical recruitment practices?

 Make sure they strive to provide the best possible fit for candidates (and clients) alongside ongoing support, pertinent information, ability to evaluate a candidate’s potential fit into the company culture, and a great retention rate for placements. Take the time to thoroughly research their credentials and check that they are respected in the recruiting world – online testimonials are a good indication of this. 

Be Proactive

Showing commitment and enthusiasm goes a long way to putting you ahead of the pack. Once you’ve chosen your recruiter, don’t sit waiting for them to contact you (even though they are likely to). Becoming proactive in building a relationship with your recruiter is a great way to get on their radar. 

Reach out to them via email, LinkedIn or telephone. Many recruiters have a page where you can upload your CV, getting you in the system quickly. 

Whatever method you use, a proactive response will enable you to engage with the recruiter, brief them on your skills, requirements and PQE experience, and allow them to quickly identify the best opportunities for you in your practice area, or discuss exploring a change of direction and what that entails for you. 

They will have also valuable tips and advice to offer you during your search. For best results, treat your communication with your recruiter rather like how they treat theirs with a candidate – check in regularly and demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to securing a new role. The more you do so, the clearer the picture they can get of where the next chapter of your career lies and the better their advice will be. 

Next Steps

If you’re here because you believe a move is on the cards at this stage of your career, you’ve come to the right place. Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with businesses across the northwest for over 30 years and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability.

If you need general guidance as you exit one role for another, or are at the very start of your search for a new opportunity, do give our recruitment specialists a call today.

• 01772 259 121
• enquiries@clayton-recruitment.co.uk

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989, and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on a permanent basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you want to succeed in your career, cultivating a personal brand is paramount – whatever sector you’re working in.

An impressive personal brand doesn’t just signal to your manager and senior colleagues that you’re someone on the way up; the very process of working on your personal brand also makes you more self-aware, more knowledgeable, and more disciplined, making you a clear choice for promotion if that is the route you wish to take.

A recent article in Entrepreneur also states that a strong personal brand can do the heavy lifting when it comes to differentiating yourself, standing out in a crowded market or industry, and help with future professional growth by positioning you as an expert in your field.

Put simply, it can help to elevate your professional standing, gain trust and build a positive reputation within your own company and wider network, that will almost certainly support your long-term career ambitions. 

With this in mind, we’ve outlined the key strategies you need to be implementing when looking to build a successful personal brand as a working professional. 

Identify Your Strengths, Your Talents, & How You Can Use Them

 The first step is figuring out where your talents and strengths lie. Take the time to understand what sets you apart and focus on letting that shine through your personal brand. Do you have traits that make you particularly collaborative, inspirational or transformational? Furthermore, what particular special skills do you have that will be attractive to businesses when you become a leader? Do you have a large network? Are you particularly IT savvy, or are you good at digital strategy? Once you’ve established what your personal brand’s strengths are, you’ll need to match them with your company’s culture and business needs. When you have a clear idea of how your skills and style match the businesses’ goals, you can develop them further and work on your ‘pitch’ for promotion. In considering how you might best implement your talents, think about becoming ‘the person who helps.’ Certain people can influence the success of your promotion attempt—the most obvious being your direct manager. Consider how you can help that person in their role right now so that you are then perceived as an individual who really does add value.  

Additionally, consider how you can help others in your team, as these people may well be consulted when it’s promotion time, and the more friends you have ‘on your side,’ the better. 

Smarten Up Your Online Presence

Nothing will diminish your professional power as much as an unprofessional online presence. Those rowdy Facebook pictures need to be managed—either be exceedingly careful with your privacy settings, change your profile name to a nickname, or get rid of Facebook altogether.  

It can be useful to conduct an audit of your online presence by Googling yourself and doing damage control on anything that might be viewed as unprofessional by senior leaders at your company. 

Replace any unsuitable pictures with well-taken, professional headshots and update your LinkedIn profile, so it reflects your values, ambitions and how you’d like people to think about you. You could also join some relevant online groups that might prove professionally advantageous. Consider sharing your thoughts, passions and achievements on a website of your own, if you have something to say that builds your professional credibility. 

Make Time To Network

Spend as much time as you can networking with competent and respected professionals in your field; the more connections you build with relevant individuals, the more your reputation will grow. Not having confidence when it comes to networking – either face-to-face or virtually, is common – whatever profession you in. However, it is certainly a skill worth honing as the benefits far outweigh that initial feeling or awkwardness or anxiety. Being visible at events that are relevant to your sector or specialism or indeed mean something to you on a personal level all impact your personal brand and others perception of you (and what is important to you) – so do take advantage of opportunities that come your way.

Add Value To That Network

Whilst it may very much depend on your employer as to how comfortable they are with you posting on social media channels, using your knowledge and expertise in your particular sector to create useful content will further set you apart as a thought-leader. You may choose to write a blog, create a LinkedIn newsletter, or simply be an active ‘voice’ in online discussions on topics that interest you – in a professional sense of course.  It goes without saying that you want to be mindful of jumping of any particularly controversial topics. 

Digital agency owner, Lara Acosta, writing recently for Forbes talks candidly about the various strategies she employed to grow an engaged following of 55k individuals on LinkedIn, stating that contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t mean ‘oversharing’. Rather, look at the six main components of content marketing: inspire, entertain, educate, promote, empower and validate – and choose one or several of those, and stick to them.  This element of personal branding is very much focused on relationship building, being ‘seen’, adding value, and then being discovered by association – to benefit things like business development, or professional development impacting your career. 

Increase Your Value Through Continued Education

One of the most crucial things to remember about your personal brand is that it’s continually evolving. As new technology and trends evolve at an exponential speed it’s up to you to make sure that you’re staying ahead of the curve if you want to stand out in your professional career. 

A continued commitment to education and keeping up to date with the current trends will make sure that you’re always building a relevant personal brand. Part of your training might include soft skills development, like working on your teamwork or communication strategies. Other times, you’ll need to evaluate your technical skills and decide whether they’re starting to go out of date.  

A great way to make sure that you’re on track is to compare your CV to the job listings relevant to your interests. You’ll notice if specific requirements in those specs begin to change over time. 

Ongoing education will simultaneously keep your personal brand up-to-date and show both your current and potential employers that you’re committed to your career. An employee (or potential candidate) who is always on the lookout for upcoming and signing up to attend seminars and networking events will add significantly more value to his professional profile than someone who shows very little interest in actively developing their career. 

Ask Where You Need Development

Sometimes, there might be a behaviour or skill gap you exhibit that is barring your way to promotion, and yet you may not even be aware of it. For example, you might be brilliant at managing multiple projects as a business development manager for example, but lack the necessary interpersonal skills required to effectively interview, advise or negotiate with clients or other professionals to secure agreed objectives. 

Another consideration is that the leadership in your business might not even be aware that you want a promotion because you’ve never told them. Take an opportunity to sit down with them – perhaps at your next performance appraisal – and make your goals and ambitions clear. In stating your case, make sure that you ask them what they believe you could work on to achieve your goals. Be welcoming of any feedback – no matter how uncomfortable – and then start working on a plan to develop yourself (and your brand) accordingly. Your manager will also walk away from the meeting clear on your ambitions and will be able to advise you on the steps you’ll need to take to help you move towards your stated goals. 

The potential that lies in a well-built personal brand is immense and the only limits to it are really your own imagination and willingness to grow. We hope these strategies have given you some food for thought and perhaps set you on the right path toward achieving your career goals. 

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989 and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, and Engineering appointments, on a permanent basis.

If you are building your existing team or looking for your next career move, we can help. And, if you are currently employed, you can be assured of complete confidentiality, professionalism, and honesty throughout the process – as standard.

Click here to speak to one of our experienced specialists or call 01772 259121 for more information on how our exceptional recruitment experience can help your career aspirations.

A strong brand isn’t just something a growing company needs to build.

In today’s constantly connected world, personal branding is growing increasingly important, as the recruitment process evolves. Around 70% of employers screen candidates by checking their social media presence. What’s more, countless hiring managers and recruitment agencies will assess your online presence before providing a job offer.

Cultivating a successful personal brand is how you ensure you’re sending the right impression to future employers and recruitment agencies.

Used correctly, your brand will augment your CV, cover letter, and job applications, to demonstrate why you’re the perfect legal professional for your ideal role.

The question is, how do you build a great personal brand?

Step 1: Identify your Branding Goals

First, it’s important to determine what you want to achieve with your personal brand. A good personal brand should define who you are to the world, highlighting your unique combination of values, skills, and experiences. How you present and edit your personal brand will determine how potential employers perceive you.

With this in mind, ask yourself what kind of image you want to create. Think about:

• Values: What kind of unique values, strengths and perspectives can you bring to the legal industry? How would an employer identify you as a perfect fit for their company culture?
• Skills: What are your technical skills and what kind of experience do you have putting them to the test? Do you have any certifications or accreditation?
• Personality: What kind of person do you want people to see you as? Are you detail-oriented, creative, passionate, or supportive?

A good way to define the kind of brand you’ll need to build is to look at the kind of personality traits, skills, and values mentioned in job descriptions for the kind of role you want to earn.

Step 2: Audit your Existing Narrative

Once you know what you want your personal brand to look like, it’s worth looking at the impression you’re already giving in the legal space. In today’s digitally-connected world, virtually every employee will already have a personal brand.

You can get a good idea of the perception you’re building by examining your social media pages, and asking yourself what kind of impression you give when sharing content online. It’s also worth looking at the connections you have to other people in your industry, and how your associations might help people to understand who you are.

Check everything from your LinkedIn page to your online portfolio to make sure you’re making the right impression. If you’re not, work on removing anything which goes against the personal brand you’re trying to build, even if this means making some social channels “private”.

Step 3: Create Your Personal Pitch

A good view of your existing reputation, and the personal brand you want to create should help you to make a start on your personal pitch. This is essentially the “elevator pitch” you give to sell yourself to colleagues, employers, and hiring professionals.

Your personal pitch should outline your specific value in the legal space, and what you have to offer in a quick and concise way. It should consider both your past experiences, and the future you’re aiming for.

For instance, if you’ve spent years as a Legal Cashier, but you want to become a Paralegal, you can show people how your experience in the cashier sector helped you to develop the people skills you need to connect with prospects and supporting solicitors.

Once you have your personal pitch, you can also use it to guide the content you share online, and the way you present yourself to others. For instance, every time you’re going to post something on LinkedIn, ask yourself, “Would the person I’m pitching to others also share this?”.

Step 4: Develop Your Presence and Network

Your personal pitch, and the view of the kind of impression you want to send in the legal space will help you to think about where you can develop your existing online presence and identity. Ask yourself whether you’re already active on all the forums and platforms where an employer might look for you, including on industry forums and social media sites.

Look at how active you are on these platforms too. Sharing content regularly will help you to strengthen your position as a thought leader and demonstrate your unique personality.

While you’re working on your digital presence, think about how you can also expand your network. Sharing content should help you to attract the attention of some other leaders in your space, but don’t be afraid to reach out over social media and connect with people too.

A strong network helps to give credibility to the brand you’re building, and it could open the door to new opportunities.

Step 5: Work on Increasing your Value

A personal brand isn’t something you should create once and then never look at again. Like you, your personal brand is a dynamic, evolving thing. You’ll need to make sure you’re constantly working on ways to demonstrate your value through the image you create.

To strengthen the impact of your personal brand:

• Commit to constant learning: Work on regularly developing your knowledge in the legal space and expanding your skills to make yourself more appealing to employers.
• Share content regularly: Build your social presence by regularly sharing content, connecting with others, and expanding your network.
• Work with the professionals: Speak to a specialist legal recruitment agency, like Clayton Legal about the kind of things the employers in your space are looking for, and build your brand based on the information you get.

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989, and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, and Engineering appointments, on a permanent basis.

Whether you are looking for your next career move, or your next hire as a business owner of HR professional – we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121.

When it comes to selling your value to a recruitment company like Clayton Recruitment and the clients we work for, there are a few pivotal documents required to draw attention to yourself. 

The humble CV is one, followed quickly by your LinkedIn profile. 

As LinkedIn is the biggest social business network outside China, with 850 million members listed, it is more crucial than ever to leverage the opportunities your LinkedIn profile provides as a positioning tool for your career. 

Your LinkedIn profile has many positive attributes. Unless you share a name with a well-known person, it is highly likely that your profile, if created properly, will appear on the first page of Google. 

Even though your CV/Resume is a standard document that demonstrates your career journey, a LinkedIn profile can deliver even more insight about you as a potential recruit in an interactive and engaging style that a CV alone cannot achieve. 

In today’s post, I want to share why your profile is so important and the easy, quick wins to ensure your LinkedIn profile stands out from the crowd. 

Headlines and Pronouns

Your headline is often the first piece of text a recruiter or potential hiring manager will see, so make it count. Paraphrase what you do, and the good news is LinkedIn now allows 220 characters, including spaces. Here is an example of a headline that works.  

“Marketing Manager at IKEM Solutions building B2B business and brand growth across the North West” 

With D.E.I. being on most workplace agendas, LinkedIn now allows you to add your preferred pronouns on your profile. The use of pronouns will let hiring managers, colleagues or online connections know how to address you to prevent any misconceptions.  

A Professional Photo

LinkedIn produces numerous reports that demonstrate the power of imagery and media on your profile. Profiles with a professional photograph can get 14 times more profile views vs those with selfie style images or group pictures. 

Phone technology today means there is no excuse not to have a professional LinkedIn profile picture. Ask a colleague or friend to take a photograph with their smartphone in good lighting where you shoulders and face are visible to give an honest and accurate perception of who you are professionally. 

Head and shoulders are the best shots. Your face, preferably smiling in appropriate business attire, makes the best impact. Remember, recruitment consultants viewing your profile are imagining how you will fit into their client’s organisation, so this is an easy way to make an impact.  

How To Get In Contact

As a first start, do you have all your contact details visible?  

Make sure you have a mobile number and a Gmail/Hotmail address that is your most active and professional email account. Try to avoid the likes of 90sbaby@hotmail.com or something with your birth year in as this can indicate age bias subconsciously.  

A professional url demonstrates your attention to detail, for instance, LinkedIn.com/in/Andy Gold as opposed to LinkedIn.com/in/Andy-Gold-2671c567. 

It’s also important to include links to your blog where you share knowledge related to your sector which is a great feature a lot of LinkedIn users forget to utilise.  

Featured Section

Have you written papers or presented at an industry conference, or recorded any work-related videos?  

If the answer is yes, add them here, and this will certainly make you stand out from the crowd and gives recruiters or potential businesses the chance to see more of what you can do rather than just reading it on a CV. 

Your About Section

Please do not add only your essential skills or paste sections from your CV into your summary section. Use it to catch people’s attention as you share relevant information about who you are and your skills and abilities; you have 2000 characters, so make them count. 

In this section, talk about the value you will add to an organisation alongside your skillset. Be different and stand out by explaining how you might help a potential new employer solve their problems while being genuine and authentic. 

Our experience as recruiters is this attracts our attention, plus it makes it easier for us to ‘sell’ the fact you are a ‘must see’ candidate for our client and pick out your best attributes towards their needs. 

Here are some examples from LinkedIn themselves as to what they see as great profile summaries. 

Add to Profile and Open To

On the right-hand side of your profile, you will see a button that says ‘add to profile’. When you click this, it reveals all the additional sections you can add to your profile.  

From featured items to licenses and certifications, and courses and recommendations the list is endless to really boost your profile against your competitors.  

If you are open to work and currently not employed, you can add this to your profile picture by clicking the relevant button. This lets recruiters know instantly without even clicking on your profile that you are a potential candidate for their client and therefor you are most likely to be seen.  

In the ‘add your profile’ section under background, share details of all your work experience that will communicate your capability. Then list all your education and volunteer activities. Today, organisations have an active CSR programme that they love to promote to new starters; therefore, this area is essential to share too should you have experience in those departments. 

Under accomplishments, you can list publications, certifications, patents, courses, projects, honours and awards, test scores, languages and how you are involved with communities that are important to you. 

This makes it easy for a recruitment organisation to identify your skills and expertise as a potential match for their client. 

The big question is, does your profile: 

• Help your standout? 
• Communicate your value, including providing supporting evidence? 
• List your work achievements? 

Share Useful Content

Depending on your current organisation and their social presence, you can share and like content until your heart is content. This unconsciously communicates to everyone how connected you are and what is important to you. When someone arrives on your profile, it is one of the first sections they can see. 

You can now share an article or even upload a compelling image or create a video on your LinkedIn profile. All of which enable you to communicate your personal brand and show recruiters areas of your work you are particularly interested in the most. 

List The Skills You Know Are Important in Your Industry

When it comes to skills, you can add up to 50, which could help you stand out to a recruitment consultant and your future employer. You don’t have to add all of them as only your top ten will be profiled, so make these the most important. 

The UK is in the grip of a skills shortage. Therefore, if you know you have in-demand skills, communicate them on your profile wherever you can. You would be surprised that this is an area often forgotten by even the best of candidates. 

Endorsements and Recommendations

We all now live and work in the review society. Social proof is a significant influencer in our current community. Who has not viewed Trip Advisor before booking a restaurant or holiday with their significant other? It is the same in the business world. 

Therefore, collecting recommendations and endorsements is crucial for your career. If you have not got any, ask for them from your contacts. All too often, people are shy about asking for validations of their work. The good news, which might surprise you, is that many people are more than willing to give you a recommendation as long as you offer to give one back in return. 

Finally, Complete Your Profile in Full

A question for you? Are you using all the features we have mentioned? 

Do you have a presentation or video on your summary? Have you got a link to a paper you have written? 

It is interesting the impression people get from reading a full LinkedIn profile. It sends a message to recruitment companies that you are a person with attention to detail and take their career and work-life seriously – a great candidate for their clients.