Recruiter blog: Stand out with a personal brand

Recruitment season is in full swing! As recruiters, each information session, pre-interview dinner or social we attend is a great opportunity to connect with numerous students interested in joining Deloitte. As a student, you should aim to stand out from the crowd just as we aim to be a stand out employer. Knowing the volume of students we connect with, your goal should be to leave a positive lasting impression with each individual you speak with. The best way to do this is to develop a personal brand.

You may be wondering why a personal brand is so important – wouldn’t a good joke do the same thing? Yes, a joke does leave an impression, but your personal brand has a more long lasting effect. It defines who you are, what knowledge and skills you have and helps distinguish you from other candidates. It also pays dividends throughout your career, especially at Deloitte where our culture is built around strong relationships and knowing the right person for each engagement. With so much riding on this, it can be a daunting task to undertake, so where do you start?

Think about your personal elements

A few years ago I received some great advice – make a list of what you enjoy doing, what you’re good at and where you want to be in a few years. All the items you’ve listed are elements you want people to remember about you. Deloitte is a competitive workplace that attracts the best of the best and your personal elements that make you unique can help you stand out from the rest. You don’t need to be a cookie cutter of who you think the perfect hire is; you need to be you.

Develop an elevator pitch

Having a short elevator pitch that speaks to what value you can bring to a business is critical. At most events, you won’t have a lot of time to speak with each company representative. Remember, your elevator pitch is your chance to make a lasting impression, so take advantage of each opportunity to highlight who you are and what you can do.

Manage your online presence

In this day and age, you also have the opportunity to interact with companies and their representatives online. Don’t be afraid to connect with recruiters online, but make sure your digital profiles mirrors your resumé and how you portray yourself in person. There is nothing worse than connecting with a great candidate and when you compare their profiles you notice they didn’t pay attention to detail online. All your profiles should be professional; we’re looking to learn about who you are and what you can do, not what party you went to last night. A key component of any online presence is LinkedIn – it’s easily searchable and a tool most recruiters use.

Now that you all have the strongest personal brand, it’s time to put them to good use. See you on campus soon!

Dean Simon is a project specialist with our campus recruitment team. He has several years of experience in recruitment and knows a thing or two about what makes a stand out candidate.