How to Build Your Personal Brand

Professional Engineers with strong skills and experience have impressive CVs – but there is more to a successful career than what’s written on paper. And that’s where your personal brand comes in.

Whether or not you are actively searching for a new role, working on your personal brand can help you project a positive professional image out into the engineering world.

With effective personal branding, you can easily demonstrate your professional abilities, work ethic and the traits that make you unique in your field.

This guide will talk you through the main steps toward building your personal brand and how to use it to drive your career momentum.

Work Out Your Story

Think of your ‘story’ as your elevator pitch, or what you would say when an employer or colleague says, ‘tell me about yourself’.

Each of us has a career narrative that encompasses past, present and future. When defining your personal brand, reflect on how you started your career, where you are now and where you want to be. This linear progression can help you create a ‘story’ that forms your personal brand statement.

Think about the unique combination of skills and experience you have acquired to date, what motivates you at work, your values and the contributions you have made. If you’re still in the early stages of your career, you can emphasise what you’re passionate about and what has drawn you to the field. All these elements help shape your story and define your personal brand.

A personal brand statement could follow this structure:

From an early age, I loved building things and figuring out what makes them work. Fast forward 15 years, and you’ll find me applying this same joyful curiosity to my job as a Mechanical Engineer. As well as getting my hands dirty, I’m a big supporter of equity in engineering and as a leader, enjoy helping people from diverse backgrounds build rewarding careers.

Once you’ve worked out the story that defines your personal brand, you can incorporate elements of it into your social media profiles and refer to it when introducing yourself at networking events.

Cultivate Your Online Footprint

Personal branding efforts are incomplete without a thoughtful digital presence. Design, Engineering, Technical and Manufacturing recruitment agencies and employers will search candidates’ online profiles, so your social media presence is a critical aspect of your professional image.

Staying active on your chosen social media channels is a wise strategy. Creating and sharing content about subjects related to your profession is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge, expertise and passion for your work.

You could start with reposting news or articles relating to your profession, before working your way towards adding your own commentary. As you find your feet, you might even try your hand at creating your own articles or videos to share your thoughts. Aim for consistency in what you share – does it align with your personal brand? And remember, adding value rarely goes unnoticed so consider the knowledge you are able to freely share that has a greater chance of engaging with others.

Don’t forget to consider your choice of social media platforms. LinkedIn and Twitter are popular with professionals who want to build personal networks in their chosen industry, so these can be useful places to start.

Start Networking

Over time, your online presence can help you develop an organic network of people in your industry or specialisation who share your interests and who you can learn new things from.

You can complement your online networking with in-person activities and events, such as attending industry conferences and joining professional associations. When you meet new people face-to-face, having an online presence makes it easier for them to make a lasting connection with you afterwards.

Being present at networking events and interacting with your peers can help you raise your profile in your industry and craft your reputation as a knowledgeable professional. Strong networks provide you with friendship, career advice and ways to stay up to date about your industry.

Remember, the more diverse your professional network is, the better. Current and previous colleagues, former university or college peers and teachers, along with friends and relatives who are in your field are all valuable members of your professional network.

A diverse network can connect you with potential mentors, employers and engineering recruitment specialists. Recruiters frequently attend events to find new talent, so don’t be afraid to make a connection with someone – they just might lead you to your next role!

For more tips on how to accelerate your career, develop your personal brand and find your next role, speaking to an established UK recruitment agency is your best move. Contact our team of engineering recruitment specialists for tailored advice.