The pandemic took a toll on just about every demographic, but it was particularly challenging for mothers. Yes, we may be living in the 21st century, but caregiving responsibilities still traditionally fall on women. Now, as in-person learning slowly replaces the remote learning that had become the new normal, more mothers are considering a return to work, but it’s harder than it sounds (especially if it follows an extended absence from the workforce).
Enter: Stefania Brunori, a brand strategist and coach who has worked with a number of entrepreneurs and well-known companies – Nokia, Techstars, and Startupbootcamp included. Here, she reveals why mothers should create their own personal brand in order to find a role suited to them and return to the workforce with ease. Listen in.
What is personal branding?
It’s how you can market yourself and your one-of-a-kind combination of skills, experience, and personality. It is critical to emphasise the role of ‘personality’. In an increasingly digital world, it is important to be able to transmit who you are online – what makes you unique and why someone would prefer to hire you over someone else.
Why is personal branding important for mothers who are re-entering the workforce after a while?
- In 65% of the cases, a recruiter is going to decide if they take your application to the next stage based on what they see online.
- When it comes to resume skills, soft skills are valued by recruiters as much as experience and practical skills in 80% of the cases – essentially, they must get a sense of your personality as soon as they arrive at your profile.
- The high level of competition in the market makes it even more difficult to stand out. The sooner you can identify your uniqueness and how you differ from your competitors, the better. It will also be easier for recruiters to understand why they must hire you over other candidates.
Can you share a few tips to implement when embarking on a job search?
- Self ‘audit’: You need to reconnect with your key strengths now that you’ve been out of work for a while. It can be beneficial to ask individuals you trust about the characteristics that distinguish you. This can help in the development of your personal brand, and you will know how to express yourself in a unique way.
- Consistency: Whatever content you create needs to be regular. Sharing your main message in a consistent way builds trust in your audience and therefore in recruiters, too.
- Visibility: We live in an online world, and you need to be visible though your social media channels. Some examples are by creating new content or reusing existing content in a way that shows both your personality and your experience.
- Network: Reconnect with people in your field and collaborate with them to increase the reach of your message. You can have a specific audience that you want to target, but by networking with others, your message can reach a larger and faster audience.
This article is powered by Crunchmoms. For more information, visit stefaniabrunori.com.
