Build Your Professional Profile to Stand Out to Prospective Employers

We often hear about corporations having a “brand,” but do we think of ourselves as having a brand? Yet building your own brand as a professional and defining what that means can help set you apart from other candidates in a job search, says ASCP Human Resource Director Carroll Tito.

“Start by identifying the values that are important to you and think about how you would apply them to a job that you are seeking,” Ms. Tito said during an ASCP webinar, Optimize You: Learn Effective Strategies and Skills to Build Your Career Profile.

The webinar is one of many career building opportunities that ASCP offers members to help forge and sustain a successful career path. The webinar, which Ms. Tito co-presented with Erika Tuttle, Human Resources Coordinator, during the ASCP 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting, also highlighted best practices in developing a resume, as well as tools to help you with an online job search, negotiation and more.

Resume Formats
Resumes are important in that they tell your professional story, highlighting your education, skills and background. Choosing a good resume and format is important, and there are three common types of resumes: traditional (a chronological format often useful for students and entry-level job candidates); combination (skills and a more creative format often used for military transitions, or when showcasing a portfolio is important; and functional (a skills-based format often used by seasoned professionals who are targeting a specific position or someone making a career change).

Make sure your resume incorporates keywords used in the description of the job you are applying for, and cater your resume skills and experience to what they are seeking as listed on the job posting or description. This will help recruiters who are scanning the hundreds of resumes for positions.

Online Tools
Your online presence is important and should not be overlooked. Make sure you have an up to date profile on LinkedIn, which posts job opportunities and is also a common channel where recruiters check out profiles of potential applicants. You can also post your resume on online sites, such as company websites, public job boards and industry specific sites such as the ASCP Career Center.

Once browsing the many job search sites, you can then narrow down search results to match the criteria and parameters you’ve identified as important by entering in the right key words that match what you’re seeking. Most job sites also have filters you can use to narrow down jobs available based on location, level of pay or compensation, and even the experience level the employer is seeking for certain positions.

Use your network to expand your job search, and stay organized in your search by tracking your application that lists the name of the organization you contacted, title of the position you applied for, date the application was submitted and where you saw the job posted. Keep in mind employers often check the online presence of candidates who apply for jobs. Make sure your online settings are private or appropriate for public view.   

Your resume tells your professional story, citing your skills, experience and the value you can bring to a position or organization. It should appear professional and organized. 

These are a few examples of the resources ASCP provides our members. Visit our Career Center site at ascp.org/careers. You can access the recording of the course, Optimize You: Learn Effective Strategies and Skills to Build Your Career Profile on demand by visiting ascp.org/content/2020.