What people think of when they think of you. That’s your brand, and it’s good to have a strong one when you’re interviewing. You want to be remembered — in a good way, that is.

First Impressions Matter a Lot

They say people will spend only the first few moments getting a sense of you then the rest of the time they’re just re-affirming how their initial assessment was right. So you’re sort of judged against your first impression with the benefit of the doubt given to that first impression being right.

A lot of that first impression is based on the image you project. You want it to be positive and confident in the way you look, dress and interact. That sets the tone so you can really drive home how your skills and experience make you a hot commodity.

The Resume as a Story

No, we don’t mean fiction. People relate to stories, and your resume is the scaffolding, the bullet points for how you have created a career. You didn’t just fall into jobs you were somehow pulled to them; they created the incredibly valuable and unique you. They’ve given you skills but also perspective. They’ve led you to achieve great things and to cross paths with different people who have given you the right perspective to understand the value of what you’ve achieved.

Your resume, portfolio and references should all build your brand and look like they belong together. Thinking of yourself as a brand might not be the most natural thing for you. Basically it’s seeing yourself as others see you, and the better you see that, the better you’ll be at presenting your best self.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.