Tips for Developing Your Biotech Personal Brand

As a proud member of the biotech industry—and a determined job seeker—it’s important that you showcase your involvement in the industry by developing your brand.  With the Internet in your corner, creating a brand is easier than you may think.  But a bit of effort will be required to really make it “pop”.

What is a Personal Brand?

A personal brand in the job seeking world is quite simple: it is the personal equivalent to the standard brand usually associated with products or services.  For instance, how many times have you heard the words Progressive Insurance and thought about Flo with her bouffant hairdo and quirky personality?  You think about her because the company has done a great job of branding itself around her image and persona.

As a person who wants to be recognized in your field, it’s important to create a personal brand that helps others identify you as easily with biotechnology as Flo is identified with Progressive.  Doing so helps recruiters and hiring managers think of you as a person who is dedicated to and knowledgeable of the industry, instinctively encouraging them to consider you as the right person to hire for a position.

How to Create an Impressive Biotech Personal Brand

There’s no doubt that there’s great value in developing your personal brand in the biotech industry.  But how can you go about getting it done?

First, it’s important to really begin researching your field.  Of course, already working within it, you already know a lot.  But push even further by taking time to read trade magazines or explore biotech Web sites that discuss ongoing issues.  This not only allows you to educate yourself but also helps you to become well rounded in networking conversations as well as when writing your resumes and cover letters.

Also, think about setting up news alerts so that you’re always keeping abreast of what’s happening—or even take it a step further by creating a blog or Twitter account that allows you to share your ideas regarding biotech topics.  Of course, you also want to set up online profiles with LinkedIn—and maybe even Facebook—that include your picture, your work history and education, jobs you’re qualified for, and how you want to make a difference in the industry.

Branding yourself means fully immersing yourself in your field so that others consider your name synonymous with it.  Whether you’re adding a line about your commitment to biotech in your e-mail signature or joining a forum dedicated to it, the more effort you put into building your brand, the more attention you’re likely to receive from leaders in the industry who are interested in having you work for them.

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