How digital career branding can support your journey to professional success

Credit to Author: Wanda Kusumajuda| Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:30:30 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated and intensified digital trends that were already in motion, creating a greater reliance on digital tools and online resources. This heightened digital emphasis has not only revolutionized the job market but also reshaped how individuals approach career development. In many ways, it has also significantly impacted how employers now view potential employees.

Gone are the days when employers and recruiters would decide to hire a candidate based only on lengthy in-person interviews and speaking to references. The pandemic took that away when employers had to hire remote staff via online meetings and could only get a stronger sense of a candidate’s character (personality, values, and suitability for the role) from what they found online. This has now become the new norm; employers now utilize the wealth of information available online, not just offline, to evaluate candidates.

Digital career branding is creating and managing a distinct and unique online identity to enhance a person’s professional reputation and career prospects. This is sometimes referred to as digital personal branding. Career branding incorporates the unique combination of skills, values, passions and aspirations that set an individual apart.

Unlike a resume, which is typically restricted to a few pages of text, digital branding uses a variety of multimedia tools (podcasts, videos and images) and platforms to convey a more comprehensive narrative. It’s about telling a compelling story that showcases not only what you’ve done but who you are and where you’re headed in your career. In a nutshell, digital career branding transforms you from a list of qualifications in a document into a memorable professional brand online.

This type of digital career branding is used all over the world. In Canada, LinkedIn is considered a primary platform for professional networking and digital career branding. Networking and connections are highly valued, like in many other cultures, however, in this case, it involves building an extensive network on platforms and includes engaging in networking events and groups online.

Investing time into developing a strong digital career branding strategy allows a newcomer to showcase the following:

Alignment with Canadian values

Canadian employers place importance on values such as diversity, inclusion and community involvement. Using your digital profile to showcasing how your past experience aligns with these values will help employers see how they would fit in their workplace.

Awareness of workplace culture

Canadian employers often look for candidates who not only possess the required skills but also fit seamlessly into the local work culture. Hence, it is important to provide an understanding of Canadian cultural nuances and values such as politeness, punctuality, teamwork, open communication, etc.

Unique skills and experience

Newcomers often have skills and experiences from their home countries that are relevant to the Canadian job market. These need to be presented effectively on digital platforms, emphasizing skills and accomplishments that align with local job requirements.

Network of local professionals

Building a network of local connections is often essential for career growth. Building your personal brand involves engaging with Canadian professionals, joining local industry groups on digital platforms, and participating in local webinars or virtual events.

Appreciation of multiculturalism

In Canada, where we are known for cultural diversity; professionals may emphasize their multicultural backgrounds and language skills to stand out and appeal to a broader range of employers or clients.

Language proficiency

Showcasing an individual’s language proficiency is a key requirement for many jobs. Therefore, having online profiles and blog posts that are well crafted and free from errors is critical.

It’s very important for newcomers to adapt to the needs of the local job market and Canadian employers, not just in-person but also online by developing a clear and distinct digital career brand.

Best of luck on your journey to professional success in Canada!

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