youre not like everyone elsethats a fact you have your own unique skillset and thats what can give you a leg up over other people in your industry the key word here is canwhether or not people recognise your talents and contributions depends largely on your personal brand the collection of traits that first spring to mind when others think about you so how do you make sure your brand is strong enough to stand out in todays competitive job market there are some basic personal attributes that never go out of style consistency punctuality communicating in a wellmannered fashion and when it comes to body language direct eye contact and a firm handshake are key these goto guidelines have been around for ages because they work these days though they arent the only tools in the shed with the internet and social media becoming more ingrained in peoples everyday lives it is important to keep a few tips in mind1 know your networknetworking is an old standby and like your favourite pair of jeans it never goes out of style why simply put nothing beats the personal element keeping a good working relationship with the people around you even if they arent going to be your next best friend keeps professional avenues open because 40 per cent of companies hire staff from employee referralsthis isnt limited to the people you already know with a wealth of information online its easy to do research on executives hiring managers and other major players in your desired field get to know people digitally then introduce yourself at conferences fairs and similar events show that you know them and theyll be far more likely to remember you and if you get an email address remember to send a thank you note afterward to solidify your impression2 get social media savvypretty much everyone has at least one social media page but whether youre tweeting writing on a friends timeline or sending a linkedin post to your contacts you should adhere to certain guidelines if you want to be seen as a professional be sure to always use correct grammar and spelling use common sense remember when you were told dont post anything you wouldnt want your parents or grandparents to see well you probably dont want the leadership team at your dream job seeing your lessthanprofessional posts eitherthis doesnt mean you shouldnt post anything in fact hiring managers are often uncomfortable if they cant find people online and it may harm your image overall if no one knows about you use discretion and more importantly use your opportunity to indirectly communicate with these decision makers to your advantage making a nice tuna salad isnt that impressive but if you make a new programme at work that saves your company thousands of dollars or wrangle in a new enterpriselevel client then people should know toot your own horn in one survey 73 per cent of candidates were hired through social media as long as you