Building a personal brand is an imperative to becoming an executive. You have to define who you are as a leader and what sets you apart from the competition. What’s more, it’s important that you set yourself up for digital recruitment, that your online brand is approachable and engaging.

Executive recruitment agencies in Sydney, New York, Frankfurt and beyond want to know what makes you their perfect candidate, so let’s find out how to do that.

Here are five tips for building your personal brand.

1. Define who you are as an executive

Focusing on the “why” regarding your leadership potential is just as important, if not more important, than defining the “what” and “how”. Your potential employers have to know what you are about and what you stand for. Are you an innovator who can come with creative solutions to problems? Or, are you driven towards the constant upscaling of a business?

Having total comprehension of what defines you as an executive leader is key to promoting yourself online and in an interview process.

2. Know your audience before conveying your message

You have to understand your audience and know what kind of job you are going for before conveying your personal brand. Are you looking for a job in a particular industry? What position is most suitable for your attributes?

It is vital to decide which area you are most suitable for and work towards standing out in this area. You may be a master of a specific executive function but have less experience in another - find out what area is most suitable for you and go to work on selling it.

3. Be honest & authentic

If you build a foundation on a persona that is inauthentic, you will not be able to sustain this for very long. Be honest - if you’re the right person for the job, getting that job and thriving in it is sure to follow! Your potential employer will be able to see if the way you have conveyed yourself doesn’t actually align with your skills and qualities, and this, unfortunately, doesn’t result in getting the big position.

If you find that the qualities required for a particular executive position aren’t where you’re at right now - don’t force it - this may just mean you need some more time to learn and develop the skills required to take on such a position.

4. Consistency is key

Organisations thrive on consistency. And they also want to see that your online presence is consistent. Does your LinkedIn profile align with your Instagram? Does your Twitter display a clever, success-minded individual while your Facebook reflects something more of a hedonistic party person? If you’re allowing your socials to be seen by potential employers, show them who you really are - for better or worse.

5. Show your authority

Individuals excelling on the digital realm is akin to businesses doing the same - you have to convey yourself as an authority in your particular industry. Employers love nothing more than seeing a person who knows their industry and isn’t afraid to give valuable insights into current/potential trends, ideas and general industry knowledge.

It shows that you are really passionate about your work and are happy to spend the time outside of the office putting in the yards. This is in great contrast to someone who, for example, has made a LinkedIn but clearly hasn’t updated it since that internship they completed eight years ago!