Guest blog by Jennifer Atkinson, Senior Consultant at Babel PR:

A little bit of personal PR never goes amiss when looking for a new job or career opportunity. In the saturated industry of recruitment and job hunting, particularly in a competitive city like London, simply having a degree and some work experience is no longer enough to set you apart from the masses.

In the world of public relations, our main aims are to promote the products and services and build the profiles of our clients amongst their target audiences. Although as professionals we may use tactics you would not personally consider (think publicity stunts and press releases), there’s no reason why you can’t take ideas from our PR best practice book to find ways of boosting your own profile and increase your chances of landing that dream job or opportunity:

Cleverly crafted pitches

By this I mean your CV: the ultimate written pitch to any potential employer. Keep it relevant, keep it succinct and make it personal.

Put your best foot forward with social media

Believe it or not, employers often look at social media profiles to get an overall impression of the candidate they’re thinking of hiring. Vet your social media channels for inappropriate content, or anything you feel doesn’t convey your personal ‘brand.’ Make sure you give your LinkedIn profile that all important professional makeover. Proving computer literacy is often very important in today’s digital age, especially for potential ‘millennial’ employees, and social media feeds are one way to validate you have your ‘finger on the pulse’.

Online coverage

Where possible, showcase your online presence through blog posts or articles. This might include coverage from your previous work experience, academic or vocational courses, skills such as languages, sports or arts, or achievements such as fundraising for a marathon.

Charm offensive

When you reach that all important interview stage, don’t ever forget ‘manners maketh man’: never underestimate the power of first impressions. Your interviewer may be a future work colleague, so they will be on the lookout for natural chemistry with potential candidates. Think about how you are presenting yourself, the body language you use and the stories you choose to share. Carol Kinsey Goman, a contributing writer for Forbes, says it takes just seven seconds to make a first impression!

It can often fall upon your extra-curricular activities, your dedication to a cause, or volunteer work to inflate your chances of success. Therefore, the more diverse your skillset the better your chances of winning over the interviewer and landing that dream opportunity.

Equipping yourself with tools to successfully promote yourself will be invaluable to your future career path, and coming across as genuine and humble will ensure your achievements are put to use in the best possible way.