Secrets to personal branding for professionals
Brand: Noun - a particular product or a characteristic that serves to identify a particular product.
Time for a fun quiz. Can you guess the brand name associated with each of these timeless slogans?
"Just Do It" ______________
"Don't leave home without it" ______________
"We bring good things to life" ______________
My guess is you got them right. (Nike, American Express, and General Electric) Why is that? Because these are brands we all know. Why do they stick in our minds for years, even decades?
Because these companies have invested heavily in establishing their image and shaping exactly how others perceive them. Executives need to follow similar principles if they want to establish and leverage their own professional brand and advance their career. Think Oprah, Armani, Charles Schwab.
So, why can’t we all do this? It’s not so easy (obviously) or we would all do it and be successful at it. So, here’s the question: How does one go about establishing and growing a positive, lasting, and memorable professional brand?
Below are some things that will allow you to begin to establish a professional brand and help you in creating your career roadmap and job advancement strategy.
Define who you are: If you haven’t taken a personality assessment, I highly recommend doing so. There are a number of assessments that you can take (DISC, Myers-Briggs, Kiersey Temperament Sorter) to help you better understand existing personality traits and sometimes learn about new ones that contribute to how you present yourself to others.
These assessments are generally administered and reviewed by a career coach; the results can be very revealing; to the point that you might uncover something that is preventing you from being considered for a second interview or being passed over for a deserved promotion. Being self-aware, especially where your professional brand is concerned, is critical to help you plan for success.
Set the tone of your interactions: One of the best things about understanding your personal and professional traits, and goals is that you will present a consistent message during all of your interactions. Why is this important? Well, it will enable you to promote yourself in a manner that complements your goals. Let’s say that you are on an important interview – it’s likely that you will be asked to meet with several people. Wouldn’t it be ideal to deliver your ‘message’ in an effective and consistent manner throughout the process?
Keep track of your achievements: A big reason that we remember the slogan 'We bring good things to
life' is because it’s memorable. Your achievements are the differentiators – the things that make you memorable. They say that people remember the first and last thing you say. How much truth is there to this statement? Well, that is subject to debate. At the very least it is worth considering as you define your career plan and conduct your interviews. The cream rises to the top and all of that. Define what the ‘cream’ is for you; present that message and be comfortable when you do it.
Building a polished and positive brand takes time and commitment. You need to be willing to share ideas as part of the broader social network (Twitter, LinkedIN) to demonstrate your expertise in your professional area.
Don’t be afraid to engage online and ask questions. There are a lot of opinions out there; so you should expect that there might be some rigorous debate depending on the topic. The more engaged you are, which includes willingness to present new ideas and share your knowledge, the more you will create the building blocks for a well-respected personal brand.
Dear Readers,
In conjunction with Job Search Digest, we will be conducting a webinar on February 8, 2011 at 1 PM ET.
Financial Résumé Writing – Extreme Résumé Makeovers. It is open to all executive level candidates regardless of industry, but space is limited.
For further info or to enroll go to EXTREME RESUME MAKEOVER.