Personal branding
What is a personal brand?Marketing professionals have long since understood the importance of building great brands in the marketplace. Coca Cola, Google, Chanel, Aston Martin, Cartier - these are all well known brand names that we all recognise and generally have an opinion about. We may like or know about a brand but not use or buy it. We may or may not identify with what that brand stands for and, more importantly, what it would say about us if were associated with it in any way. But what, you may be saying, has that got to do with me or how my career progresses? How can I have, or be, a 'brand'? Or, is it just for likes of Supermodels and the Beckham's.
Well, brands have distinct visual identities, values, personalities and attributes and so do we as individuals. People who know us or work with us will usually have an impression of what we're all about. We'd more usually call it our reputation or image rather than our brand perhaps, but there are a number of interesting similarities that we can put to use to enable us to keep our current job or secure our next one, whether we're employed or some type of freelancer or interim.
Building your personal brand
So, what's your personal brand all about? And, is it helping you or hindering you when it comes to your career? If your friends, parents, teachers, bosses , customers and colleagues were asked about you, what might they say? Would it be different for each person and a little vague, or consistent and distinctive? Does your image of yourself match with theirs? Do you deliver your 'brand promise' or not?
Let's look at some positive adjectives that we would normally use to describe people in the workplace. The kind of words you often see mentioned in job adverts to describe the profile of the candidates that the hiring company wants to attract and employ.
- Reliable
- Professional
- Energetic
- Creative
- Innovative
- Calm in a crisis
- Natural leader
- Organised
- Trustworthy
- Discreet
- Friendly
- Approachable
- Adaptable
- Self motivated
- Team player
- Problem solver
- Articulate
- Smart
Now, let's look at some negative ones.
- Lazy
- Late
- Unreliable
- Inflexible
- Loner
- Gossipy
- Disruptive
- Unfriendly
- Rude
- Inarticulate
- Disobedient
- Disloyal
- Inconsiderate
- Scruffy
It's easy to see which list is the one we'd most like to be associated with our 'brand' and which one that most normal employers would like to attract and employ. However, life is never quite that straightforward. Sometimes, the perception and reality of how we think that people should perceive us, how we'd like people to see us and whether we convey that in our appearence, gestures and deeds are completely at odds. If you think that being creative is one of your core attributes do you have any evidence to back it up and is it actually on the CV that you've just sent to a recruiter? If you've made yourself out to be reliable and good at hitting deadlines but you're late for your interview, how does that stack up? If you want people to treat you as a professional but you dress like a slob or a circus act is that really going to get you the result that you want?
Employers have brands too
If you think you're an innovater do you want to work for a company whose own brand is associated with that same attribute such as Google or Dyson. Would you prefer a life of excitement with the armed forces or the safety of desk job at the Town Hall? Don't forget that companies are very busy trying to build up their brands as employers not just the brands that their customers buy into. Getting the right match or fit of employee brands to their employer brand is the Holy Grail of every recruitment or talent management team worth it's salt. Make it easy for them and yourself.
'Brand You'
So, start thinking about those attributes for 'brand you'. What are they? And, more importantly, how do you expect to 'live your brand'? Until you've worked that out you may find it difficult to write a compelling CV, dress the part or act the part. Ask people you trust to help you, good career coaches will help you to do that if you have access to one but involve your co-workers, teachers and your friends too. If they tell you something that you don't like, don't shoot the messenger. Reflect on it, try to see it their way and adapt their feedback into your thinking. This isn't about being someone you're not. It's about being 'real' or 'authentic' as the jargon goes. The more real you feel, the more confident you'll be, the more attractive you'll be to the right people. The people who can help you with your career aspirations.
Using your brand effectively
Once you've got the beginnings of your brand sorted out (and you may need to refine and tweak it over time until you feel comfortable with it), start thinking about what it means to employers. What will your unique combination of values, attributes, experiences and personality do for an employer's business - or maybe your own business? Why should they choose you? What will you give? What will you get in return? That's the kind of thought process that needs to be part of the messages you send out about what you have to offer to get that promotion, that great new job, or a contract if you're a freelancer. Always remember, however, that we should never lose our capacity to learn, change, adapt with the times and respond to new opportunities as they arise. We have to work hard at protecting our brands, our precious career reputations so don't be tempted to compromise it yourself or allow anyone else do it either. That means working with reputable recruiters, knowing how to say no as well as yes to job offers, investing in your own learning and development and networking with people constructively.
There are other resources that you may find useful throughout the rest of the website on CV writing and what to wear for work or interviews - please check them out, think carefully about what you want, who you are and then be it! Building and being your brand should be fun as well as valuable.
Enjoy!
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