Perfecting Your Personal Brand
Monday, July 18, 2016
The term "personal brand" is such a new concept but very necessary in order to succeed in today's work force. Those who are close to me know that I am a huge advocate when it comes to personal branding. From updating my resumé to building my digital portfolio- these type of things make my heart do a little dance in my chest.
One of the big reasons I enjoy public relations and marketing so much is the branding part of the field. The intention of portraying a company or organization's message and identity through posters, logos, website content, events, news articles and other outlets is so interesting to me. And personal branding is all the more worth while.
I am far from an expert when it comes to personal branding- but I have definitely have had my taste of it. This past year, I came to the realization that many of us tend to shy away from opportunities that help grow our careers because we are either:
A) Unmotivated
B) Scared
C) Do not know what they want to do
D) All of the above
Even though I love planning, I know that having everything figured out isn't for everyone. Deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life is daunting, but not something we should be afraid of. What I do know to be true, is that we will hold a number of job positions until we finally reach our dream career. So, what do we do in the meantime? Build a personal brand! A personal brand is an excellent way to showcase your skills, strengths and interests to those around you. By creating a strong, personal brand, it will make networking even easier. You will be able to connect with individuals on a deeper level who can help turn your dream career into something more possible.
Phew- did you make through my rambling? Well then, now it's time to dive into ten tips I came up with that will help you create your own, genuine personal brand!
Define Your Brand
How would your best friend describe you in three words? Ever heard of this question? Take out a piece of paper and write down as many adjectives and words that describe you! This is a great exercise for future job interviews and a good way to to first begin building your personal brand. My number tip when doing this is to be original. Authenticity is very important and allows you to show your true self to others.
Establish Your Long Term Career Goals
I love goal setting. Mapping out your goals, temporary or long term, is helpful to keep you on track and never lose sight of what you want to accomplish. I advise in constructing a sheet which lists your current goals and goals in 1, 5 and 10 years. Some may be asking themselves, what's the point? The point is, by writing down your goals they will become more instilled in your brain making everything you do worth it. It will also urge you in take advantage of opportunities that will help accomplish your goals. Especially in a career sense, planning out those phases to reach your ultimate "dream job" will make the process less overwhelming.
Know Your Strengths & Weaknesses
While we love to rave about our strengths, we also have our weaknesses. I came across the Myers Briggs personality test from a blog I read and recently took it. Turns out I am a ESNJ ('the consul') and it was scary how accurate their description of my personality was. There's a section that reviews your strengths and weaknesses which is convenient; but reviews it in a way on how you can improve or better interact with others despite your weaknesses Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will put into perspective your options and limitations in the job or real world. In addition, there's also a career path section which is equally interesting to look at!
Craft Your Elevator Speech
One of the big reasons I enjoy public relations and marketing so much is the branding part of the field. The intention of portraying a company or organization's message and identity through posters, logos, website content, events, news articles and other outlets is so interesting to me. And personal branding is all the more worth while.
I am far from an expert when it comes to personal branding- but I have definitely have had my taste of it. This past year, I came to the realization that many of us tend to shy away from opportunities that help grow our careers because we are either:
A) Unmotivated
B) Scared
C) Do not know what they want to do
D) All of the above
Even though I love planning, I know that having everything figured out isn't for everyone. Deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life is daunting, but not something we should be afraid of. What I do know to be true, is that we will hold a number of job positions until we finally reach our dream career. So, what do we do in the meantime? Build a personal brand! A personal brand is an excellent way to showcase your skills, strengths and interests to those around you. By creating a strong, personal brand, it will make networking even easier. You will be able to connect with individuals on a deeper level who can help turn your dream career into something more possible.
Phew- did you make through my rambling? Well then, now it's time to dive into ten tips I came up with that will help you create your own, genuine personal brand!
Define Your Brand
How would your best friend describe you in three words? Ever heard of this question? Take out a piece of paper and write down as many adjectives and words that describe you! This is a great exercise for future job interviews and a good way to to first begin building your personal brand. My number tip when doing this is to be original. Authenticity is very important and allows you to show your true self to others.
Establish Your Long Term Career Goals
I love goal setting. Mapping out your goals, temporary or long term, is helpful to keep you on track and never lose sight of what you want to accomplish. I advise in constructing a sheet which lists your current goals and goals in 1, 5 and 10 years. Some may be asking themselves, what's the point? The point is, by writing down your goals they will become more instilled in your brain making everything you do worth it. It will also urge you in take advantage of opportunities that will help accomplish your goals. Especially in a career sense, planning out those phases to reach your ultimate "dream job" will make the process less overwhelming.
Know Your Strengths & Weaknesses
While we love to rave about our strengths, we also have our weaknesses. I came across the Myers Briggs personality test from a blog I read and recently took it. Turns out I am a ESNJ ('the consul') and it was scary how accurate their description of my personality was. There's a section that reviews your strengths and weaknesses which is convenient; but reviews it in a way on how you can improve or better interact with others despite your weaknesses Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will put into perspective your options and limitations in the job or real world. In addition, there's also a career path section which is equally interesting to look at!
Craft Your Elevator Speech
In an Entrepreneurship class I took, this is one of the first activities we have to do in order to introduce ourselves to our peers. We had 5 minutes to go over the basics such as where we're from, major, work experience, future goals, etc. You are in fact "pitching" yourself to others which sounds intimating, but narrowing down your elevator speech will make you that much more confident about yourself. I recommend not writing your speech word for word because it will come off as too rehearsed, but jotting down notes will make it easier to remember certain things the next time you need to "pitch" yourself.
Develop A Strong Social Media Presence
I researched online that 93% of job recruiters will look at a candidate's social profiles. In addition to keeping your social profiles relevant, it's vital that you also keep it clean. I believe anyone should go through their social profiles once (maybe even twice) a year to clear out any inappropriate content. What defines inappropriate content? Anything that you wouldn't want to your parents or grandparents to see is a better way to put it. There are several websites now a days that will help you clean up your social media; I recently discovered Rep'nUp but there are a ton of websites that will help you too. It's free, will go through your profiles and will mark any inappropriate content they found. Regardless if you're private or public on social media, I highly encourage you go through and audit your posts.
Create A Blog Or Website
Another way to stand out is to create a blog or website. Think of this as your own digital resumé or portfolio where any one can view your accomplishments, background info and more. This makes you look so much more professional, and having those skills in website design can attract a lot of recruiters. WordPress, Weebly or Wix are excellent sites to house your information however, if a website is not manageable for your lifestyle- instead create an About.me page. It is a single page that gives details about yourself, professional experience- basically your elevator speech but the next time recruiters research you, this extra feature will definitely set you apart from other candidates.
Design A KILLER Resumé
Regardless of the field you're going into- it is always very important to design a good resumé. My main resumé writing tips are to never have misspellings or grammatical errors, include experience relevant to the job you're interested in and never crowd your content. Currently, I am in the process of creating 2 resumés (yes, 2!). One is more creative with design and shows my personality, while the other is a standard black and white version. Some companies' culture is very different from others- so matching your resumé to fit that is crucial. Have a friend look over your resumé once you're finished; a second pair of eyes always comes in handy.
Network, Network, Network!
Believe it or not, you're networking all the time. Every person you meet, you can build some type of connection with- even with a simple "hello." Something young professionals tend to forget when networking is that people want to help them succeed in their careers. Joining a young professionals organization or scheduling informational interviews are a few ways to step up your networking game (other than attending networking events).
Be Original
This is straightforward. Follow your dreams, make them a reality and be true to who you are (as cliché as that may sound).
So, are you ready to launch your personal brand?
*Disclaimer: Sorry for the length- I felt compelled to write this after a "networking" event I attended during my internship which emphasized networking from within that specific company. Networking to me means expanding your opportunities in and outside the career world. NEVER believe you're limited- you can always break down those walls one way or another.
x.
C
I researched online that 93% of job recruiters will look at a candidate's social profiles. In addition to keeping your social profiles relevant, it's vital that you also keep it clean. I believe anyone should go through their social profiles once (maybe even twice) a year to clear out any inappropriate content. What defines inappropriate content? Anything that you wouldn't want to your parents or grandparents to see is a better way to put it. There are several websites now a days that will help you clean up your social media; I recently discovered Rep'nUp but there are a ton of websites that will help you too. It's free, will go through your profiles and will mark any inappropriate content they found. Regardless if you're private or public on social media, I highly encourage you go through and audit your posts.
Create A Blog Or Website
Another way to stand out is to create a blog or website. Think of this as your own digital resumé or portfolio where any one can view your accomplishments, background info and more. This makes you look so much more professional, and having those skills in website design can attract a lot of recruiters. WordPress, Weebly or Wix are excellent sites to house your information however, if a website is not manageable for your lifestyle- instead create an About.me page. It is a single page that gives details about yourself, professional experience- basically your elevator speech but the next time recruiters research you, this extra feature will definitely set you apart from other candidates.
Design A KILLER Resumé
Regardless of the field you're going into- it is always very important to design a good resumé. My main resumé writing tips are to never have misspellings or grammatical errors, include experience relevant to the job you're interested in and never crowd your content. Currently, I am in the process of creating 2 resumés (yes, 2!). One is more creative with design and shows my personality, while the other is a standard black and white version. Some companies' culture is very different from others- so matching your resumé to fit that is crucial. Have a friend look over your resumé once you're finished; a second pair of eyes always comes in handy.
Network, Network, Network!
Believe it or not, you're networking all the time. Every person you meet, you can build some type of connection with- even with a simple "hello." Something young professionals tend to forget when networking is that people want to help them succeed in their careers. Joining a young professionals organization or scheduling informational interviews are a few ways to step up your networking game (other than attending networking events).
Be Original
This is straightforward. Follow your dreams, make them a reality and be true to who you are (as cliché as that may sound).
So, are you ready to launch your personal brand?
*Disclaimer: Sorry for the length- I felt compelled to write this after a "networking" event I attended during my internship which emphasized networking from within that specific company. Networking to me means expanding your opportunities in and outside the career world. NEVER believe you're limited- you can always break down those walls one way or another.
x.
C
0 comments