Presented by Mieko A. Ozeki, owner of Radiance Studios LLC, on May 21, 2015. This was part of a personal branding workshop to SerVermont participants.

1. You are more
than your
Resume
Building your
professional brand
by telling your story

2. The next 90-Minutes
● Introduction to a framework for Personal/Professional Brand
● Identify components of your
Personal/Professional narrative
● Draft a 3-minute professional story
● Learn about platforms for your
professional story.
● Introduction to brand management.
The goal: To reflect about your experience and to get you thinking
about building a quality, professional narrative.

3. Mieko A. Ozeki
Active Professional
since 1997
Education
Environment
My Professional Story in 3 minutes

4. Pros & Cons of A Resume
Pros:
● Standard documentation of
experience accepted by employers.
● Summarizes your achievements.
Cons:
● Lacks an expansion on your
personal/professional interests, side
projects, etc.
● Restrictive format; experiences as
limited line items of key words.

5. What comes to Mind when you think of a
“brand”?

6. What comes to mind when you hear
“personal brand”?
Who comes to mind when you Think of a
“personal brand”?

7. What is A Personal Brand, Anyhow?
Personal Brand is a perception or emotion maintained by somebody other than
you, that describes your outstanding qualities and influences that person's
relationship with you.
- David McNally & Karl D. Speak , Authors of Be Your Own Brand: Achieve More
of What You Want by Being More of Who You Are, 2nd edition (2011)

9. {
Developing, collecting, and
curating your story (the
Content) is just as
important as displaying
your Brand.
90% Your Story & 10% Display
Display
Your Story (the Content)
What is your personal & professional
narrative?

10. Why is Personal Branding important in Your
Professional Life?
Reputation
Shaming
Reputation
Building

11. 3 deliverables of Professional Brand
Your Narrative: Becoming an
expert at presenting your story.
Your Portfolio: Curating and
presenting your body of work.
Your Online Presence:
Representing yourself in a
connected world.

12. Key Concepts to A Personal Brand
OWN
your
name &
narrative
CURATE
your
content
BUILD
your
platform
MANAGE
your
brand
INVEST your time
in social equity

13. Own your
NARRATIVE

14. Identify Your Narrative
● A narrative is collection of
stories that uniquely reflect
you:
o Includes meaning
markers of challenges,
successes, failures, and
goals.
o Values
o Knowledge
o Life Themes

15. Let’s flex your narrative
muscle…
Time to Reflect and
identify your story...

17. Identify your Narrative via Mindmapping
Step 1: Using Post-it notes write a word or drawing
that encapsulates and answers the following:
● 2-3 descriptors that you are proud to call yourself
● 2-3 facts people don’t know about you
● 2-3 “Go-to” roles you typically play whether in a
team, at work, or in your personal life
● 2-3 activities or hobbies you are passionate about
● 2-3 ways you best communicate with others
● 2-3 topics you can talk about confidently (Expert
Level)
● 1-2 instances that changed your life path.
● 2-3 top priorities currently in your personal/
professional pathway (who or what).
● 2-3 “aha” moments about your service experience.

18. Step 2: Take your Post-it notes and lay
them out on a wall or flip chart paper.
Start to map common themes that you
might find about yourself.

19. Step 3: Reflect on the Following Narrative Questions &
Add to your map
Work-Life Balance
Awareness of the
Authentic You:
Identifying
Elements of You
Quality of Life

20. How do you perceive
yourself? What are your
strengths? What
experiences shaped your
skills, values, knowledge?
How do others perceive
you?
Step 3: Reflect on the Following Narrative Questions &
Add to your map
What would you like your
quality of life to be? What
are you passionate about?
What will bring
happiness to your life?
What is your ideal work
environment? Who would
you like to work with?
How important is
keeping life & work life
in balance?

21. From Narrative to a 3-minute Story
Beginning
Past,
Backstory,
Scene Setting
Middle
Present,
Current
activities and
interests
Epilogue
Future,
Goal setting,
Projection of your
personal vision
STEP 4: Draft a 3-minute narrative based on the information above.
Bullet points may be helpful.

22. Step 5: Practice Your Narrative
● Practice
● Observe person’s response
& listen to feedback
● Re-draft
● Practice till you feel
comfortable with it.

23. Step 6 : Share your map and narrative
with a second focus group (people who
know you well), in person or via email.

24. Example feedback request from a colleague:
I wanted to ask you a quick favor. I’m doing a personal branding exercise
for school and was hoping you could send me a few bullet points about how
you perceive me.
Specifically, I’m asking people to send a few qualities that are inherent to the
person I am, and as a result, that make me stand out in my work.
Some examples friends have already given include:
1. I’m always energized by talking with people and hearing their issues.
2. I enjoy a frenetic pace but always stay calm.

25. Curate your
CONTENT(based on your narrative)

26. Your Body of Work:
Professional Portfolio
❖ Personal development & self-
reflection
❖ Career exploration
❖ Pitch yourself while networking
❖ A conversation piece
❖ Develop & curate your professional
story
❖ Collect content for your digital brand

27. Content to Share in Your Portfolio
❖ Resume*
❖ Reference list*
❖ Letters of references*
❖ Accomplishments
❖ Brochures
❖ Conferences, workshops, seminars
attended
❖ Public speaking/presentations or
performances
❖ Certificates
❖ Featured articles
❖ Honors, awards,
❖ Licenses or certificates for
specific trainings
❖ Professional affiliations
❖ Writing samples
❖ Pictures of you in the field
❖ Examples of projects and reports
❖ Videos

28. Document your Experiences
● Descriptively log your
activity hours.
● Write a summary
description of past
internships and short term
jobs/projects.
● Have your supervisor
validate it.

29. ● What direction do you project yourself to be in the near
future and how is this reflected in your body of work?
● What you have learned up to this point through your
experiences, side projects, and activities?
● What kind of life experiences and activities would you like to
try? How will these activities enhance your body of work and
reflect what you desire for your future professional narrative?
Your Body of Work Inventory

30. Organize your Content
Your content should be available in hardcopy & digitally filed.

31. From a former student intern, Dexter Locke, Class of 2009:
I got a new job!!! I'll be working as a Research Assistant in a position jointly
funded by the Parks Department and the Forest Service.
I can't help but think that your advice on portfolio building really made the
difference. After a meeting with them, where I showed them my previous
work, resume, letters of recommendation (thanks again!), and my transcript,
they told me that my professionalism and organization seemed excellent.
Based on that assessment they created this position for me.
Again, I think the portfolio really made the whole thing happen. And
without you, that wouldn't have been the case. My deepest gratitude is for you.

32. Build your
PLATFORM

33. “I have a website because I
need a way to put myself
forward in my own way
rather than in a way the
media portrays me.”
-Alex Honnold,
American climber and free soloist

34. Platforms
(Download at bit.ly/2015portbrand)
www.linkedin.com www.seelio.com

35. www.slideshare.comwww.prezi.com
Platforms
(Download at bit.ly/2015portbrand)

36. Platforms
(Download at bit.ly/2015portbrand)
www.issuu.com
Personal Website

37. www.vimeo.com www.youtube.com
Platforms
(Download at bit.ly/2015portbrand)

38. Manage your
BRAND

39. vimeo.com/mozeki/elpwebinar-professionalbrand

40. Who really checks your Profiles
Employers will use:
48% search engines to research candidates
44% Facebook to research candidates
27% Twitter to monitor a candidate’s activity
23% Yelp, Glassdoor, or other rating sites to review
candidate’s posts or comments.
Source: 2013 CareerBuilder Study at goo.gl/r6StlX

41. Create a table of the profiles/accounts you have on social
media and social networking sites. Thinking of your current
use of these platforms, how would you change your use to
reflect your narrative, your body of work, and your personal
brand. Example:
Social Media Inventory
Social Network/Social
Media
Handle, pages, and/
or web address
How do you use this
platform? Who is
your audience?
What would you
change?
i.e. Twitter jsmith Share my thoughts on
movies with friends and
public
Share links and images
of projects I am involved
in, public sharing with a
focus on people in the
creative arts industry.

42. Create a table of the profiles/accounts you have on social
media and social networking sites. Thinking of your current
use of these platforms, how would you change your use to
reflect your narrative, your body of work, and your personal
brand. Example:
Social Media Inventory
Social Network/Social
Media
Handle, pages, and/
or web address
How do you use this
platform? Who is
your audience?
What would you
change?
i.e. Twitter jsmith Share my thoughts on
movies with friends and
public
Share links and images
of projects I am involved
in, public sharing with a
focus on people in the
creative arts industry.

43. What should I count in my social media
inventory?
❖ Any social media service or
website where your name,
information, and/or image can
be publicly viewed.
❖ Includes organizations and/or
companies you participate in (i.e.
staff profiles, Memberships)
❖ Includes publications, pictures,
presentations that may be posted
on other websites

45. A positive bio link & profile
Personal/professional website
Example of Ideal Search Engine 1st Page
Results When You’re Googled
LinkedIn
Non-offensive pictures
Profile link to services,
featuring your portfolio
content

46. Promote Positive Content & Drive Down
Negative Content in YOur SEO
● SEO is driven primarily by
# of clicks on links (i.e.
driving traffic to your
content).
● Promote your good
content with your network
(i.e. connections, friends,
etc.)
● Updated content.

47. Social Equity & How Your Social Network
Can Help You Find a Job
● Social equity involves building
relationships with your connections.
It’s a relationship bank.
● Involves an exchange of good deeds
such as retweeting, commenting on
blogs, or helping someone make a
valuable connection.
● Social equity can be cashed in when
you have the courage to ask.

48. Personal Brand Checklist
❏ Decide your professional name and apply it to your
communications and social profiles.
❏ Take time develop your narrative and practice it with a family
member, friend, mentor, etc. Listen to their feedback.
❏ Inventory your professional work and assemble a portfolio.
Show to a family member, friend, mentor, etc. for feedback.
❏ Inventory your social profiles and clean-up your content.
❏ Start networking and building social equity.

49. Want Access to ThiS PResentation &
Resources?
bit.ly/2015SerVT

50. mieko.ozeki@radiancestudiosllc.com
Contact Info

51. Thank You
Questions?