This presentation shows the variables and factors FROM THE HIRING MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE of what constitutes a solid professional brand and how it gets the attention of hiring managers. A strong professional brand will serve you well throughout your career for both planned and unplanned opportunities as long as you understand how to build it and how others can promote it for you.

1. The One Hire Authority for Talent Acquisition and Strategic Career Design
www.donnleviejrstrategies.com
Donn LeVie Jr.
Donn LeVie Jr. STRATEGIES

2. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Brand value involves two important components:
• Making others aware of the brand in question
• Creating a brand image that generates positive associations
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

3. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
 How do I create my
brand?
 How do I get others to
become aware of it?
 How can I get my brand to
generate positive
associations with it?
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

4. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
For permanent positions, contracting
positions, or consulting opportunities,
the task is the same:
 Create your brand
 Promote your brand
 Generate positive associations between
quantified accomplishments and expertise,
and the people with a need for that
expertise
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

5. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Mature
Emerging
Global changes in
demographics, economics, and
technology in the coming
decade will reverberate through
the entire employment chain
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

6. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Hiring managers will be seeking candidates who have
demonstrated and quantified accomplishments as:
 Problem solvers
 Solutions providers
 Game changers
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

7. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Elements of a Professional Brand
 Favorability/Likeability
 Strengths (expertise)
 Uniqueness of offering
• Attributes
• Benefits
• Functional
• Experiential
• Symbolic
• Attitudes
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

8. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Types of Brand Associations
Attributes Benefits Attitudes
Product related
Non-product related Experiential
Symbolic
Functional
Expertise you provide
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

9. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Types of Brand Associations
Attributes Benefits Attitudes
Product related
Non-product related Experiential
Symbolic
Functional
Specific brand features
you project that hiring
managers value
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

10. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Types of Brand Associations
Attributes Benefits Attitudes
Product related
Non-product related Experiential
Symbolic
Functional
Represent your complete
professionally branded
package of expertise,
image, values
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

11. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Types of Brand Associations
Attributes Benefits Attitudes
Product related
Non-product related Experiential
Symbolic
Functional How your branded
expertise fits with the
team, group, or
company
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

12. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Types of Brand Associations
Attributes Benefits Attitudes
Product related
Non-product related Experiential
Symbolic
Functional Relates to the
consumer’s
(hiring manager’s) higher
order social and self-
esteem needs—even
as it relates to the
standing in the
organization
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

13. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
How brand equity is created
Associative models in the brain
(networks of nodes and links)
store information (logos, jingles,
tag lines) for later recall
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

14. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Your “brand” is the single conceptual association others create
based on your real and perceived professional (and personal)
reputation in your specific profession or field
The more often your brand appears to others (i.e., hiring managers),
the stronger the recall when considering candidates for hire
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

15. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
9 Ways to embed your brand into the “associative models” of a target
audience:
 Write articles for peer-reviewed journals
 Give presentations/workshops at meetings and conferences
 Use social media (LinkedIn, Twitter) to expand your circle of influence
in your industry
 Write a book on an issue in your profession/field
 Teach a class at a community college or university
 Create an attention-getting blog name/catch phrase
 Create a unique sign-off statement of each blog entry
 Write a bio that promotes your brand rather
than typical obituary format
 Assign quantitative value to your accomplishments
wherever possible
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

16. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
2012 Microsoft survey of 5,000 people:
• 56% of adults don’t actively think about
consequences of online activities
• 14% of adults have experienced negative
consequences due to online activities by
others
Of those 14%:
• 21% were fired from a job
• 16% lost out on getting a job
• 16% lost their health insurance
• 14% lost out on their college of choice
• 15% were turned down for a mortgage
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

17. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

18. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Create and promote a
strong brand and others
will help build upon it—
that’s what’s called
“building brand equity”
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

19. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Positive brand image works in
three important ways:
• It helps solidify your position
in any job or career opportunity
• It can differentiate your expertise
from the competition and move it
toward “preferred candidate” status
• It can command a higher salary and encourage hiring managers
to seek you out
Maintaining a positive brand image requires frequent and regular
attention so that all the elements continue to work together to
reinforce positive associations with others
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

20. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Are your true personal values reflected in your public image?
Does your public image reflect your true personal values?
Are you the same person when no one else is watching?
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

21. Create and Promote Your Professional Brand
Donn’s 6 Secrets to Creating a Solid Professional Brand
 Develop a sense of project urgency (give it top priority)
 Develop a sense of project ownership (own it like it’s yours)
 Develop a strong sense of personal integrity (be the beacon)
 Develop an attitude of being in business for yourself (because you are)
 Develop a sincere, selfless desire to help others succeed (because it is
the right thing to do)
 Develop a sense of the graceful exit when it’s time to leave (no one
likes the lingering smell of burning cubicles after you leave)
© Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies 2011-2015.

22. Books by Donn LeVie Jr.
Winner of the 2012 Global eBook
Award and Winner of the 2012
International Book Award for
Jobs/Careers
Available September 2015
Donn LeVie Jr. has more than 25
years in various hiring manager
positions for Fortune 500 companies.
He has reviewed over 1,000 cover
letters and résumés, involved with
hundreds of interviews, and hired
countless numbers of technical,
marketing, and communications
professionals.
Free articles, tip sheets, videos, and
podcast interviews at:
www.donnleviejrstrategies.com
Comments? donnlevie@austin.rr.com