Using your personal brand to develop your career
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The document discusses using a personal brand to develop one's career over short, medium, and long term timeframes. It recommends defining your personal brand by considering how others perceive, think about, and feel about you and what you want that to be. It also suggests creating a marketing plan with actions, appearance, messaging, and thoughts as key areas. Finally, it provides tips on promoting yourself online via platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter as well as through speaking, volunteering, and informational interviews. The overall goal is to take control of your career development and progression through effective personal branding and marketing.
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Using your personal brand to develop your career
- 1. Using your Personal Brand to Develop your Career Laura-Jane Sarkodee @recruiting_edge 17th April 2013
- 2. Where do you want to be career wise this time next year?
- 3. How about five years from now?
- 4. How about ten years from now?
- 5. How can we get there?
- 6. We need a career plan!
- 7. 1. Define your personal brand 2. Create a marketing plan 3. Promote yourself The Career Plan
- 8. Section 1: Define YOUR personal brand
- 9. What is a personal brand?
- 12. What others feel
- 13. RELAX….
- 14. …..because you already have a personal brand!
- 15. What do others PERCEIVE, THINK and FEEL about YOU?
- 16. What do YOU PERCEIVE, THINK and FEEL about others?
- 18. Current Personal Brand vs Desired Personal Brand
- 19. Why is it important? • Job security • War for talent • Puts you in control
- 20. Quote: “We must look upon ourselves as a company with our own intellectual balance sheet and brand name. We need to invest in ourselves and market ourselves. Rather than employment security, funky people go for employability – constantly updating their skills so that they are desirable to potential employers all the time and at any time.” Jonas Ridderstrate & Kjell Nordstrom – Funky Business
- 21. Take a minute to think about YOUR desired personal brand
- 22. Who are your audience?
- 23. What is their NEED? Tangible vs Emotional
- 24. Who are you being compared with?
- 25. What skills and strengths differentiate you?
- 26. What personality and character traits do you want to display?
- 27. Create your personal brand statement Example: “I help individuals and companies make the most of talent. I am a straight shooter who isn’t afraid to have tough conversations. My method marries the sublime to the systematic – allowing for creativity and change.” Krista Daeda
- 28. Section 2: Your Personal Brand Marketing Plan
- 29. Four Key Areas Action Look Sound Thoughts
- 30. Action “Only by taking massively inspired action will your lucky break magically appear.” Ricard Krawczyk
- 31. Look “Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.” Christopher Lasch
- 32. Sound “It is not what you say that matters, but the manner in which you say it.” William Carlos
- 33. Thoughts “As we think, so we become.” Buddha
- 35. Online promotion Have you tried ‘googling’ yourself?
- 37. LinkedIn
- 38. Twitter
- 39. Also consider: • Google+ • YouTube • Pinterest • 4Square • Blogging • Writing white papers • Slideshare
- 40. Volunteer …don’t wait to be asked!
- 41. Seek out speaking opportunities
- 42. Work with colleges and universities
- 44. Finally…. Constantly review your plan and adjust to meet your end goals….you are in control!
- 45. “The more you work toward credibility and visibility in your profession, the quicker you enter that inner circle – in your development, in your company and ultimately in your industry.” Career Distinction - William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson
Editor's Notes
- My background – Consulting firm in Midlands – amongst other things specialise in personal branding and career coachingAs we are together for the next 2 hours, I’m sure that you would rather not hear from me the whole time, so feel free to put your hand up and ask questions or make comments as we go along….happy with that?Set the scene – journey into the future….How many people have a career plan?How many people know where they want to be by retirement?How many people haven’t thought about it?
- More responsibility?Direct reports?Promotion?Sideways or strategic move?
- Your bosses role?Their bosses role?Your own company?Increased earning potential?More balanced lifestyle? Maybe you want to spend more time working remotely?
- Partner / Director?Own company?Retired?Financially free!Double, triple your income? More?Will you have people working for you?We get so caught up often in our day job that we forget to plan to reach our goals and dreams for the future!! My point here is – “How can we reach these goals without a plan?”
- You’ve got a few options:Continue to do what you’ve been doing!! Keep your head down…but let me ask you, how will you know where you are going? You are likely to bump into some obstacles along the way. If you are in a competition, the person who has their eyes on the finish line is likely to win! – Usain Bolt!Think about your end goal and review your progress periodically…maybe once a year at review time and more than likely, you will get where you want to be if you continue working hard and doing what you are doing…HOWEVER, there are no guarantees!Take control…make a career plan! You are the master of your own destiny and I couldn’t agree more! How much better would you feel at work on those ‘off’ days if you knew that you were still on track to hit your career goals regardless? As of a sudden, that ‘off’ day seems insignificant in the whole scheme of things!
- I really do believe that! Dreams are nothing until we take action to make them a reality!Since we were all children, we’ve been told to ‘get real’, ‘that’s not possible’, ‘stop living in dream land’ ‘get back to reality’…As adults, many of us have been re-programmed to have ‘LIMITED’ thinking….NEWS FLASH….You can make anything a reality, if you just have a plan to get there and BELIVE in yourself!
- This YOUR personal brand…not your companies, nor your boss’s, nor your colleagues…YOURS!You need to take some time to think about who you are and who you want to be! This is not always a pleasant process – believe me! We all have traits / characteristics that we would would to change but without this self examination, we cannot move forward.
- We all know how big corporates get inside our heads to sell their wares to us unsuspecting public” We all have our favourite brands. Any anyone cares to admit to? Mine are Virgin, Apple, Bare Minerals…Essentially personal branding uses same methods of marketing or branding only the product is YOU!! It is not tangible but it is an emotional connection from other people to you. It’s a strategic marketing process….Definition “What others perceive, think and feel about you in relation to others.”
- DEFINITION: Become aware of something or someone by the use of ones senses especially that of sight….Think about that for a second …what see, hear, smell, touch…(POSSIBLY NOT TASTE BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GET UP TO AT WORK)
- DEFINITION: To have a particular idea, belief or opinion about someone or something. Now we all forms ideas and opinions all the time about other people….we may not share them but we are having internal conversations all the time. You will all already have an opinion about me and the people sitting next to you. Those opinions may or may not be correct. Who has formed a wrong opinion / made a snap judgement about someone previously, that turned out to be wrong?
- Definition – “To have a sensation of someone of something other than by the senses…”Feelings are something that we can’t quite put our finger on! It is like what attracts us to another human being…often referred to as our gut or gut instinct
- Everyone has a personal brand because others are already forming perceptions about you, they already have thoughts about you ….SOME WE THAT THEY NOT WANT TO SHARE!they already have feelings towards you whether that be positive or negative!
- Take a minute to think about what others perceive think and feel about you!What sort of feedback have you had?What reactions have you had from others historically? Anger, shock, smiles, laughter, praise?
- Think about someone that you RESPECT at work – How does that person make you feel? What thoughts run through your head about that person? What is your perception of them at work? How do they look and sound in particular?Think about someone you’d rather not bump into at the water cooler! What is about that person that makes you feel that way? Why do you have negative thoughts about that person? How does that person look and sound?
- OK…I thought we’d have a bit of fun for a few minutes and look at some famous personal brands to see what you think….Richard Branson – He knows how to brand himself – I trust him! Entrepeneur …what do you think?Homer Simpson – Ok, he’s not real but we all have opinions on Homer. Perhaps he is the one example here of people whose brand is negatively affecting his career!!David Beckham – he has a team creating his brand. His career will live far beyond his football career…Madonna – Vogue – The queen of re-invention. A classic example of someone reassessing their career plan constantly and adapting to meet her audience…
- So, you’ve been forced to look at your current personal brand a little so far tonight. IS THAT THE BRAND THAT YOU WANT?I suspect most people have some work to do! I know that I am constantly revaluating my own brand and evolving…What do you want other people in the workplace to perceive, think and feel about you? You need to define your DESIRED personal brand!
- Who care about personal brand? Why is it important?Job security – in case anyone hadn’t noticed we are in turbulent market conditions. Don’t like to dwell on the negative but if you are portraying the best version of yourself, then you are in a better position than those who aren’t!War for talent – There are no jobs, there are lots of people unemployed. The reality is this….there are jobs, just fewer of them. Not only that but when people are hiring (internally or externally), they want someone who is perfect / not just 60% - 70% of the way there. How can you be perfect unless you are focusing on developing yourself for that next step in your career plan. Puts you in control – this is the beauty of personal branding…it empowers you and brings new energy and purpose. It creates enthusiasm for you job, were it may have wained!Whatdoes that mean for you?More successMore opportunities More money - higher salary / promotionGreater satisfactionUltimately…you are achieving career goals!
- How do you want to be perceived in the workplace?Punctual?Efficient?Always meets deadlines?Always exceeds expectations?Goes above and beyond when it comes to the team.Go out of your way to help others?
- Who do you want to influence? Boss / division / stakeholder / customersResearch them onlineWhat drives them?Ask likes and dislikes100% focus is on them....what would benefit them?Study body languageFind the right company to match your brandIf you change jobs then you need to investigate your new audience!
- Do they need someone to share their workload?Someone that they can trust?A go to person?A confidant? Someone to help they improve efficiencies / save money / improve quality?iPod example!!! – No-one knew they needed one until Apple produced it!!Job description / duties...anything additional?Problem that is not being met by others / solution you can provide Ask 'how can I make your life easier?’Emotional needsWhat will that extra time you save them be spent doing? With family / friends? Partaking in a hobby?What will the extra savings generated mean? A bonus for a holiday / house etc?
- Assess your competition! You colleagues? Your friends?Who stands between you and your career aspirations? Most companies I have worked for tend to group people together….What are they doing differently? How could you be even better?What can you offer that others can’t?Your competition is not an obstacle if you have a plan!
- What skills and strengths make you unique? Focus on 2-3 essential ones that will really make a difference!Spend some time thinking about that.Ask the people who know you best ‘what are my strengths/’ – they might give you a different answer than you think!Ask your colleagues / your boss!What do you really enjoy doing?What are you good at? What is that thing that people always ask you to do for them in the workplace?Are you actually displaying your unique strengths or are you quietly keeping them to yourself?
- Again ask colleagues that you trust…and ask them to be honest! Enlist yourself a personal brand confidant or a personal coach!On reflection, what traits do you need to work on? Take one at a time > bite size chunks!Which ones do you need to develop to meet the needs of your audience / fit with the role that you aspire to have?Which are you keeping hidden that could be holding you back in your career?Do you offer you opinions and views at work?Which ones do you not want to develop because it would compromise your values?Which to do you need to keep in check?Make sure that you match a job / audience that matches your strengths and traits
- Pull all of this information together and produce one condensed statement.5-6 character attributes / descriptive words- Excellent team player who seeks out opportunity to help others- Flair for creativity and always first to come forward with new ideas- Deliver quality work on time again and againThis has got to match to your experienced, knowledge and talents!! You may well want to move from finance to sales but if you don’t have the skills, then your career plan is going to have to extend over a prolonged period of time!
- We have spent some time focusing on your personal brand and you will need to do a lot more in your own time! Unless we can define who we are – how are we supposed to relay that to others?When you have defined your personal brand – you need a plan to get it out there!With any well known brand…at the outset no-one had yet heard of them….they all had to start somewhere!
- There are 4 key areas where we can influence others on our personal brand every single day…This is how you will communicate to your audience who you really are…It is important to be aware and be in control of them!It is what you do here that will impact your success, career development and ultimately your personal income…
- What actions OR reactions will help you achieve your desired personal brand?Visually observed behaviours that can impact the way you communicate your brand…They may be conscious or unconscious…Have you ever come across some abrupt or who cannot hold eye contact?Evaluate your own behaviour – video yourself / ask for feedbackHave you thought about your body language? – crossing arms / open button jackets / leaning forward / hand gesturesTalking to others about their ideas and be assertive about promoting your own ideasResearch independantly and articulate your results internallyWhat about unconscious habits?Reactions that others can see in response to someone or something at work!Do you indulge in gossip as a result of something internally?Phrase “You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it” – only you can control your own reaction!!Master self control! – Deep breaths / Positive self talk / Take time outHave a plan of action!!! What actions will you take to market your own personal brand?
- The hard reality is that people judge you initially on how you look….it’s human nature! Impressions are formed within 3-7 secondsWe’ve all heard the saying…”dress for the job you want, not the job you have”We are going back to perceptions here and how people view and therefore treat you in the workplace. This helps people to visualise you in the roleExample of Martina – used to walk fast everywhere – across the office, to the printer, to the toilet (and back) – perception of being busy and efficient.Dress like you’ve got that VIP meeting every day – that’s totally in your control! – Quality clothing and accessorize!Dress down Fridays? Be careful..Smile – 30 miles away…Body language - shoulders / straight ahead – gives off confidenceAccess - Hands - well groomed /moisturisedShoesDesk - does your audience see it regularly?What can you incorporate into your marketing plan around look, to reflect your own brand?
- Sound – we’ve all had people who shout down the phone! My husband often tells me off for shouting when I think that I am talking normally….Pace - do people finish your finishes? Recorder or ask for feedbackPitch Volume – women are often guilty of thisTalk too much > learn to listen....otherwise people may see you as uninterestedEmotions – enthusiasm – are you convincing when you speak?E-mail (written sound) - warm opening and closingWhat can you incorporate in your own brand marketing plan around sound. How do you want people to hear you?
- Science tells us 60,000 thoughts per day!2-5% thoughts different in any dayNot aware of our thoughts and not reflecting Break thinking habitsStart your day with positive thoughts > create your dayExamples….the brain cannot distinguish between reality and make believe!! You will begin to believe that you are the super successful person you deserve to be.Have you ever thought…I am having the worst day”…I see it on Facebook all the time – funnily enough your day just keeps getting worse because unconsciously you are continuing to think that way throughout the day.Risk letting your mind controlling youOwn your thoughts > become aware and adjust Control thought reactions > readjust to positive thoughtsGoals > though patterns > train mindReward for achieving goals > encourages more positive thinkingHow can you incorporate the control of your own thoughts in your personal brand marketing plan so that you are seen to always be in control?
- So we have spent a lot of time focusing on defining your own personal brand and then we looked at your marketing plan and the 4 elements that you can control each day to impact how your personal brand will develop your career.Now I want to focus on the specifics on promoting yourself, especially online….
- Who has googled someone else? Professional or otherwise….Having worked in the recruitment industry for a long time, many of my clients have carried out due diligence online before someone even gets to interview!This trend is only set to increase….Let me show you page 1 when I search for my name!
- 1 – Linkedin – professional profile –we will go into that in more detail shortly, thinking about how we can articulate our brand on this platform2 – Twitter – This is a professional account but for most it’s not. How many people use twitter?3 – Facebook – that’s my personal account! Now some of you may start to get worried! Examples or status updates / Photos / Update your settings.When something goes online, there is a permanent record…don’t let your antics in you’re youth come back to hunt you!4. Website5. Business site which I blog for – notice my pictureIf you could see the rest…this was followed by Google+, Pinterest & Prezi.com
- How many people have a LI profile?How many people are active on Ll?Becoming less about posting jobs and more about sharing great content and learning off each other.There is no better way to deliver your persona brand and how passionate you are about your subject matter!Photo > Headline > Summary > Contact detailsgroups (50)Recommendations!!!Grow your network – colleagues, customers, industry thought leaders, people you respect.This is your little black book for the rest of your career!Personally – 2007 using LI – large network and I use it every day in my job!What you say – status updates and comments - your sound!Actions & reactions – what you comment on, say and likeIt used to be 6 degrees of separation – it is now 3 degrees of separation! – Obama exampleSlideshare, reading lists etc.I meet people all the time who say to me “Gosh, your business is obviously doing really well, I see you posting on linkedin all the time!” That’s their perception….I didn’t tell them that!
- Who is a Twitter fan?Active on Twitter?Twitter unlike facebook opens up the business community to everyone!Never before have we had access to top CEOs of organisations and insights into their thought processes and their days!Take Richard Branson for example. Branson has branded himself so well that he is Virgin – WEDDING EXAMPLE!Over 3 million followers compared to 650k Virgin followers!What a great platform to share your brand, your opinions and get noticed by your target audience! Search them out, follow up, RT, engage directly….have a conversation!
- Google + - This is now the 3rd most populated sight after Facebook and Twitter – 1 to watch. If you want to improve name as listed on google, get yourself a profile – you can then include google authorship when you write for sites / blog….includes your picture!Youtube – do you give presentations / training? Do you have an opinion you want to share?Pinterest? Are you in a visual job? Some professions are really making great strides online with this site!4Square – frustrated about not being able to ‘check in’ on Twitter? Now you can….Blogging – often seen as something for geeks or marketing departments as companies. Anyone can have a voice – great for sharing on sites like linkedin and there is a permanent record online!White papers – been doing research on a topic that you want to share with your peers? Take time to write about it….Slideshare – If you produce if regularly give presentations, this is a great way to showcase them! Search by topic, key word, industry…a great tool for research too!
- I have talked to many people over the years who are fed up of being dismissed at work…ORFeel they are being overlooked.I am never given the opportunity….Is someone else always getting the good stuff to work on?Think about this….have you actually showed an interest or put yourself forward Don’t wait to be asked!!
- Are there industry events that could benefit from your expertise?Attend the events, introduce yourself to the organisers!Take your opportunity to shine!
- Could you offer your expertise to local colleges or universities? They are always crying out for speakers?Ask you employer whether being visible may raise the profile of the organisation and in the process you help other people!They have large networks of business people…
- Have you heard of an informational interview?This is when someone else (within your company or another company) has the job you really want….When we earlier thought about 5, 10 years down the line…this is where you want to be.Ask that person whether they would meet with you as you aspire to do a similar job and ask them how they got there!Take note of their personal brand, their strengths, characteristics and how they promoted themselves along the way.
- If you get promoted, change job role or company….You will need to adjust your marketing plan to your new surroundings and audienceThe beauty is that when you have defined your brand, you will be able to match the company and job to yourself and your values and not try to fit into theirs!