Branding yourself can advance your career
As uncertainties with the economy grow, more employees are taking active measures to keep their jobs, from putting in long hours to volunteering for various projects at work, in order to stay on the boss's good side.
At the same time, more workers are turning to career or personal branding as a way to become more proactive in their own career development.
"Career branding is more popular than ever because we have more channels to convey our value and expertise to others, such as blogs and social networks," says Dan Schwabel, a popular personal branding blogger and expert.
The idea of personal or career branding originally was popularized by Tom Peters a decade ago, based on the idea that branding yourself and what you do as unique is what will ensure your success. Peters called the strategy "Me, Inc."
Some people believed this was a strategy only used by those in management or by entrepreneurs.
But with the explosive growth of personal and professional networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, employees at every level of an organization are jumping onto the bandwagon of developing their brand to attract peers and employers.
"You always have to view career branding as part of your personal life cycle. The sooner you embrace your brand, the easier it will be to craft a development plan and ride the waves to success," Schwabel says. "For entry-level employees, branding will help them distinguish themselves amongst their peers and position themselves for a management role."
He says that managers find personal and career branding an "essential leadership skill." The reason: "If your subordinates trust you, respect you and enjoy your presence, not only are you more favorable for an executive position, but (you are) more productive."
Schwabel points out that for anyone in today's difficult job environment, it's "imperative" to join social or professional web sites because recruiters often use it as a tool to find top talent, while allowing workers to "keep a handle on every move your network makes."
"Today, personal branding online is a competitive advantage and in the future it may just be a qualifier," he says. "If you don't build your brand online, through either a blog, participation in social networks, or your own website, not only can people not find you, but you will have no way to portray your value and creativity."
At the same time, he says that any job recruiter is likely to search for your online presence, and that means you want to make sure that your brand stands up to such scrutiny.
"A resume and cover letter isn't enough anymore and if you're not willing to go the extra mile, the competition will - and you will be caught in the recruitment cycle for much longer than you would anticipate," Schwabel says.
To establish a personal or career brand, Schwabel says that first you must go through some self discovery. The biggest mistake, he says, is to create a blog or website without having a clear picture of who you are and what you're passionate about. He says without that clear direction, "the probability that you will lose interest, your hard work and your audience increases substantially."
With that in mind, here are some things to consider about your personal or career brand:
- What's special about you? Consider your personal and professional accomplishments and talents and how those relate to current market conditions. Making yourself relevant to what employers are seeking is critical, because you show that you'll bring value to anyone who employs you.
- Find your voice. Write for professional newsletters or magazines, offer to be a speaker at a conference. You also can post comments to websites that address your industry or interests and become known for offering insightful, useful comments. These experiences will help you develop a direction for your own website and blog.
- Add value. Always develop professional relationships by looking for ways to make it beneficial for the other person. By posting relevant comments on a website or blog, by offering to write for a newsletter or by sharing information or contacts with someone else, you ensure the relationship you are building is of value.
- Don't be a stranger. One of the best ways to develop a strong brand is to maintain solid relationships with your contacts, and to continue to offer quality posts on your blog or website. Being available to offer information or answer questions helps distinguish your brand as reliable, and helps protect and preserve "Me, Inc."
WBJ Web Partners
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