Corporate Ladder vs. Corporate Elevator: Your Personal Brand

By: Lydia Ritchie

Limàge Image is for Everyone

www.limage.co.za

083 642 7671

 

In the words of John M Capozzi: 'Why climb the corporate ladder when you can take the elevator? When focused on your boosting your career, a factor that is often neglected by many Job Seekers is building a personal brand.

 

Most of us know to market our employment 'value add', but what about developing your personal brand? Taking care of this brand or 'personal label' as such, is in fact what your marketing attempts are trying to sell which is why creating a personal brand that a company can identify with, is key when looking for a new job.

What is your personal brand?

 

Building a personal brand is about creating a personal perception about who you are as an employee. As with marketing teams promoting a product, Job Seekers are required to build a personal perception. In doing so and creating a positive personal brand, this differentiates you as a potential match to an employer's staffing requirement. The perception that you communicate to an employer by developing your personal brand will ultimately influence their decision between 'your brand' and that of another Job seekers brand.

Once you have a personal brand or 'identifiable label' you are marketable commodity. By creating a perception that is appealing, you are able to tap into diverse and creative tools to market your brand to your current and prospecting employers. Ultimately you will create a perception with the people that matter to them and fulfilling their needs.

In order to define your personal brand we need to look at the characteristics that a successful personal brand has.

Characteristic 1: Brand Personality

 

A personal brand is not a false reflection that is concocted so that your manager can form an opinion about you. In fact a personal brand is an authentic image that communicates a specific message about your capabilities and the unique value that you offer. Just as a brand differentiates a product from competitors, your personal brand will make you stand out in a crowd.

Ask yourself these questions:

Question One: What personal strengths do I have that will set me apart from my peers?

Question Two: If my colleagues had to summarise my personality in three words, what would those three words be? Is this how I see myself?

Characteristic 2: Brand Benefits

 

You have an education, experience and attitude that any employer, current or future, will benefit from. Don't be blasé about this. You hold the key to a unique value proposition.

Ask yourself these questions:

Question One: What value do I offer an employer?

Question Two: Can I improve on my current value proposition?

 

Characteristic 3: Brand Values

 

A successful brand reflects the values of their clients similarly as Job Seekers personal brand reflects the personal values that they stand by. It is a promise of integrity and ethics.

Ask yourself these questions:

Question One: What are the personal values that I stand by?

Question Two: If someone had to ask my peers what my personal values are would they be able to identify these values from my behaviour at work?

 

Characteristic 4: Brand Consistency

 

A personal brand does not change depending on the mood that you are in on a particular day. It is a well-thought-out concept that reflects the vision you have for yourself and your career.

Ask yourself these questions:

Question One: What is my vision?

Question Two: What is my plan to attain this vision? Am I on track?

 

Job Seekers and in fact any party looking to make important career decisions are urged to explore the process of developing and establishing a personal brand. By doing this prior to making a career decision your course of action will be more clearly defined and easier to pursue; 'A ship needs to know where it is headed before the journey can start'.