phewardPersonal branding is a combination of skills, values, and expertise that make you unique. It should focus on what makes you memorable and stand out. Remember, every interaction gives you an opportunity to teach people what you bring to the table.
It is also important to remember that creating your personal brand is an important exercise to do for yourself. In our digital world of applicant tracking systems, and keyword hyper-focus, it is easy to lose sight of the “human” element in the hiring process. I think we forget that companies are still hiring people (at least most of the time — don’t get me started on the AI controversy!).
Here are 3 areas of focus to think about and address when creating your personal brand:
- What training, experience, and skills do you bring to your future employer?
These should address technical skills, business acumen, and soft skills (things like communication, leadership, mentorship & coaching, problem solving, creative thinking…etc.) - What are your “natural” gifts? Are you an intuitive listener? Gifted organizer? Unusually calm under pressure? Creatively gifted in a certain area? These are in addition to the skillset in #1 that are not taught, but rather who you are.
- Enhance and refine your storytelling abilities. All the information above will fall on deaf ears if you are not able to share it in an interesting, brief way. Identify a story from your life (this can be from any part of your life) that demonstrates your skill/value. Practice telling this story – it should be about a minute long.
Your Brand and Your Story
This may be a bit difficult at first, but well worth the effort. The work you put in here to create your personal brand and ability to tell an interesting story will benefit you throughout the career transition process and how you grow and advance in your new role.
If you want to learn how to do this for yourself, message me and we will set up a free discovery session to get you on the right track toward your career goals.
