By
Natascha F. Saunders, Certified Career Coach
Personal
branding is defined as the process by which you market yourself to others. It
is how you position yourself for success. Branding is not just for the rich and
famous; it is for the teacher, administrative assistant, finance consultant,
culinary artist, computer specialist and parent.
#Branding influences everyone regardless of age, race, gender or occupation.
Your
brand is in play 24 hours a day.
When
you wake up and your child looks you in the eyes, they have formed an opinion
about the type of parent you are. When you walk by the cleaning crew at your
office and don’t say, “Good morning,” you’ve branded yourself.
We
are beyond the days where you can have a distinct “personal” and “corporate”
brand. You must decide today who you are and who you want others to think you
are, and act on it. You must determine how you will differentiate yourself from
the mass of humanity.
11 QUESTIONS TO
DETERMINE WHERE YOUR BRAND STANDS:
- Do you have a clearly defined and written personal vision statement of where you want your career and life to go?
- Can you say your brand is consistent with your values, interests, personality, skills, and accomplishments? And can you explain your characteristics that make up your brand?
- Have you created a clearly defined brand positioning statement (or elevator pitch) and target audience for your brand message?
- Can you explain what makes you unique and better qualified than your competitors?
- Does your résumé or CV have a brand that seems to resonate with those who read it? If you aren’t sure, ask a peer reviewer and an HR professional?
- Are you able to articulate how your personal brand is better than your competitors?
- Do you have a professional website or blog specifically designed to deliver your brand message and showcase your accomplishments.
- Do you have a mentor and/or sponsor who helps with your career goals and personal branding strategy?
- Do you have a network of contacts that know your brand value and are able to communicate it? And can you access this network by phone and email at any time?
- Do you have a strong “Googleability” rating and online presence where you can track, quantify and report your key accomplishments to your superiors and network of contacts? Is this information kept in a personal report?
- Lastly, do you have a plan for reducing and eliminating any real or perceived negative elements of your personal brand? Are you soliciting feedback about your brand from associates, friends, family and colleagues at least twice a year?
“Brands are built on what people are saying about
you, NOT what you are saying about yourself.”
Guy Kawaski, Apple Fellow,
Author and Venture Capitalist
……TO LEARN HOW TO ASSESS YOUR BRAND, Follow @TaschaSaunders
~
Add her at: www.linkedin.com/nataschasauders
No online presence? Make one!
According to Carol Goman, author of “The Silent
Language of Leaders,” we only have seven seconds to make a first impression.
Everything about you — performance, appearance and attitude — should speak to
your brand message.
Need help with your brand? If so, reach out to
Natascha Saunders… she can work with you to access your brand through her
self-created M.I.C.R.O Branding Assessment ToolKit
www.nataschasaunders.com
| www.theyouthcareercoach.com | Twitter @TaschaSaunders |
info@nataschasaunders.com
