Are you who you think you are? Developing your Personal Brand

Managing your professional reputation or personal brand is not just for Senior Executives, Business Development Managers or entrepreneurs. It is crucial to career success. We all have a personal brand, whether we want one or not.

I had an interesting discussion with a client recently.  She had discovered how she thought of herself professionally was not how she was perceived by colleagues and associates. It is this perception, by others, that becomes your personal brand.

What is your brand?  What does your brand say about you?

To help you get started and find out just exactly what that is, here are some simple tips:

• How are you currently perceived at work and within your industry? Is that different to how would you like to be seen?
• Ask a trusted colleague or friend what type of work you would be suited for? Or what your strengths are? What sort of work would they refer you to?
• You could even ask one of your connections on LinkedIn. What work do they perceive you would do?
• Google search yourself. What images and details come up? What story does this tell you?

Doing these actions will give you some idea of what your current branding looks like.  Now ask yourself if it is what you expected?

How do you want your potential employers and colleagues to perceive you?

It is better to know your brand and direct and control it rather than leave it to fate. Take some time to determine what you want to be known for personally and professionally.

Be consistent – Create consistency with your cv, your networking and your online presence.  Your professional and social networks should present the same message. That is, the information you share should be consistent and represent your brand – who you want to be.

Manage it – Continue to manage your brand once you have employment, ensure it evolves with your skills and experience and fits your changing goals and interests.

Everyone has a brand, but not everyone manages their brand well.  That’s the trick. Determine who you are professionally, what your interests are and then ensure consistency with your message both personally and online.

About Carol

 Carol Erkes is a qualified career coach, with a background in HR and recruitment. She provides practical, solution-focused coaching that ensures you are confident and positive, making informed career choices.

Carol loves working with mums returning to work, professional career transitions and outplacement coaching. She specialises in developing quality resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and helping to design a tailored and targeted job search strategy.

Carol Erkes is a founding member of the FlexCareers panel of career and executive coaches. You can contact her through her FlexCoach profile here