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By: Nancy Range Anderson
Personal branding is a term that has been around since the 1980’s. The term gained notoriety in 1997 when Tom Peters wrote an article for Fast
Company Magazine entitled, “The Brand Called You” at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html?page=0%2C2.
Personal branding is defining who you are and what you have to offer. It is packaging you much like a product or commodity so that if someone were
to say, “Soda”, Coke™ or Pepsi™ would come to mind. In personal branding for a job search, if a hiring manager says, “journalist”, you would come
to mind.
In your search to find a position along with hundreds of other people, personal branding sets you apart. It can be defined as standing out from a
similarly skilled pool of job searchers by offering a unique value-added service. These include your skills, achievements and performance that would
benefit a potential employer.
Like selling a product, personal branding is an essential means of establishing yourself as an expert in your field. It distinguishes you as
knowledgeable, confident, and qualified; all essential traits companies are looking for. There are several ways to define your brand. One important
step is to picture yourself as a business. Businesses do several things before they roll out a product or service and you can do the same. They:
1. Create a mission or vision
2. Identify unique, value-added benefits of the product or service
By defining your unique skill set and strengths you can begin to outline your own brand. Ask yourself:
1. What makes me unique?
2. In what areas am I a subject matter expert (SME)?
3. In what specific ways have I brought value to my clients, company, peers, etc?
4. Where have I demonstrated my expertise?
Businesses continue to communicate and market their brands and you too can do the same. Some proven branding techniques include:
1. Write an article or blog for a professional organization.
2. Give a presentation on your area of expertise.
3. Join professional social media sites and ask/answer questions.
4. Research your area of expertise for the newest jargon, technology, and trends.
5. Create an “Elevator Speech” on your unique, value added abilities and use it at networking events or other meetings
6. Design your resumes and cover letters around your personal brand
These steps will demonstrate your innovation and will open the door to more professional connections and company information.
Nancy Range Anderson is the President of Blackbird Learning Associates, LLC a company that specializes in job search training. She is also the
author of the book, Job Search for Moms. More job search tips can be found on Nancy’s blog, http://blackbirdlearningassociates.blogspot.com/.
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