Identifying Your Personal Brand
Posted by Ric Ward on March 20, 2007
Following is an excellent article by Robin Ryan.
Can you quickly state what your key strengths are? Do you know what your career identity is? We’re not talking about your job title, but your career identity. It’s that unique authentic reputation you have among bosses, colleagues, and other employees. This reputation is what I call Brand You.
Personal branding may not be a term you are familiar with, but you need to be. It took me quite a while to consider exactly how I could teach someone else about self-marketing their personal brand in order to advance their career. The heavy ‘corporate brand’ advertising or marketing approach would lose people quickly. So I spent over two years working on the process, and the end result is in my newest book, “Soaring on Your Strengths.”
Your career identity is not some slick piece of advertising. Brand You is based on the authentic, talented, and genuinely unique and special person you are. It is not phony or conceited, or an exaggeration, nor is it a trick or fleeting fad. The components of Brand You are the essence of you as a person, which include: your work strengths, your image, your passion and your personality traits, along with other people’s perceptions of you, applied in a work-environment that enhances your productivity.
I recommend you give yourself a gift if you care about career advancement. No matter at what stage you are in your career — at the beginning, middle, or at a senior level — or if you are changing careers or reinventing yourself — you’ll have a game plan for your future. You will know how to self-promote and market yourself successfully to become the very best you can be.
Robin Ryan is considered America’s top career coach with over 1000 TV and radio appearances including Oprah and Dr. Phil. Robin has a busy career counseling practice providing individual career coaching, resumé writing services, interview preparation, salary negotiations, and outplacement to clients nationwide. She is the best-selling author of:
- 60 Seconds & You’re Hired!;
- Soaring On Your Strengths;
- What to Do with the Rest of Your Life;
- Winning Resumes; and
- Winning Cover Letters
I highly recommend Robin’s work. I have found it to be inspirational and I use many of her ideas in my work with my own clients.
Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Job Coach
