Review the following video “Tips for job seekers: How to negotiate your salary pt. 1” and “Tips for job seekers: Advice on personal branding pt. 2”, and answer the critical thinking question that follows:
Summarize the key points from the video in terms of what you have learned regarding what skills and knowledge you would focus on when building your personal branding information for a potential job interview. Why focus on those skills? In your summary, reflect on, and explain, how you will apply what you have learned in a career context. Your summary should be a minimum of one page of content in length. Properly cite any references utilized in APA format.
Nov 8, 2018,11:30am EST
10 Golden Rules Of Personal Branding Goldie Chan Contributor
Chan, G. (2018, Nov. 8). 10 golden rules of personal branding. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/goldiechan/2018/11/08/10-golden-rules-personal-
branding/?sh=25ac506a58a7
Creating a personal brand can be a daunting, mythical task. And one of the
easiest ways to get lost in the process is to not know where to start. Even
Oprah Winfrey began by going through several style iterations on a small local
show before defining her voice into one of the most influential personal
brands in the world.
In both our look-at-me cultural shift and evolving job market, it’s both helpful
and necessary to stand out when applying for a job or starting your own
company. A personal brand is for (almost) everyone. So here are 10 golden
rules for creating an engaging, unique, and inviting personal brand.
1. Have a focus.
“Too many people are unfocused when it comes to press and coverage, trying
to be "everything to everyone." Decide what your key message is and stick to
it,” says Cooper Harris, founder and CEO of Klickly. Her personal brand has
undergone a dramatic shift—from working actress to respected tech
entrepreneur and she has handled this shift by only focusing on one message
at a time. Keeping your message focused for your target demographic will
make it that much easier to both create content around your personal brand
and have others define you.
In fact, Adam Smiley Poswolsky, millennial workplace expert and author
of The Breakthrough Speaker, takes it one step further when he’s advising
speakers: “Carve a niche, and then carve a niche within your niche. The best
personal brands are very specific.” And Juan Felipe Campos, VP of tech and
partner at Manos Accelerator, goes one step further to focus on communities
that he targets with his large-scale clients. “Keep your message and content
consistent to one niche topic to become memorable within a targeted
community.” The narrower and more focused your brand is, the easier it is for
people to remember who you are. And when it comes time to hire a speaker or
a new employee, your narrowed-down brand will be what they remember.
2. Be genuine.
There’s an easy way to have an original personal brand—and that is to be
genuine and authentic. Millennial influencer and head of marketing at Popular
Demand, Monica Lin, says “People can see right through a disingenuous act.”
The more obviously a brand is a copycat, the more the audience will call out
the perpetrator for it. Monica's personal brand experienced a huge amount of
growth after she began engaging with her audience more meaningfully on
Twitter.
"Be genuine. It will make it much easier to manage your personal brand on a
daily basis," explained William Harris, Facebook ads expert at Elumynt. Your
personal brand should be an easy daily filter that you create content and reach
out to your audience with. And finally, Justin Wu, founder of CoinState
says “Be a master of your craft, skillset or industry before starting a personal
brand. Then your content will help amplify who you are.” When initially
building his personal brand, he garnered a reputation of being an expert in his
field while simultaneously amplifying on social media that same renown. If
you’re deeply skilled in one area, your reputation alone will help you build the
brand you want.
3. Tell a story.
If your personal brand isn’t telling a story, you’ve already lost half of your
potential audience. Allen Gannett, chief strategy officer at Skyword and author
of The Creative Curve explains it best:” The most effective personal branding
strategy these days is to build a true narrative – single character monologues
are boring in Tinseltown, and even more boring for your personal brand.” No
one wants to hear you shout about your brand into the social media void, so
create a story around your brand that your audience can engage with. Allen
regularly meets and chats with his audience in airports around the world,
further developing his warm and friendly personal brand.
One of the best ways to tell that story is through written content or video.
For Pelpina Trip, social video strategist, this is definitely the case. Her own
video channel on LinkedIn sees some of the highest levels of engagement
across the platform. “The most personal way to communicate online is with
video. Simply use your smartphone to video message your clients, make a
personal connection with prospective clients and connect with co-workers.
After all, you always have your smartphone on you!”
4. Be consistent.
Being consistent is very similar to having a narrow focus—it’s much easier to
get recognized for one topic if you consistently create content and brand voice
around it. “Ensure that your personal brand promise stays consistent, both
online and offline,” explains Fyiona Yong, director and millennial leadership
coach (ICF ACC). She regularly works with millennials in a corporate context
to help them define their more conservative work goals. “You have to
demonstrate consistency across your communication, gravitas, and
appearance. Don’t underestimate how tiny inconsistencies can derail personal
brand effectiveness.”
On the opposite, creative side, CyreneQ, a top storyteller on Snapchat,
suggests “something consistent either visually or personality wise. Something
unique that people can associate with your brand and know it's you. For
example, a sidekick mascot or having a catchphrase you say after every video –
something people can fall in love with.” Her sidekick mascot, Ele, has
garnered millions of views per Snap for brand work, allowing her fun personal
brand to represent big box brands like Walmart and DC. So whether you’re
creating a wild, incredibly out-there fun brand or one that’s a bit more on the
conservative, corporate side, consistency is key.
5. Be ready to fail.
Failure is tough, and all of us generally want to avoid it – that’s human nature.
However, to have a personal brand that rises above the rest, you need to have
a failure. Walt Disney spoke of this often when he reminisced about his failed
first attempts at creating an animation brand. “I think it’s important to have a
good hard failure when you’re young. I learned a lot out of that. Because it
makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you. ” And what can happen is
never as frightening as not trying at all.
When Timothy Hoang, CEO of Stories By Tim, Inc. develops his influencer
clients, he likes to tell them: “You’ll never achieve the best branding until you
fail a couple times while pushing past your comfort zone.” The very best
brands always come from repeated trial and error, mistakes and failures and
not from instant perfection.
6. Create a positive impact.
After you’ve developed your personal brand over a period of time, there are
generally two ways to continue to build your brand – hop over others and burn
bridges or steadily grow a community around your brand. Jacob Shwirtz, head
of social partnerships at WeWork, who has worked with many of the top
influencers in the world, including makeup personality, Michelle Phan, gives
us this wisdom.
My quick tip on personal branding is to remember you are your brand, no matter what
your current job is, what project you happen to be working on at any one time or
whatever the priority happens to be today… always keep in mind the impact you leave
on others and remember all we have is our own reputation and that's our brand , so be
awesome to each other!
Keeping a positive attitude and helping others will only help healthily grow
your brand in the long run.
7. Follow a successful example.
“People interested in personal branding need to start marketing themselves
like the celebrities and influential people that they look up to every day,“
explains Jason Wong, CEO of Wonghaus Ventures. His own personal brand
has gone viral several times, over subjects like ice cream in Japan, inflatable
pool toys and memes, earning him the title of the “Meme King.” His success
often comes from studying trends and popular individuals on different social
media platforms and then implementing them with a twist. Creatively
dissecting social analytics and establishing the next big trend can be within
your grasp too, if you pay attention across all social media platforms and not
simply focus narrowly on one of them.
8. Live your brand.
As mentioned before, one of the ways you can make building a personal brand
difficult on yourself is to separate your brand from your personal life. While
certainly doable, it’s easier when initially creating a personal brand to have
your actual lifestyle and brand be one and the same.
Tim Salau, community builder and founder of Mentors & Mentees, who works
with college students to help them build brands that will get them hired,
believes in this idea as well. “Your personal brand should follow you
everywhere you go. It needs to be an authentic manifestation of who you are
and amplify what you believe.” With this in mind, your personal brand is not
only a reflection of a series of job functions like marketing, finance or creative
but also ideals like giving back, thoughtful leadership or mentorship.
9. Let other people tell your story.
The best PR is by word of mouth. Creating a personal brand in the public
sphere is no exception to this rule. Aaron Orendorff, editor in chief at Shopify
Plus, tells his personal story through lively videos and the occasional bunny
co-host or two and his audience remembers. They’re able to recall the bright
outfits and the animal friends and tie those pieces of the story to their
interpretation of his brand. As he eloquently states: "Personal branding is the
story people tell about you when you're not in the room." Jessie Maltin, co-
host of Maltin On Movies works with her father, renowned film critic Leonard
Maltin and has watched him build his career over the past several decades.
“All you have in your life is your name and the reputation you garner.”
10. Leave a legacy.
Once you’ve built your personal brand with a reputation and community
behind it, the next step is to think about the legacy that you’ll leave behind.
What are the keywords and actions that you want to be known for? Blake
Jamieson, artist at Blake Jamieson LLC, who paints pop art portraits of
famous tech and sports heroes reminds us that: “Building a personal brand is
much bigger than building a business. The only exit strategy is legacy.”
A personal brand is a lifelong project that constantly evolves and changes.
Even the experts who build or enhance the biggest brands in the business
know that there are no hard-set rules for creating a personal brand. But these
general guidelines help provide first steps, especially if you’re starting a new
brand or rebranding.
Creating the right personal brand will not only help you be known in your field
and consistently land work but it could be the difference between “Who are
you?” and “Thank you for being here” in your career .
Goldie Chan
I’m known as the “Oprah of LinkedIn.” I'm a personal branding expert, digital strategist and creative.
My video channel, #DailyGoldie, won LinkedIn Top Voice and was
…
,
10 Tips for Building a Personal Brand & Boost Your Career January 14, 2019
Northeastern University. (2019, January 14). 10 tips for building a personal brand & boost your
career. https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/tips-for-building-your-personal-
brand/
Apple challenged the world to “Think Different.” Nike encouraged people, regardless of
age, gender, or physical fitness level, to “Just Do It.” Dunkin’ Donuts persuaded busy
professionals that “America Runs on Dunkin’.”
Over the years, these recognizable slogans have morphed into rallying cries—setting
the tone for how each company communicates and identifies itself in the market. In just
a handful of words, these slogans have told a story and influenced how people perceive
the organizations behind them. Together, they represent the power and potential of
branding.
“Branding is what companies stand for,” says Dr. Sean Gresh, a faculty member
in Northeastern’s Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication
program. “It’s reflected in how that company acts, how it serves people, the value that
the company shares, and how the company projects those values.”
A strong brand stands out in the crowd—and gains more sales, increased awareness,
and better customer experiences as a result.
But branding isn’t just for companies. Professionals each have their own story to tell and
goals, skills, and expertise to share. In today’s increasingly digital world, a personal
brand is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s expected.
What is a Personal Brand? A personal brand is, in many ways, similar to a corporate brand, Gresh explains. It is
who you are, what you stand for, the values you embrace, and the way in which you
express those values. Just as a company’s brand helps to communicate its value to
customers and stand out from the competition, a personal brand does the same for
individuals, helping to communicate a unique identity and clear value to potential
employers or clients.
Or, as Gresh summarizes: “Personal branding is one’s story.”
That story can play an important role in establishing or boosting your career. In fact, an
overwhelming 85 percent of hiring managers report that a job candidate’s personal
brand influences their hiring decisions. Your personal brand should highlight your
strengths, establish a reputation, build trust, and communicate the unique attributes that
you bring to your current (or desired) industry. Cultivated well, your personal brand will
signal to employers whether or not you’ll be the right fit for an open role.Tips for building
your personal brand
Developing a personal brand might sound challenging, but there are incremental steps
you can take to build credibility in your field. Here are ten tips to help you create an
authentic personal brand—and amplify your career in the process.
Ten Tips for Developing Your Personal Brand
1. Figure out who you are.
In order to build a personal brand that accurately reflects your personal and professional
identity, you first need to know who you are. Be introspective, and create a list of your
personal strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself:
• In which areas of work do I excel?
• What motivates me?
• What characteristics have others complimented me on?
• Which projects have others had to help me with repeatedly?
• Which roles seem to drain my energy?
• Which projects can I spend hours on without feeling overwhelmed or tired?
If you’re struggling to answer these questions, ask friends, family, and co-workers how
they would describe you. Once you’re more aware of the different facets of your
personality, you can decide how best to brand them.
Keep in mind that many people struggle to choose a specific niche because they don’t
want to limit themselves. Realize that your personal brand, like many corporate brands,
will change as your career grows. The best strategy is to choose a particular area you’d
like to focus on and let it evolve over time.
2. Determine what you want to be known for.
Your personal brand is more than a reflection of who you are today; it’s a roadmap of
where you to go. In addition to understanding your existing skills and competencies,
Gresh suggests assessing your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to whichever
industry or career you want to break into next.
By doing this, you’ll uncover the skills and traits that make you distinct, as well as the
areas where you need to improve or gain new knowledge in order to advance.
Forecasting where you want to be in five or 10 years—and the attributes you want to be
known for—can help you better determine what steps you need to take in order to get
there.
3. Define your audience.
Before you start crafting your personal brand, you also need to determine who you’re
trying to reach. Is it other industry thought leaders? An individual at a particular
company? Recruiters? The sooner you define the audience, the easier it will be to craft
your story, because you’ll better understand the type of story you need to tell (and
where you need to tell it.)
For example, if your goal is to reach hiring managers and recruiters, you might start by
creating or updating your LinkedIn profile. Why? Because 92 percent of recruiters
leverage social media to find high-quality candidates and, of those, 87 percent use
LinkedIn.
On the other hand, if you are a graphic designer trying to impress existing clientele and
attract new customers, you might choose to tell your story via a personal website or
portfolio, where you can better express your wide range of talents.
4. Research your desired industry and follow the
experts.
As you start mapping out the careers you want, Gresh recommends compiling research
on experts in those roles.
“Find out who the thought leaders are in whatever field you’re interested in, and don’t
just follow them,” he says. “Go online and find out if they have blogs, or where they
contribute their thinking. Look for people who are successful and examine what they’re
doing. Imitate them, and then do one better.”
In building a personal brand, your goal is to stand out—but you can’t rise to the top
without taking inventory of who’s already there.
5. Ask for informational interviews.
As you start forming a list of companies you aspire to work for and industry leaders you
admire, consider reaching out to these professionals to ask for an informational
interview.
“They take 20 minutes, but are of high value,” Gresh says. “Don’t be afraid to ask
anyone you’re interested in learning more from. You’d be surprised by how genuine and
generous people are.”
When you meet with these individuals, ask questions that can help you garner new
insights about your desired field, such as:
• How did you break into the industry?
• What steps would you take if you were to make the transition all over again?
• How do you see the industry evolving?
• How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends?
• Are there any professional or trade associations I should join?