A professional brand clearly defines who you are to a prospective employer.
If done well it can communicate your value in only a few phrases. Want to take the next step in your career?
Start by defining your professional brand.
Positioning
Like any great brand you need to position yourself. Too much marketing lingo? What this means for you is that your professional brand defines what space you occupy in the marketplace. Put another way, what problem do you solve? Are you a stabilizer? Someone who comes in, evaluates the company’s processes and refines them? A strong professional brand enables a prospective employer to understand how you can immediately add value to their organization – and this can get you hired.
Compelling Career Story
When you take time to define your professional brand, you begin to craft a compelling career story. By defining the theme of your professional brand, i.e. your core motivation that drove your decision-making process, you’ll paint yourself as someone who has made conscious choices throughout their career. This, in turn, positions you as an employee who takes action, solves problems and drives outcomes – all qualities prized by a prospective employer.
Better Interviews
Get nervous in interviews? Most of us do. But part of building a professional brand is listing the key attributes that made you successful, along with outlining your credibility indicators (school, designations, past roles). This advance preparation lays the foundation for a successful interview. You’ll feel more confident, communicate your value more clearly and increase your chances of hitting a home run in the interview.
Defining your professional brand is a necessary part of being successful not only in a job search capacity, but also in your current role. It allows people to understand who you are, what you’ve done and where you might excel. Your professional brand is your career story, with its attendant peaks and valleys. So think carefully, what story are you telling?
