Blog Post

Five tips for building a good personal brand

Olaitan Ajimobi • June 29, 2020
In these economically challenging times, it is more important now than ever before that professionals become intentional about their career. With unemployment likely to increase and job security becoming more far-fetched, we must brace ourselves for a more competitive labour market. This means that our approach to personal branding needs to be more proactive. Here are five things you can do to develop a good personal brand:

1.  Be clear on what you stand for
The companies with the strongest brands tend to be really good at clearly communicating their values, vision and mission as an organisation. In the same light, it is important for professionals to develop a strong sense of purpose in order to set a solid foundation for their personal brand. This could mean gaining clarity on what you stand for as an individual and what makes you unique i.e. your personal traits, strengths, passions and values. It might even be worth writing down a personal mission statement. With this level of intentionality, there are less chances of having inconsistencies between the image you want to portray and how you are really perceived.

2.  Care about what others think
Contrary to the popular advice that we shouldn’t pay attention to what others think about us, self-awareness is incomplete without the knowledge of how we are perceived by other people. Similar to corporates, your personal brand is more about what people are saying about you than what you say about yourself. And a lack of this perspective might actually be detrimental to your professional development. This might be a good reason why the results of annual performance reviews and requests for promotion appear shocking to many employees. A practical way to achieve self-awareness is to get some feedback unofficially from your manager and colleagues, perhaps using resources like the 360 assessment or the Johari window.

3.  Develop credibility
One of the major reasons why customers choose certain brands over others is credibility. Credibility is an important factor in building a personal brand because it makes it easier for you to be trusted and earn the respect of potential clients, employers and stakeholders. It could be established in several ways such as developing expertise in a particular area, gaining relevant qualifications, having a proven track record, professional/industry awards, or client testimonials. Ultimately, credibility is a perception of value and that leads nicely to my next point.

4.  Know your value proposition
Contrary to what many people might think, you don’t get paid for your time, you get paid for the value you bring to an organisation or the wider marketplace. It isn’t just businesses that need to know their unique value proposition (USP); it is also important that professionals have a good level of self-awareness around the commercial value of their skillset and professional experience. Examples of practical steps to do this could include doing a professional SWOT analysis or taking a one of the many strengths tests online.  Gaining clarity in this way empowers you to be able to effectively communicate your value and promote your brand accordingly.

5.  Take networking seriously
The fact that there are no live events in this season shouldn’t stop us from having our networking hats on. In a job market that is likely to become more competitive as the COVID-19 dust settles, it is imperative that we become more proactive with our networking efforts. And with a high supply of talent due to increase in unemployment, employers are more likely to use employee referral as their main recruitment strategy. So, it’s not just going to be about what you know but who you know, or even better who knows you. Now is the time to be more intentional about online networking as well as being strategic with your social media presence and activity.

The truth is that everyone has a personal brand! But whether we are aware of it or not, is a different topic entirely. The level of intentionality you have towards your professional image is what makes the difference and increases the chances of career success. And by applying the tips mentioned above, you are more likely to build a stronger personal brand and enhance your professional development.

For more support on personal branding and your career development, feel free to contact us to book a career strategy session.

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