Career Corner: Being aware of your professional brand

When people say “brand,” you automatically think they are referring to a company or an organization. In reality, a brand can be defined a variety of ways and is a term that can be applied to individuals as well as employers. Your brand can be defined as the “essence of who you are and how other professionals perceive you.” Your brand can be affected by the manner in which you market yourself to the outside world whether through your professional documents, social media presence or in formal/non formal networking settings. Developing a strong brand for yourself can take time and strategic effort as well as planning.

A brand can deliver messages to its intended audiences for better or for worse based on prior actions or experiences. For example, if someone shows you a picture of the Walt Disney World logo and asks you what words come to mind, your response will probably be focused on positive memories. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you have a bad experience at a restaurant and someone shows you a picture of the logo for that establishment, then your response would probably be negative.

This brand recognition can hold the same effect on individuals in their field as what you say and do can directly impact how you are viewed in your respective field. This is most evident in social media and its role in the job search. I am sure you have heard how employers will search for you on social media and if you think privacy settings are keeping them from accessing your profile, think again.

What you post on social media can have a direct effect on your brand. Imagine you have a few Facebook posts complaining about one of your current work managers or photos on your timeline filled with drinking or other unfavorable images. More than likely an employer will look at such posts and make assumptions about your character; fair or not, it is part of the process and can impact your personal brand. A good rule of thumb is to take a moment to look over what you post and ask yourself if this is something you want your name tied to over the Internet.

You should, by all means, maintain your personality when utilizing your Facebook or other applications but be sure to always be aware when engaging in conversations/posts for where you are stating your political stance on a topic that is considered controversial. To help build your brand effectively, you should also use social media to your own professional benefit. For example if you are a marketing student and every week you post on LinkedIn useful articles, tips or updates on your respective field then people will associate your name with attributes that suggest you are someone who is knowledgeable as well as up to date on current practices within the industry.

Another great way to build your brand is to evaluate your current professional documents. Your resume and cover letter should be using terminology common in the industry and your experiences should highlight transferable skills you can bring into the field. The more targeted your professional documents the stronger and effective message you will send to employers as the type of professional you are.

Your resume and cover letter do a  great job in providing facts as to your past and how they relate to the future but your brand is also tied to the way you approach other individuals in conversations. In today’s world, 80 percent of the jobs you find will be through some form of networking so your brand can also be developed by engaging others in meaningful discussions and being able to articulate not only your interest in the field but provide detailed stories that exemplify all those key skills you have been trying to showcase on your professional documents and social media.

Overall, your brand is the essence of who you are and how others professionals perceive you, which means that you must always be aware on how your actions can impact the messages being sent to the outside world. The stronger the brand the, more likely you will be recognized by other professionals as a strong candidate for them to hire.

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