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What is it that all successful companies have mastered -- and what
job-seekers looking to advance in their careers need to master? What is
it about Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s? What
makes a consumer buy one product over another -- and makes one
job-seeker much more sought after than others? The answer is marketing,
but more specifically it is the power of branding. And branding isn’t
just for products anymore.
Branding can be described as many things, but it’s best defined as a
promise… a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the
product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must
be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible
and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique. Branding is
developing an image -- with results to match.
Branding (some call it self-branding when talking about individuals) is
essential to career advancement because branding helps define who you
are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is
your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself,
showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added
value you bring to a situation.
Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their
career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking
promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very
basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much
more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don’t brand
yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in
your job now, you really never know when that will change.
Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50
(Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an "Employee"
into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states:
“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business
we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of
branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds,
“You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your
job description.”
This article takes you through five easy tactics for building and
strengthening your career brand.
Gain Experience/Track Accomplishments
Building your brand begins with tracking your past accomplishments and
gaining strategically important new experiences. Your accomplishments
are the foundation of your career brand.
But before you seek out new work, take the time to plan and focus on
what you want your brand to stand for -- and develop a strategy for
gaining experience in areas of your brand in which you are weak.
So, besides doing your job, ask for new and challenging assignments that
will build your brand. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use
volunteering to gain experience. If you’re a student, seek out multiple
internships.
Complete Education/Training
For many careers, a minimum amount of education is necessary, but to
excel in your career you may need to complete additional education,
training, or certifications. Getting additional education can greatly
enhance your career brand.
It may be hard in terms of time and finances, but find a way to do it.
Some employers even offer an educational reimbursement benefit.
If you are unsure if you need more education -- and you probably do --
seek out a mentor, someone highly respected in your field (who has
branded himself or herself well), and ask for advice.
Promote Yourself
You can have an amazing brand, but if no one knows about it, you are not
going to have much success with your career development. And no one more
than you has more reasons to promote your brand.
Throw modesty out the window? There is a fine line between bragging and
promoting -- and you need to learn it -- but it’s always better to err
on the side of promoting your brand than not.
One of the oldest tools of promotion for job-seekers is the resume, and
you certainly need to start there by listing all your key
accomplishments, skills, and education on your resume. You may even have
your positioning statement (qualifications summary) on your resume… but
don’t stop there.
Begin developing two career portfolios -- a print one and an online one.
If you don’t have a personal Website, now is the time to buy a domain
(such as myname.com) and let the world read all about the benefits of
your brand. Your portfolio should include all important brand artifacts:
resume(s), mission statement, detailed accomplishments list, samples of
work, articles and working papers, speech transcripts, awards and honors,
testimonials, and more.
One interesting trend we’ve seen is of employers “Googling” the names of
prospective job-seekers -- typing each name into one or more Internet
search engines -- and basing initial candidate screening decisions
partly on the number (and quality) of hits for each job-seeker. The
lesson? Your brand needs to have a strong online presence.
And finally, don’t forget to promote your brand on the job. Workers
often assume the boss knows your accomplishments, but often times s/he
does not. Certainly at review time, have a list of all you have achieved
since your last review, but also consider finding ways to let the boss
know your successes throughout the year.
Become an Expert
Nothing builds credibility in a career brand more than establishing
yourself as an expert in your field.
Start by writing articles that showcase your knowledge -- and getting
them published (ideally) in noteworthy media outlets. Consider
self-publishing.
Seek out conferences and meetings where you can give speeches and
presentations.
Play up awards and other recognition that can help label you an expert.
Get quoted by offering your thoughts, ideas, and opinions to journalists
and reporters.
Consider constructing a professional Website where you can publish all
your articles and speeches.
Build Relationships
Nothing in marketing is more powerful than a promotion tool called
word-of-mouth, which can be defined as what people say about you.
Thus, nothing is more powerful in building your career brand than what
your network of contacts -- your friends, colleagues, customers,
clients, and former bosses -- say about you and your set of skills,
education, and accomplishments.
And keeping your network strong involves nothing more than relationship
building. Keep in good contact with your network and be sure they know
of your most recent successes.
But the best brand-builders don’t stop with their current network; these
folks are in constant network-building mode. Search out new professional
associations as well as the growing number of online networking
communities.
To better understand how these marketing terms apply to job-hunting it
helps to first understand the terminology. To that end, go to our
Marketing Concepts Glossary. And for a general introduction to marketing
and career development, read: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position
Yourself on the Job Market.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more
information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and
job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting
Terms.
Enhance Your Brand! Find all the great tools and resources for
developing your personal career brand, as well as key self-marketing
technqiues to get hired or promoted, that we offer at Quintessential
Careers: Personal Branding & Career Self-Marketing Tools.
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