Consider that most people want to interact with people they
like. Therefore to succeed in your career, it's critical to
establish strong personal and professional relationships.
One way of building relationships is through personal
branding.
But what is personal branding? I believe it covers three
areas...
1. Personality - communicating the inner essence of you -
your uniqueness, qualities, strengths, skills and passions
2. Package - your visual communication. How you appear
through dress and personal presence
3. Promotion - building recognition and reputation
Before you set off on the path of building your career it's
a good idea to really think about who you are - work out
what your stand for. As an executive or manager at work,
you are an integral part of the team. But wouldn't it be a
good idea if you really matched the CEO's you work with to
your own personal style. How can you do this?
Do a personal audit to determine your values and vision,
your strengths, look at your goals. Does your vision align
with that of your company? Do you need to acquire new
skills to contribute more value? By understanding your
values, life and work skills and how to apply them to your
role, you will have a strong foundation for exhilarating
work.
Consider also that YOU are a package. What does your
package look like? How are your design, colour and look?
What message does your personal image send? Your clothes,
appearance and grooming are the external image of your
brand.
At the office, every email, voice mail or phone call you
make creates impressions that build your business brand. In
person how you shake hands, make eye contact and how you
conduct yourself in social situations all go toward your
personal brand. You need to take care of the details. High
standards of personal presentation and presence will help
you stand out as a well regarded employee.
Some organisations have a uniform that reflects the company
brand and image, but even if your company does not, there
is definitely an underlying code of dressing particularly
in a business environment which is smart, polished and
professional. By understanding the brand qualities you
want to project with the work you do, you can create a look
that is suitable, creative and stylish to help make your
mark.
Write down some adjectives of the type of person or brand
you would like to be or project. Think of yourself as the
product you are designing a package for. Cut out and
collect some words, images and colours from magazines. Cut
out images of clothes and shapes that appeal to you and
reflect the words you have chosen for yourself. Create a
brand portfolio of ideas and visual examples. As you do
this exercise you will begin to discover your style and
what appeals to you. This is your logo - your own personal
brand.
Time now to think about how to promote yourself - get
noticed. First and foremost we need to be good at what we
do. But what else can give us that extra edge?
Volunteer to help or organise a special event such as lunch
or after work drinks to help build relationships with
colleagues. Network either formally through business or
industry associations or informally by meeting someone face
to face. Have lunch with colleagues in the canteen or meet
for coffee rather than email all the time. It is important
to network and get to know our peers. Send thank you notes
or items of interest internally or perhaps to suppliers
that have gone out of their way to help you.
Being actively involved in your work community will help
you make an impression and build those all important
relationships to ensure your career success.
----------------------------------------------------
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace - your
inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. To learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine, sign up for free monthly tips
at http://www.shinecomms.com.au/subscriber.html
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