Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Sarah Wilson; They’re brands, and well known in their niche.
Simply saying their names brings up images of the tech genius working in his garage, philanthropic efforts, or quitting sugar.
By developing their personal brands, Jobs, Gates and Wilson have used their stories to gain global recognition.
How can a personal brand be relevant to you in your current role as an executive assistant, CFO, or nurse?
Surely, a personal brand is only relevant to CEO’s or young tech angel investors? Not so!
Your actions, the way you dress and show up in this world, particularly at work, leave an impression on the people you are around.
Each and every day you are cultivating your own brand.
What a brilliant opportunity this provides you with.
In understanding that all of your actions can make an impact, you can begin to cultivate a personal brand that highlights your value.
You can turn to your personal heroes and mentors to inspire your own personal brand and prepare for changes in your life and career.
Here are 3 steps you can take to help you cultivate your personal brand.
Define your brand mission
When a company sets out to develop a brand, they spend time thinking about how they would like to be perceived. They’re strategic and make choices that align with their mission.
Knowing your authentic self and values can help you define your mission.
Do you inject a sense of humour into the work you do? Do you use creative thinking and big ideas to make a positive impact on people? Are you productive, efficient and a cake baker?
Think of what motivates and inspires you and write out your brand mission.
For My Career Rhythms, we are all about empowering people to live authentically.
Our mission? Discover What’s Possible.
This one line defines our ethos, choices and how our employee’s show up in the world. We’re all about helping others discover what’s possible for themselves.
Build an online presence
All good brands have an online presence. They want you to be able to google them and learn more. The same goes for you!
It doesn’t matter what your role is, having an online presence is extremely important.
You could develop a website that showcases your portfolio. You could develop a blog that positions you as an expert in your field.
It should go without saying that you should have a strong and engaging Linkedin profile.
Having a presence online can help you connect with future employers, discover companies you would like to work for and build your network.
Who knows, your future employer could be searching for someone like you right now and if you’re not online, it’s going to be impossible for them to find you.
Network with people
Have you ever heard the saying, it’s not what you know but who? In the end, a brand can only be as valuable as the people who know about it.
Working on your personal brand is one thing, but you need an audience to fall in love with what you have to offer.
Networking doesn’t have to be difficult or hard. It’s not about giving your business card to 1000 people at a networking event.
Networking is about fostering authentic relationships with people whose work you find interesting.
Step outside your comfort zone and speak to someone you haven’t met before at a conference. Talk to colleagues in different departments. Ask your barista about what they do when they’re not at work. Suddenly, your network is growing along with your sense of social connection.
Have you thought about developing a personal brand? Let us know in the comments!
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