Last week, we looked at how relevant and important LinkedIn is when it comes to making it easy for employers to hire you, if you have built your profile very well to sell you to your next job. The same applies to building a personal brand- one that defines you and makes it easy for people to associate with you or work with you. In this day and age, the saying changed to ‘if you don’t blow your own trumpet, no one will blow it for you’. In the social media era, it is important for you to position yourself as a brand people want to associate with. Take an example of Dr. Peter Kasenene, a Ugandan medic who has cut himself a name on social media in the East African region as the leading medic in the area of nutrition and lifestyle. It took him a lot of time to build a brand which many people across the region relate with when it comes to diet and nutrition. It does not make him the best doctor there is in his area of specialisation but it is simply because he built a brand which people relate with, even though sometimes some of his more than 75, 000 Twitter followers disagree with his advice which tends to be radical. According to Ketan Marballi, a career services and co-op adviser at Northeastern University in Toronto, personal branding plays an important role at every stage of your career. Before anything else, the most important thing you need to know is what your brand is. Marballi argues that there is a combination of different factors which you need to consider before embarking on a personal branding journey. Whether it is on social media, CV or personal website, consider the following aspects before branding yourself in a sellable manner. Your core values: Identify what drives you and what makes you excited and brand yourself towards that. Is it your area of expertise or specialisation? That is where you have strength -focus on that. Also consider bringing out personal attributes in your brand. What do you value in interactions with your co-workers and teammates? Are you a team player? Marballi says that when seeking a job, make sure that the organisations and roles you apply resonate with your core values—including what they offer you in terms of work-life balance, salary and your short-term and long-term goals. Communication is key: Communication is the most important aspect of your brand. It has to speak to prospective employers. Let your brand make it easy for them to make a decision. Marballi notes that how and what you communicate also forms part of your brand. From your emails and to social media posts, the language tone, structuring and appropriate use of imagery can make or break your image and career. Your brand is also reflected in your interactions in person or in virtual conversations. Did you know some people are sacked because of what they post that does not resonate with image, position or company values? Be consistent: Whether it is a passion you are developing or a career you are targeting, consistency in your approach helps. Consistency in your branding is reflected in your online professional image, which may be communicated to the world in a number of ways. As mentioned previously, your LinkedIn profile, your professional website, other professional social media accounts you may have such as Twitter, your CV, cover letter—all these are part of your brand. You should ensure that the message you are conveying is consistent across multiple platforms. Honesty: Very often people are tempted to over exaggerate their abilities or qualifications all in the name of building a brand online. Experts warn that lying about your competencies can backfire horribly if you are hired based on the image seen online which you can’t match in real life. It is advised that you keep it real as you build your brand and ensure that you defend it. Therefore, it is important to be honest as you build your personal brand.
