I recently attended a Personal Branding Virtual Masterclass hosted by IE Business School. Personal Branding is a continuous aspect of our lives and it plays a critical role in the different endeavours we pursue. It has a great impact on how people view us and how they talk about us when we are not in the room- (I read that somewhere).
Why did I attend the masterclass?
I believe that as you go through life you often need to take things up a notch or be reminded of what matters. In the corporate world there are certain unwritten criteria for a Senior manager or an executive. If you are desirous to get a promotion, to start a new business venture your personal brand cannot be the same as the one you had in high school or varsity. It may have the same core principles but some aspects may need to be tweaked in order for you to enter a “new dimension or level”.
So…., when I received the invite I immediately registered- it was such a timely random email from my many subscriptions (story for another day).
SOME INSIGHTS FROM THE MASTERCLASS
Some of the information might not be new to you, BUT I promise you will find it useful in 1 or 2 areas of your journey.
1.KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING
You need to know what it is you want and the type of person you are. Are you equipped enough? are you the best choice for the organisation? To answer these questions you will need to state your goals:
- Are you looking for a new job?
- Trying to get a promotion?
- Are you trying to grow your business?
- Looking for new clients?
Knowing what the mission is we help you assess your strengths and weaknesses at your current position, and enable you to bring the “new” you to life. to brand yourself the right way.
2.PLAN AND STRATEGISE
Once you have decided where you are going, you will need to know who you will be engaging and how you will present yourself when an opportunity arises.
In the corporate world, you plan and strategise your look, your demeanour, your tone, attitude and behaviour. Questions like:
- How do I want the interview panel to see me?
- Which words will I eliminate from my vocabulary in the workplace in order not to come out as arrogant or as a ‘know-it-all’;
- how do I behave when I am with colleagues during breaks,
- How long is my break? (don’t get me wrong breaks are NECESSARY).
These questions do not only apply when you get to the workplace, but rather in your ‘private life’. Somehow this will always sneak up on you and have an impact on the perception people have of you. However, it is through your brand (AGAIN) that you defy stereotypes and ensure your personal and private life do not impact your trajectory. You need good PR!!
3.YOU NEED GOOD PR
Promote the things you do. Do not shy away from letting your achievements and successes known on platforms such as Linkedin. It is important to celebrate your milestones, or career/entrepreneurial wins publicly so that people remember them. So that people talk about them. Pride?Not necessarily. CV’s are not enough anymore hey.
When your target market sees your achievements or your impact they notice you… they head hunt you… wink*. Learn how to market your skills even when you aren’t actively looking for a job, a promotion or new clients.
NOTE: Never divert praises from yourself! if you did a great job and someone acknowledges you for it, ask them to write a note to your manager so you know its real lol!. No jokes.
4.EXECUTE YOUR PLAN
When you are “ready”, execute your plan. I put ready in quotes because we are never fully ready. However with a little foundation you can start your journey. When you have gone through the stages I have mentioned you have started branding yourself already. Your plan is in motion.
So after the class I did a little reading on Personal Branding. I found an amazing wheel to help you and I on our personal branding journey.
When working on my personal brand I will be using this wheel as a guide.As I take little steps throughout this journey, I will be taking these into account. To understand your current brand take time to identify and understand what your current brand looks like based on the image. Is it the brand you need today? or do you need to upgrade a little?
The facilitator Carlos Sentis said:
Do all you can to be the best version of yourself. You don’t need more experience or more money to start
So far I have started working on my personal brand and I recently updated my *about* section on Linkedin to include my current journey.
All the best in your Personal Branding journey.
THE CORPORATE MILLENNIAL 