What is personal branding?
Personal branding is creating your own identity within your industry. We’re operating within a very small industry, so it’s a great opportunity to make a name for yourself and set yourself up as a thought leader. A good personal brand will, however, strengthen an employer’s brand as a strong employer’s brand is made up of advocates for the company, memorable faces and respected professionals. It should therefore be encouraged by employers and not feared, it’s not just about employees building on their own reputation and creating a name for themselves.
Why is personal branding important?
As we’ve said, we work in a very small industry where you really can’t hide from your peers, employers and clients. It’s important to get it right as people already have a predetermined idea of who you are from your personal brand, they have a perception of who they think you are from seeing you on social media, or even through word of mouth and it really sticks in their head. At Block Recruit, we’ve all been approached at events with “Oh, I know you from Twitter!”. People will think they know you before you’ve even met you face to face. It’s also a big factor to consider if you’re working for a larger company, as it can help you stand out from the crowd and not just be another number within a more corporate brand.
How can it impact your career?
Remember that this is going to be seen by industry peers, future employers, colleagues and clients so you want to be remembered for the right reasons. This goes as far as your behaviour at industry events. So, we’re sure after the ARMA Ace Awards there were a few sore heads… Did you perhaps see anyone make a bit of a fool of themselves? Do you think this could impact their career moving forward? Take this example… You see an individual having to be dragged into their taxi to leave an event, making a bit of a scene as they go. Two weeks later that person walks into an interview for their dream job and the Hiring Manager suddenly recognises who is sat in front of them. It might seem farfetched, but people remember your conduct and people talk.
Remember, your personal brand will follow you...
It’s important to remember that a negative personal brand is hard to change. Whilst it will evolve and grow alongside you in your career, you can’t wipe conversations or experiences from peoples’ memories (unfortunately!). So, remember, you might move to a new company, but your personal brand is following you. A more positive note from this is that, the people who respond well to your personal brand today, will be contacts for life and they will help you to achieve your own personal success.