If you think “personal branding” is a buzzword for self-promotion, think again. Branding can distinguish you from your competition in the same way that Hilton and Bloomberg created their namesake hotel and business empires. Your own brand is a key ingredient for writing a killer resume, networking, and nailing a job interview.
Business author Tom Peters introduced the concept of personal branding in his article The Brand Called You in Fast Company in 1997. According to Peters, “To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” Here are three ways to make personal branding pay-off.
Resume rebuild. Margaret has what most people would consider a great resume, but she cannot get an interview for a managerial position. She has a master’s degree in engineering and three prior jobs that demonstrate her experience. Not only does she excel on the technical side, she is also savvy about sales.
How will she distinguish herself from other candidates? By rebuilding her resume to highlight the unique accomplishments that constitute her brand. Her old resume described her previous jobs in lazy phrases like “monitoring production” and “coordinating with sales department.” She included irrelevant information about college jobs. A potential employer would assume she lacks drive and maturity.
Margaret rewrote her resume to demonstrate her technical know-how as well as her enthusiasm for sales. She described her last job by showcasing her competence: “When the production line fell behind schedule, I re-worked the sequencing and engaged the sales team in planning to launch ahead of our competition. We exceeded our revenue projections by 20 percent.” Her personal brand? Leadership and tenacity.
Networking. Most people say they detest self-promotion. They feel uncomfortable talking about themselves. Their mother told them it’s impolite. She’s right, but that’s called boasting. In contrast, when you are sharing professional know-how with colleagues or talking about your expertise in a job interview, that is called networking.
For example, Bradley planned to go into teaching after he received his bachelor’s degree in English, but there were no openings. Instead, he volunteered to help the high school debate coach with after-school practices and weekend competitions. He knew intuitively that, even though he could make an impression by working long hours, he needed to add value to his performance while being authentic and sincere.
He made a concerted effort to meet each student’s parents. He started a weekly e-newsletter and launched a website with schedules, resources, and video clips. He posted bios of the coaches and wrote a blog on debate skills. At the end of the season, he executed a knock-your-socks-off event for students, coaches and parents. His brand? Entrepreneurial and genuine. Two weeks later, one of the parents hired him as Communications Director for her company.
Job interviews. Branding is a two-way street. Prior to interviewing for a job, you need to study the prospective employer’s brand. Lucy had worked in sales for five years at a national hotel chain and then applied for Assistant Marketing Manager at a boutique hotel in Chicago. She assumed boutique hotels were basically selling luxury and they could use someone like herself who frequented the spa. She didn’t research the hotel’s marketing strategy in advance of her interview. Unfortunately, she was unprepared for questions about how she would pitch their brand: eco-friendly elegance.
Lucy’s experience was not wasted on her. She immediately went after a marketing job at a resort in San Diego. By examining their online marketing, she concluded the hotel was positioned as a destination for beach weddings. Before her interview, she spoke with wedding planners, read bridal magazines, and studied competing resorts. She got the job.
Personal branding requires self-awareness. If you write an inventory of your career successes, your brand will shine through. Use words and phrases that specifically describe who you are and what you do well. You can be accomplished without seeming arrogant.
Top of page
