‘Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.’
‘…a perception or emotion, maintained by a buyer or a prospective buyer, describing the experience related to doing business with an organisation or consuming its products or services.’
‘Your brand is a perception or emotion, maintained by somebody other than you, that describes the total experience of having a relationship with you.’
‘Your brand is a reflection of who you are and what you believe, which is visibly expressed by what you do and how you do it. It’s the doing part that connects you with someone else, and that connection with someone else results in a relationship.’
‘Building an authentic personal brand is an evolutionary and organic process and a journey towards a successful life.’ H. Rampersad (2009, p.xiii)
‘Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be a head marketer for the brand called You.’ Tom Peters (1997, p.2)
‘A great way to understand the concept is as follows… when somebody hears your name, what pops into their head? That’s your brand, for better or for worse.’ The Celebrity Branding Agency (n.d.)
‘The branded self is one of the more cynical products of the era of the flexible personality: a form of self-presentation singularly focused on attracting attention and acquiring cultural and monetary value.’ A. Hearn (2008, p.179)
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What would you think if you walked into a Starbucks and the barista got your triple tall, half caf, iced, non-fat latte wrong? You’d probably say to yourself, “First-world problem,” not fret too much and go about your day. What if you went to a different location the next day, and your order was mishandled once again? Part of the brand promise of Starbucks is that you’ll receive a customized beverage that perfectly suits your palate and your diet, no matter how complex the details or your order are. How many times would you be willing to experience inconsistency before you switched to a different caffeine dealer?
It’s this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else.
…personal branding works when it is based in authenticity and a genuine desire to add value to those around you. It is not a ‘me me me’ way of life. Personal branding does allow you to stand out in an increasingly competitive world. It helps you clarify and express the value you can deliver to your team and employer. Personal branding is not a competition to see how visible you can become – for the sake of being visible. It is not measured in the number of tweets you can post per minute and it is not a function of putting yourself at the center of the world.
Some TV personalities seem distant and removed from the general public, but Oprah has never shied away from sharing intimate, personal details about her life with her audience. […] By sharing these intimate personal details, Oprah shows her viewers that when the lights and cameras are all put away, she faces many of the same problems as they do. She is indeed an ordinary person with ordinary problems to overcome. It’s her seeming vulnerability and fragility that make her that much more inclusive of a brand.
Authentic | Inauthentic |
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Have realistic perceptions of reality. | Are self-deceptive and unrealistic in their perceptions of reality. |
Are accepting of themselves and of other people. | Look to others for approval and to feel valued. |
Are thoughtful. | Are judgemental of other people. |
Are able to express their emotions freely and clearly. | Are unable to express their emotions freely and clearly. |
Are open to learning from their mistakes. | Are not open to learning from their mistakes. |
Understand their motivations. | Do not understand their motivations. |
For example, it has been found that individuals preferring, choosing or attaining business occupations were generally high on utilitarian orientation and material values; people choosing medical occupations, social work, and teaching appeared to be high in social values, in particular on altruism. (Sverko et al, 2008, p.557)
What we have found is that when you only have 30 seconds to write your three most important goals, your answers will be as accurate as if you had 30 minutes or three hours. Your subconscious mind seems to go into a form of “hyper-drive” and your three most important goals will pop out of your head and onto the paper, often to the surprise of the person doing the exercise.
It is also argued that strengths-based interviews and assessments provide graduates from all socio-economic backgrounds with an equal opportunity to succeed. The answers to the questions don’t require you to have multiple examples from extracurricular activities or internships – examples that might be easier for students from more advantaged backgrounds to obtain.
For instance, if personal growth is a primary motivator then try to see adaptability through the lens of self-improvement; if relationships are a key driver for you, then think about how rich and meaningful your relations with others will be after you adapt. How you frame the problem through your mind’s eye is what determines your reaction, so if you redefine how you see the problem then you can set yourself up for success. Being ready and willing to adapt is half the battle.
87% | |
43% | |
22% | |
Blogs | 11% |
8% | |
YouTube | 6% |
Snapchat | 3% |
I pay close attention to detail because I want to ensure that individuals can engage with the service I provide as quickly and easily as possible. They can then focus their attention on the things that are important to them and their work. For example, I recently produced a well-received user manual for our email system.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
Goal | To set up a LinkedIn profile and promote my personal brand by expanding my professional network |
Development/training/knowledge needed to reach my goal | I would like some training on how to use LinkedIn |
Action plan | |
Outcome | A colleague has demonstrated the platform to me and I’ve enrolled in an online course |
Evaluation | I can use this tool to help me raise my professional profile |
Next step | I plan to join LinkedIn next week, once I’ve completed my short online course. My target is to have 50 relevant connections by the end of the month |
Goal | To promote my personal brand and use it to obtain a new job within 1 year |
Development/training/knowledge needed to reach my goal | I need to expand my network of potential employers and analyse whether my values/strengths etc. align with their needs |
Action plan | |
Outcome | I’ve generated a shortlist of the employers I’m most interested in and I’m booked on to a relevant conference in July. I’ve also joined 2 LinkedIn groups |
Evaluation | I’m currently reviewing the comments and content posted by other members of the groups and waiting to receive a list of conference delegates |
Next step | Connect with key delegates on LinkedIn and catch up with them at the conference. Post my first comment by the end of this week. Be ready to make applications as relevant opportunities arise |
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