The Personal Branding Blog: Reach-Certified Personal Branding Strategists

Engine for Job Growth: YOU!

You’re probably familiar with the idea that small business is the engine of job growth. While this may well be true generally, today’s economic reality makes it difficult to wait for those new jobs to materialize. Increasingly, it now looks like the engine of job growth needs to be the individual.

In fact, in the job search strategy sessions I lead, a regular theme is the need to develop an entrepreneurial mind set in managing one’s career. For many people, this mostly means starting one’s own business. Yet, being entrepreneurial can also mean managing a portfolio of work as a contractor or part-timer.

Lately, it seems the experiences people are having at the hands of large employers support “a radical rethink of the hiring game” – according to a recent BusinessWeek article, “Winning Back a Wary Workforce.” The article states that “Many people have come to the conclusion that they don't want to work for ‘the man’ anymore.” It goes on to say that to win workers back after the current recession, “Teams will need to be smaller, organizations flatter, and the values of candor, informality, and innovation must be baked into the culture. People will need to feel that what they say matters…”

Indeed, a work climate that is built on entrepreneurial values is what has long driven people to want to work for themselves. And according to Pam Slim, author of Escape From Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, breaking out is easier than you might think – provided you’re able to identify and build on your passions, and to create value that people will actually pay for.

Easy? Maybe. Working in a “comfort zone” provided by an employer can be a big barrier to making the leap. Even if your company has given you a push with a forced separation, your instinct is probably to find another job as soon as possible – and you’ll probably rely on a standard approach to job search to do so. Yet, we’re seeing that traditional methods of finding a job are increasingly limited in the results they produce. Yes, it is time to rethink – and you would do well to start that process for yourself.

To start driving job creation for you, start managing Brand You. Make sure you offer unique value, determine the customers you serve, and identify what sets you apart in their minds. Then, rely less on your resume and more on implementing a media plan that helps you become visible, conveying your passion and the results you can drive for your customers in the future.

Cross-posted at the Threshold Consulting blog 

What Michael Jackson, The Brand Icon, Can Teach You About Personal Branding

 There was an article posted by on the Harvard Business Review How Michael Jackson Became a Brand Icon and interestingly it's author John Quelch kicked off with the following comment;

"Countless books advise how to build your personal brand. Michael Jackson was so unique that he cannot realistically serve as anyone's role model in that effort"

But, I beg to differ, the fact is Michael Jackson was a personal brand and countless thousands of fans looked to him for inspiration and direction. So let's take John's Top Ten Factors and see how Jackson's brand can apply to your personal brand.

1. Start Early - even more critical now than when Jackson started his career. The world of work has changed forever and sooner that you start managing your career (or business) through personal branding the better.

2. Let Go- it is highly unlikely that staying at one company is going to happen in your career - so be prepared to make the move and be proactive about it - better that than get the call to the bosses office. Some of the most successful companies were started in a recession too - so let go and go for it.

3. Break Out - the day of the traditional resume and cover letter have gone. There are a myriad of other media available to you to get your message out there and in front of your target audience - if its relevant to them it will work.

4. Get help- develop your board of trusted advisors, ask for help and insight and when you need to, ask your network - but be sure you have been helping them along the way too.

5. Be visible- you are not going to have to moonwalk in to an interview or business meeting, or wear just one glove, but what you wear and how you act all says something about your brand. Make it distinctive and memorable - but it must feel right to you.

6. Go global- now even more than ever the competition for your next opportunity is not in the cubicle next to you - it could be half way around the world. Make sure that your reach is equally global - social networking sites, blogs and general web presence can do that - build your on-line brand.

7. Crown Yourself - 'King' might be pushing it a little too far, but leading authority on IFRS is not. Take your expertise or develop one and become known as the go to person for advice and insights.

8. Be vulnerable - it is great to have all the necessary skills and attributes expected to be a top performer in your industry / vocation - but if you do not show your emotional side you might be accused of being one dimensional - nothing wrong in being the fun accountant or caring IT manager.

9. Give back - community and causes are all part of who you are, your personal brand foundation should include a vision for the world that is bigger than you - what is your purpose in helping effect that vision? It might well include giving back.

10. Die Young- certainly not literally. But you should constantly be reviewing and refining your brand and sometimes that might include reinvention too.

Cross posted on Career Hub and Reflections of a Square Peg

Death of Three Personal Brands

This week marked the death of three personal brands, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon.

What do you remember about each? Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was one of the all-time chart-toppers and had a short resurgence from the movie, "13 Going on 30" with Jennifer Garner. Farrah ranked No. 1 in TV Guide's "TV's All-Time Sexiest Women" - based on her "Charlie's Angles" series and that 1976 swimsuit poster (12 million sold!). And Ed McMahon, the most famous "second banana" for his long-running role on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

What will people remember about you? What would you like them to remember?

When watching the tributes this week, it was sad to see McMahon's final ending with financial troubles and Jackson's varied image issues.

Overall though, what do you remember most? All three were big personal brands.

Coaching Challenge: Now, think about what you'd like people to remember most about your legacy. How would you like to be remembered? Make a list of your Top 10.

What action can you take right now to move toward your Top 10? Go for it!

Posted by Wendy Terwelp

Interesting Pre-Screening Tool

As most of you who read my blog at Career Design Coach know, the company for which my husband worked has closed and we are in job search mode. I thought I'd share an interesting employment pre-screening tool that we recently saw.

The company where my husband applied did not accept resumes. I was a little surprised, but decided that as we completed the online application there would be the opportunity to list his experience and achievements somewhere in the process. We got to the last page and realized that we had not been given the opportunity to do this. The company, instead, listed the top five qualifications for the job and wanted you to write a short paragraph explaining how you uniquely met each of the five qualifications. The catch -- you had a small box to list all the qualifications and how you met each of them in just a few thousand characters (not words). We finally navigated through this area and had to remove some information to keep to the character allowance.

Even though it was a challenging process, I thought how creative it was to conduct their pre-screening in this manner. They don't have to read through hundreds or thousands (probably thousands) of 1-3 page resumes to decide who they want to interview. Plus, keeping it short made us want to only highlight the relevant information that would make him stand apart from the competition to show how he is the best fit for the position (i.e. his unique promise of value). Therefore, they are not trying to read between the lines of a resume' to see how he's the best fit--we had to demonstrate it.

Have you encountered any unique pre-screening tools in your job search? Share them in the comments' section.

Cross-posted at Career Design Coach by Kristen Jacoway

You: Rock Star!

Do you typically think of your self as a rock star? Neither do I. Sure, we all have those exhilarating moments; and some of us even play Guitar Hero. Yet, when things settle down, we return to our own status quo – whatever that may be.

Imagine though, that the very concept of rock star were to be reinvented, allowing us to be a rock star in whatever career we pursue. Well, this is precisely the premise behind a recent television ad for Intel. It features Intel Fellow Ajay V. Bhatt who is identified as co-inventor of Universal Serial Bus (USB), and “The Real USB Rock Star.” The commercial, which makes an event of Ajay grabbing a cup of coffee, ends with this point: “Our Rock Stars Aren’t Like Your Rock Stars.”

We know this intuitively.  We know and acknowledge accomplished people who “rock.” Still, in one deft and creative move, Intel has elevated this cultural association and clearly redefined rock stardom. And yet, there is also a critical distinction here. Ajay Bhatt has attained his celebrity through achievements that reflect a strong commitment to and passion for what he does. Read his bio and you realize his work is more than simply a job – it is the reflection of a strong personal brand.

So, what does this mean to you? Simply this: By taking the time to understand who you are, what you excel at doing, and how you engage the world, you can attain the kind of clarity that can make you a rock star – no matter what your field of endeavor.

Cross-posted at Threshold Consulting Blog

The 5Ps of Marketing

Marketing, by definition, is creating a positive environment for exchange.  It could be exchange of goods and services.  Yet, in today's economy, it also includes the exchange of human resources for financial resources. 

Viewing yourself as the product that you are marketing, might help you in wrapping your mind around the power and the necessity for personal branding.  You could be transitioning to another position and look for positive exchange with a potential employer; it could be you as a referral partner looking for a positive exchange with someone who services the same target client that you do in a non-competitive industry; or it could be you developing the foundation of your expertise looking for advisers to your personal board.

 Let's look at your personal brand with you as the product.

Product:  What's your deliverable?  How do you benefit people?  What makes you so unique that if you were in a room with 250 of your competitors or colleagues that you would stand head and shoulders above the rest of them?   What is your unique promise of value?  And, how do you address the question that is on anyone's mind that you are looking to exchange time or talent with - "what's in it for me (WIIFM)"? As the product and professional at what you do, how you benefit people and who you are, it is your job to connect the dots for others so that they immediately know what you can do for them.  Product development is key to an effective marketing strategy.  A poor product that is positioned well will see a short success moment because the foundation is not congruent with what the product actually delivers.

Price:  When thinking of price, it's not just salary, it's the cost of doing business with you.  Does it take tremendous time to connect with you?  Are you accessible and in the geographic area?  Are there things that a potential contact would have to overlook that would involve an investment of time and/or treasure on their part? 

Place:  These days, place is more than being in the geographic area it is also timing.  It also means do you have a presence where the people that you want to exchange with spend a majority of their time.  Just like a store front that must research in depth this location, location, location question - so must you.  If you're looking for a position with a certain industry, where do the industry "movers and shakers" (in great quantity) spend time?  Is it in a social service organization like Rotary?  Or, are they at an industry based association?  Research where to find them and be where they are so that you are fully immersed in the place that they feel comfortable associating with others.

Promotion:  Does the way you promote yourself honor your personal brand?  If it doesn't feel right, it might work for someone else but it might not be a good fit for you.  When someone else, just learning of you, experiences that disconnect caused by positioning that's not congruent with the product, they will tend to shy away from you and often advise others to do the same.  Word of Mouth is the most powerful form of advertising.  In fact, 92% of people, according to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, make purchases because of a word of mouth recommendation. Yet, word of mouth is also a double-edge sword. Are you positively buzz-worthy?

The fifth P is one that is new to the mix and I learned of it from @BPrickett during this past week's #brandchat conversation on Twitter.  The fifth P is Participation.

Participation:  No longer do brands see great success from merely blasting out promotional messages or broadcasts (which by definition is to cast out a large message to a broad audience) their benefits.  Brands now require participation. 

According to Unilever's Chief Marketing Officer - Simon Clift (in a recent Advertising Age article), "Brands are now becoming conversation factors where...key opinion formers discuss functional, emotional and social concerns.  The conversation is no longer one way."  He goes onto say that "listening to consumers is more important than talking at them." 

Are you and your brand engaged in the conversation?

There are numerous posts here on this blog alone that provide excellent practical tips on how to jump into the social conversation and how to engage others.  Examine your five Ps to determine at what level you are now and then determine what are you going to do to get to the next level you want to be at?  Someone once said that the definition of insanity is to "do the same thing the same way and expect different results." 

What do you need to do to move forward?

Author:
Maria Elena Duron is chief buzz officer + identity coach of buzz2bucks | a personal branding + word of mouth firm. and blogs about connecting your personal brand and SMART Connections. She is also the creator and moderator of brandchat: a live streaming branding discussion on twitter. Follow her on Twitter for daily updates or connect with her on Facebook.

Is your personal brand failing to impact the competition?

The new iPhone 3GS recent launch saw two impacts - Apple dropping the price of it's 'older' model and more significantly Palm's share price dropping by 7%!

It seem's like never a week goes by without another new phone hitting the market - I heard that the lifespan for a smartphone before it becomes 'obselete' and overtaken by a faster, sleeker, more buttons and gadgets phone is about 3 months.

Is the same happening for you in your career?

Dan Pink in his book A Whole New Mind said that if your job can be done faster by a machine or cheaper somewhere else then you need to differentiate yourself right now.

This is particularly relevant now in a tight job market and where competition to remain useful and employed is becoming key. Even if the economy is showing some signs of recovery you will see it's impact for months to come - the commercial real estate bubble has not burst yet!

So if you are employed how can you have an impact at work so that your value rises?

1. Make sure you get involved in the projects at work that are going to have an impact on the future success of the company and have some senior management sponsors.

2. Look to raise your profile by attending meetings that are not directly your area, but you have interaction with those teams. If you are in finance go to a marketing meeting and if you are in marketing get along to operations or logistics - step out of your bubble and perhaps comfort zone.

3. Keep your boss up to date with what you are working on and keep track of the measures of success - what is the direct impact you are having on the business - make sure you know and then make sure others do too.

If you are currently unemployed how can you impact the competition and get hired?

1. Construct a 'brag' sheet that speaks to your top 5 strengths and how you have used each one of those in a specific situation with a measurable result. Use that as your intro career marketing document - not the boring resume - stand out, be different, get noticed.

2. Be very clear about what value you bring to an organization. They do not care what you want (if you have objective still on your resume GET IT OFF NOW!). What can you do for them? Again this needs to be as measurable and relevant as possible - there are too many others out there with similar skills, experience and education - it's not enough anymore.

3. Go where the competition is not going. Get in front of the senior managers who work with the peole that might hire you. If you are in finance do not go to all the finance networking meetings - all your competitors are doing that - get to the marketing networking meeting.

Cross posted on Reflections of a Square Peg blog

Personal Branding and Stress Management

I interviewed Jordan Friedman, the Stress Coach,[www.thestresscoach.com] for the Reach Personal Branding Interview Series [http://www.reachpersonalbranding.com/resources/interview/] this past week and he said something very powerful:

When you can align your values and passions with what you do and how you do it, you gain energy and reduce stress.

Sounds simple, but how many of you feel aligned? Does you current role allow you to integrate your passions? Are you values compatible with your organization’s values?

When I work with clients on the first phase of the personal branding process, Extract, I help them unearth their values and passions (along with other elements of their brands).

Self discovery is critical not only to the personal branding process, but also to understanding and managing stress. Do you know your top five values? Your greatest passions?

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Being the Connected Brand.

In everyone’s myth of the time deprived world, comes those moments of every busy executive or entrepreneur when they must ask should I stay or should I go? (Can you just hear the music from "The Clash" in your head now?) What I’m referring to are the dozens of networking events that bombard us via email, text, fax, snail mail, flyers, bulletin boards, updates and newsletters.

They could be industry luncheons, professional women’s groups, professional men’s groups, chamber mixers, meetups, tweetups, structured networking events, after hour mixers, open houses, ribbon cuttings – you name it in the busy business person’s world there are a slew of events that come your way (much like the slew of advertising venues that attack you when you go into business...I know my fellow entrepreneurs can relate).

Decision, Decisions

How does a busy person decide which ones make sense to attend? When work is pulling at you, that large stack of papers doesn’t seem to of changed, that unanswered email list has grown exponentially and there are still “things to do”, you find yourself asking “should I stay or should I go”.

There are THREE CORE ACTIVITIES for any networking event. When an opportunity to network avails itself, think no more of being the traditional “grip, grin and grazer” but become the person that takes charge of their time and priorities.

• Is there someone that will be attending that event/meeting or that can attend that event of meeting that I can make a deeper connection WITH?

Review the list of attendees or maybe you’ve been to a meeting or an event like this before so you know who are the ‘regulars’. Do you need to get to know any of them better. Are they one of the 18 people you need to know? Then, use this even to get to know them better.

• Is there someone you can make a connection FOR?

Is there someone that needs to be at this meeting? This event will have all of their key connections, influencers and decision makers that could help them personally or professionally – so why not invite them? Nothing will deepen ac connection more when you genuinely help someone get connected.

• Is there someone you need to connect with whom you’ve never MET?

Will there be a person there that you’ve not ever met but need to meet? Could it be someone who will keep you up to date on industry trends? Or, a decision maker, influencer or a connector that will help you get further, farther, faster? Or, might they have some insight into an organization that will help you better understand it? There are people you need to meet. Especially, if you don’t’ have all of the 18 people you need to know in place. This could be the place then.

Now, just as another song canters, “two out of three ain’t bad”. This means that you must have the ability to do two of these connections activities in order to make a positive choice to attend an event.

For example, you’re invited to a mixer and you know one of your new contacts really needs to meet the leaders of this group so you:

1.  Invite them to the event and meet them there and introduce them to the officers or committee members of the group.

2.  Then, you call another contact you have that is a member of this group and ask “will you be at this event? Would like to reconnect and see what’s up?”

That’s two out of three. If you’ve got those two things in place, then the answer is “I should GO to the event”.

Make networking connections a strategy and not just something you 'stumble upon'!

Author:
Maria Elena Duron is chief buzz officer + identity coach of buzz2bucks | a personal branding + word of mouth firm. and blogs about connecting your personal brand and SMART Connections. She is also the creator and moderator of brandchat: a live streaming branding discussion on twitter. Follow her on Twitter for daily updates or connect with her on Facebook.

Stress Busters: Steps to Reduce Stress and Boost Success

Are you anxious about your job search? Are you stressed every day in your job? In either case, stress can lead to debilitating symptoms such as loss of sleep, irritability, fatigue, headaches, stomach aches, overeating, drinking too much, loss of interest in sex, poor productivity, and relationships in a downward spiral. In fact, according to a study by a British Medical Journal, chronic job stress is linked to both heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Whether you have experienced the loss of a job, or are now doing more in your job as a result of job positions which have gone unfilled, a root cause of your stress may be a sense of powerlessness as reported by Drs. Miller and Smith in their article Stress: Stress in the Workplace for the American Psychological Association.

Want to regain your power and learn professional success strategies that relate to stress management? Plan on attending the May 21, 2009 Reach Personal Branding Interview Series program “Bust Your Stress to Boost Your Success” with expert guest speaker Jordan Friedman at 12 noon Eastern. Reducing or managing excessive stress is paramount for career success, and Mr. Friedman will present effective tips to do just that, along with:

* Three most important things to do to manage stress
* The connections between stress reduction and personal branding
* The difference between good stress and bad stress
* How to maintain stress management over the long haul.

Jordan Friedman, The Stress Coach, holds an MPH and is the former Director of Columbia University’s health education program. He has given public presentations on stress management to vastly different  audiences, including college students, police officers, bankers, and prison inmates. Mr. Friedman is author of The Stress Manager’s Manual.

Additional methods for dealing with stress can be found at Stress at Work: How to Reduce and Manage Workplace Stress.

Cross-posted at Career Goddess Blog