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JOBS
TIP of the week
Use a tag line to tell your story
Robin Fisher Roffer, author of “Make a Name for Yourself,” writes on Monster.com: “A coach I know who consults by
phone – primarily helping six-figure earners work their way even further up the corporate ladder – goes by this tag line:
‘A coach for successful people to help them be even more successful.’ ... A tag line’s shorthand helps other people remember a key point about you. ... And it works for entrepreneurs and employees alike.”
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CHECK ME OUT
Make a mark
Learn how to brand – or rebrand yourself – with these tips
By Melissa Erickson
More Content Now
W
ith jobs and business so competitive, the best way
to stand out is to create your
personal brand.
What is it and why is it important?
“Personal branding isn’t
anything new, and its origins
date back to when we first
had celebrities,” said Boston
resident Dan Schawbel, managing partner of Millennial
Branding, a Generation-Y
research and consulting
firm, and author of “Promote
Yourself: The New Rules For
Career Success.”
“Notable celebrities like
Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan are
some of the most famous
instances of those who have
stood for something, commanded attention and lent
their name to products that
have sold millions of dollars,”
he said.
Schawbel used his
experience branding himself
on social media to write
“Me 2.0,” a guide on how
professionals can do the
same.
“In today’s world, I realized that what social media
did was level the playing field
and allow anyone, regardless
of location and age, to build
their own tangible brand
online with no money, just effort,” he said.
“You can stand for something, have values and a
mission statement and build
a following just like any corporate brand. All it takes is
creativity, effort and patience,
because brands aren’t created
overnight.”
Market yourself
A personal brand is all
about what you’re known for.
“What makes you different
and better than most people?
Don’t just be a marketer or a
personal finance expert, because there are thousands of
them. Instead, be more specific with how you position
yourself by taking a niche. Be
the top Twitter marketer for
small businesses in the restaurant industry. The more
niche you go, the easier it will
be for you to stand out and
start getting opportunities,”
Schawbel said.
Once you have a clear proposition and direction, put as
much energy as you can to
ensure that you remain relevant by publishing content
via social media related to
your niche.
People have to see that
you’re constantly reading,
interpreting and reiterating
your expertise, Schawbel said.
Create your brand
In “Me 2.0,” Schawbel breaks
personal branding down into a
four-step process:
1. Discover: Figure out
who you are and what you want
to do in life, while focusing on
your strengths, passions and
goals. Select a niche topic to
master.
2. Create: Create a “personal
branding toolkit,” which are
the materials you will use to
sell yourself to employers or
customers. Traditional ways
include a business card, professional portfolio, resume, cover
letter and references document.
Non-traditional ways include a
video resume, LinkedIn profile,
blog, Twitter and your existence
on the various other social networks.
3. Communicate: After you’ve
created your brand, it is only natural that you want people to see
what you’ve done. Depending on
your audience (hiring manager,
teacher, clients), you may want
to tweak your materials accordingly. Communication consists
of guest posting on blogs, writing
articles for magazines, becoming your own PR person to pitch
to the media, attending networking events and speaking.
4. Maintain: As you grow, the
brand people see has to grow at
the same time. Every new job,
award, press article and client
victory should be added to your
toolkit. Also, you should ensure
that you maintain a positive
reputation online and offline.
Ally DAVIS illustration, more content now
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