Your Career Brand: 10 Tips For Communicating

What talents and strengths do you want to be known for in your career? What kind of employer will be drawn to, connect with, and pay a premium for that?

Your Career Brand

What talents and strengths do you want to be known for in your career? What kind of employer will be drawn to, connect with, and pay a premium for that?

These two questions capture the essence of what career branding is all about. Image and connection. Think of your brand as a uniquely individual image with a magnet attached to it. Many of the dynamics behind corporate branding–why a consumer chooses Crest over Colgate–also apply in hiring. These 10 tips will help guide you in creating and communicating a brand that will help employers choose you!

Your Career Brand: Tips

  1. Job search is marketing. You are the product and the employer is the consumer. A clear and compelling career brand helps employers perceive the benefits of your product, giving you an advantage in the job market.
  2. Successful career brands weave together three A’s: Authentic image, Advantages, and Awareness. Project an image of your authentic self, focus on the advantages you offer in getting the job done, and make employers aware of those advantages.
  3. Branding can be accomplished through verbal and visual means. Verbal branding includes your sound bites and success stories, while visual branding is accomplished through your actions, attitude, and attire.
  4. Hone your product benefits into a 3-Point Marketing Message that conveys your unique strengths. This is a critical sound bite in your branding campaign. Here’s a short and succinct example: I excel at the 3 R’s of sales: research, relationships, and revenue–I exhaustively research client needs, build relationships based on serving those needs, and have a track recording of driving record revenue as a result.
  5. Create a Benefit-Driven Target Statement to keep you focused on your Career Brand in your search, help networking contacts know how to help you, and explain your value to interviewers. Align your statement with employer buying motivators, such as generating revenue, saving money, or solving a problem.
  6. Mix-and-match your success stories and sound bites to create a comfortable yet compelling 2-Minute Introduction. Consider using a tagline that helps people remember you in a unique and favorable light. Perhaps you can dub yourself “Mr. FedEx” because you always deliver projects on time!
  7. Practice. You must be able to deliver your sound bites naturally, without appearing as though you’re reading a telemarketing script.
  8. Visual branding means you must look the part. Ask for wardrobe advice from someone who is successful and has a good sense of style. If uncertain about how to dress for a networking event or interview, ere on the side of formality.
  9. Visual branding also means you must act the part. Candidly evaluate your mindset, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes. Are these consistent with others in your field who have attained notable success?
  10. Find a person or two who will respectfully and selflessly support you in your commitment to shaping and enhancing your ideal image. A coach can be an ideal support person.

Branding will either contribute to or take away from the chemistry you want to create with employers. Enjoy creating and communicating your brand!

Source: Career Coach Academy

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