The following is a guest post by Joshua Waldman.
There are those talking about personal branding who are nothing more than ego-maniacs used to leading their high-school click. Personal branding is NOT the same as being the center of attention or creating a cult of your own personality.
In fact, a good brand is quite the opposite. Let me explain what I mean.
Your Personal Brand, Their Emotions
Think about Steve Jobs. What emotions come to your head….I think: “innovative,” “polished” and “underdog power.”
On the other hand, think about Paris Hilton. What emotions come to your head…I think: “conceited,” “spoiled” and “lost at sea.”
Now, think about yourself and how you want others to remember you. What three emotions come to your head?
Demanding popularity will typically get you enemies. However, being authentic, honest and real gets you respect.
But I Don’t Want to Put Myself Out There
There isn’t much of a choice. People who deny they have a personal brand simply end up with a very bad one. But people who proactively manage it are ahead of the game.
I was at a project managers networking event the other night. Project managers remind me of engineers…technical, to-the-point and not necessarily comfortable networking. And that’s exactly why they are so good. They get their jobs done, don’t let emotions get in the way of delivery and don’t waste time.
During one conversation, a man told me that even just coming to this event was a huge challenge for him. And that running his job search around building a personal brand was WAY outside his comfort zone.
So I explained that a personal brand doesn’t mean you have to jump around the room pretending to be something you are not. Think about Spock from Star Trek. He certainly has a brand: “meticulous,” “professional” and “straight to the point.”
What qualities do you have that can help you do your job well? How do you want to be remembered by potential employers?
How to Start Creating a Personal Brand
Personal Branding e-Book from Joshua Waldman on Vimeo.
By reading and following the suggestions in Personal Branding for Job Search Success: How to Uncover, Align & Pitch Your Brand So You End Up in the ‘Yes’ Box, you have already differentiated yourself from the other 299 people applying to your dream job. Click here for a preview.
The regular cost is $19.99, but if you buy a copy between now and 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, August 13 using the coupon code PB50, you will receive it for $9.99. Additionally, the first 20 people to buy a copy of Personal Branding for Job Search Success will receive an invitation to a private webinar with me to go through the e-book in great detail and answer any questions they might have.
Joshua Waldman is a Social Media Career Consultant, lecturer and blogger for www.CareerEnlightenment.net. He has an MBA from Boston University and over 4 years experience working with Project Managers and Engineers in IT. Follow Joshua on Twitter.
