By, Jessica Darmoni, The Title Connection
In a world where everyone has control of their own narrative, it is important to have a handle on what people think when they think of you. When there is a cool job opportunity and hiring managers are thinking of the right person to fill the role, how do you get your name in the hat? The answer is a mix of promoting your valued services, knowing the right people and maintaining a level of trust and transparency. This is part of your brand, something that you can create and evolve over time. Below are a few things you should think about when building a personal brand.
Promoting Your Skills
Self-promotion is a challenge for many individuals. One of the ways you can promote your skills is by doing the work no one wants to do. This is a way to make a presence, sharpen your skill set and show good work. Another way to promote your skills is by joining an industry organization. You will have an opportunity to take on different types of work, highlight your skill set as well as forge new relationships.
Building a network
What are the things you are passionate about? For me, I am a working mom that got into wellness during the pandemic. I feel strongly about building a new asset class and the opportunities stemming from digital asset and blockchain technology. Finally, I am passionate about enabling more women to enter the derivatives space. These four points help make up my personal brand and help me seek out like-minded individuals who are trying to achieve similar goals.
After making a list and identifying purposeful contacts, make a constant effort (if they reciprocate) to establish good working relationships. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you don’t need a business reason to foster a friendship. In fact it is better to reach out when you don’t need anything and assist them. It will be an easier “ask” when you do need their help. Remember, people do business with people they trust.
Transparency
Transparency and productivity lead to trust within your business dealings. If you are part of a team, it is good to communicate your goals and intentions to avoid miscommunications. Also, everyone has his or her own relationships. It is helpful to know what the other hand of your firm is doing so you can both strategize holistically.
If you are a consultant or independent contractor, this applies to you too. Think about how you would handle conflicts of interests between clients in an honest way so it does not harm your integrity.
Conclusion
Personal brands have a way of making careers. They can get your name in a hat and your foot in the door. Effectively promoting your skill set, building a network and maintaining transparency are good building blocks. The last thing I would say is to keep an open mind.
Sometimes an opportunity comes along and it is dressed as a 10-mile hike up a mountain in 90-degree heat. Other times the opportunity doesn’t look exactly how you imagined it, but there are elements that really intrigue you. If there is enough substance to speak to your passions, be open-minded and take the chance. You can lean into the things you like and adjust the things you don’t. I have found that it is the things that most challenge us or scare us that take us to that next level, and we always want to be evolving our brand.
Jeff Bezos once said that your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. We all have the power to write our own narrative. Make sure your story is one of purpose and productivity.
