A dozen things you must know about communicating 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.

What are the benefits to having a good, strong brand? A brand will:

Bring you new opportunities faster; make others aware of your expertise; guide you in your career decisions about what training to pursue and what opportunities to accept; create in the employer’s mind a compulsion to buy (hire) you; differentiate you from your competition; and elevate you from the status of a commodity (in commodities, lowest price wins).

These tips will help guide you in creating and communicating a brand that will help employers choose you: 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. 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.

Authentic image: Your brand should be founded on authenticity. It should be about who you are, what your work-life purpose is, and what you are committed to causing. As a starting point to develop your brand, brainstorm a list of all the things you are good at. Next, identify your passion. Using your brainstormed list of what you’re good at, circle those items you are most passionate about.

Advantages: Once you’ve identified your top pick, determine the advantages to that item. For instance, if you are great at conflict management, the advantages to recipients (employers) of your brand might be greater cooperation among team members, which leads to enhanced productivity, new ideas, less employee turnover, etc. List at least three distinct advantages for your brand.

Awareness: Internationally known consultant and author Alan Weiss, states that a brand is “an awareness factor.” Above all, look for opportunities to make the right people aware of your brand. Get on the radar screen. The best brand in the world is useless unless people are aware of it. Initiate an orchestrated campaign to “brandish” your brand. Conduct some analysis to determine what the market conditions are for your emerging brand: Is there a need for what you offer? Are companies hiring in that area? Are there a zillion competitors for what you want to do? If the answers to these questions are negative, consider fine-tuning your brand. Once you’ve determined your passionate competency and the market demand, begin to determine the best approach for positioning your brand. Think unique positioning. 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.

Hone your product benefits into a 3-point marketing message that conveys your unique strengths.

This message should be 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.” Create a benefit-driven target statement: To keep you focused 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. Be prepared for the networking opportunities that abound, both internally and externally: Be ready with a sound bite that describes your unique brand. Mix and match your success stories and sound bites to create a comfortable yet compelling 2-minute introduction. Practice: You must be able to deliver your sound bites naturally, without appearing as though you’re reading a telemarketing script. 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, err on the side of formality.

Visual branding also means you must act the part. Candidly evaluate your mindset, beliefs, behaviours, and attitudes. Are these consistent with others in your field who have attained notable success?

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.