Develop Your Brand: Promote Yourself as a Unique Individual or Job Candidate

By Carol Gee

Coca Cola, GE, Oprah. What do all of these have in common? Just the mention of these brands tells consumers who they are and what they are about. They tell consumers that they can depend upon their products, goods or services to always be of the highest caliber. Until recently, Toyota was the brand for affordable, good looking and dependable cars.

We hear a lot about branding these days. Branding is about building a name for yourself and highlighting what sets you apart from others. Establishing a brand is about developing an image – with results to match. Companies do this and in my humble opinion, so should individuals.

Much like the brands mentioned above and like so many others that we know and love, an individual’s personal brand is a combination of who he or she is and what he or she has to offer. It also encompasses the values they embody, and how all of those characteristics work together to form the unique individual they are. An individual’s brand highlights the added value he or she brings to a company or organization. Professionally speaking, brands aren’t just for products anymore.

Is a person’s brand essential to career advancement? The answer is a resounding yes, according to business experts. Establishing and promoting one’s personal brand is one of the most important marketing tools around these days. A job candidate’s brand determines why they should be sought out.

So, how does an individual go about establishing his or her personal brand? Awareness, visibility and connection— these three little words pack a powerful punch when it comes to establishing one’s brand. Today’s, social media sites are useful for increasing the three exponentially. LinkedIn for example, allows registered users to maintain a list of contacts or individuals they know and trust in business and professions. Whereas Facebook allows individuals to establish groups that cross companies and geographical locations.

Making a list of what strengths individuals possess and then narrowing it down to three powerful phrases to describe themselves professionally is the next step. This list should include their professional experience and select accomplishments. For example, are they known as organized, detailed and personable? Are they problem-solvers? The final step should be to prepare a short speech much like an elevator speech to describe them.

What is an elevator speech? An elevator speech is an overview of who individuals are and what they can do, or can offer. The term comes from the idea that it can be delivered during a typical elevator ride. Simply stated, an elevator speech or “pitch” is a summary that describes yourself or your business or your services/products in a few words. The goal is to make a speech that is short, simple, and effective. Say an individual is introduced to someone at a company party for the very first time. He or she should be able to tell that person something about themselves, and in a way that will pique the other person’s interest. One way to do this is to start with a catchy statement; also called a “hook.” In other words, try to attract the person’s attention with a few statements that are memorable. An individual’s hook is almost certain to make others interested in what he or she has to say.

So, what is the brand known as Carol Gee? If individuals are asking about Gee the educator and editor, I respond that I write custom business cases that are taught in the BBA, MBA and Executive classes at Emory’s Goizueta Business School. I also add that I copyedit business manuscripts ear-marked for books and journals. I frequently add that I’m also a freelance writer. Adding that I’m an ‘old’ soldier (airman), thus detailed-oriented and known for giving 110 percent to all tasks (those who know me will attest to that) also piques others’ interest.

Carol Gee the author writes books that humorously chronicle a day-in-the-life of the modern woman. A former mental health counselor, I liken my books as therapy, without the couch. By developing my brand and through showcasing that I’m the unique individual that I know myself to be has frequently positioned me as the best candidate for whatever position I’ve sought.

About the Author
Carol Gee, M.A. has worked in education for 28 years in positions ranging from teaching to administration. Currently she is an editor and business writer at Goizueta Business School at Emory University. She is also the author of books, The Venus Chronicles and Diary of a ‘Flygirl’ Wannabe (Life Lessons of a Cool Girl in Training)
www.venuschronicles.net