Personal Branding: Today more than ever!

Some time ago, I had the chance of reading a very interesting article about how important “Personal Branding” is for managers nowadays. I instantly remembered reading a catchy book by Tom Peters, “The Brand You50”. At that point, I understood that Personal Branding not only means belonging to a big company, being an expert in one or more technical areas, doing business or giving talks, but it also refers to taking advantage of each of these skills and activities to gain leverage in order to create a Personal Branding. The key is to use all these elements from your personal CV to build a trademark of yourself. But, where do we start?

In the past, it was possible to be relatively safe by only staying in the shadows… Nowadays, this is more difficult. (Michael Goldhaber, Wired)

Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got. (Janis Joplin)

Globalization, competition, massive layoffs, crisis such as Argentina’s in 2001 or Europe’s nowadays, then, show managers that a university degree or expertise are only one part of success, they have to go out and sell themselves and find new ways of showing their professional skills, their potential and values.  Peters refers to this as the “White Collar Revolution”, but in his review (that he himself brands as alarming) he is just describing reality. The “standard” employee is not essential. You will be replaced if your work is not special; no matter how hard you work, no one will pay attention to it and, obviously, you will start to earn less money. The key is personal reinvention… And Tom says: Do it to yourself, before they do it to you”. Then, when we finally face the reality, or others “make” us face the reality that job security doesn’t exist, it’s high time for you to take the initiative and reinvent yourself. Tom goes deeper into this issue: it is important not to think that your job is not good, but rather that it is not the only possibility we have and that each of us can and must give more from ourselves.

Nowadays, there are several options available to improve and spread our personal profile. Writing in blogs, keeping profiles updated in LinkedIn, making comments on topics of interest on Twitter are only some of the possibilities. Of course this is not a success formula; it’s only part of the process. The real value is what each of us is and does. A well-known concept arises, then – “specialization”.

Basic and clear concepts:

• Profession = marketable skills!
• Distinction = Unforgettable!
• Build a network of connections = Word-of-mouth advertising!

The key is to be an “expert” and stand out from the crowd in some specific area in which one performs excellently!

The future of professional careers will be to find the expert of the expert. Hatum, PhD in Management and Organization, Warwik Business School (England).

In the future labor world, stability will no longer be the main variable companies will offer us. Constant change forces us to be adaptable. Hugo Pardo Kuklinkski, CEO of Imagine Postdigital, founder of Funky Mobile Ideas.

Nowadays, it is vital for us to leave the anonymity of the office to show the world our expertise. “The Brand I” or “Personal Branding” are topics which demand you to see yourself as your own company and show that you need to spread what you do and who you are.

Fletchers straighten arrows; carpenters shape wood; the wise master themselves. (Buda)

This isn’t as simple as it seems, though. So as to finish this article, I will leave you with a key question that can be the starting point for you: What do I want to be? What do I want to represent?

In an article for IAE alumni magazine, Martín Frias (Pragmativa Digital Marketing Director) says: “it’s important to know where one is headed. You don’t need to “get on the wave” only to follow the herd. The idea is to create content.”

So, this simple concept has some aspects to analyze and we could continue going deeper for a long time. The following list is a summary of the concepts taken from the original article which inspired this post and Tom’s book. They are guidelines we can have in mind when implementing this idea of “The Brand I”:

1) Have a clear goal: what do I want to be? How do I want to be recognized?

2) Complete Commitment with the project.

3) You are your clients, so connect with them!

4) You are your contact list, never stop enlarging it!

5) Upgrading: keep your profile updated.

6) Honesty: lie is your worst enemy. Trust and openness are two of the most valuable assets which make up the concept of personal branding.

7) Self-promotion: take part in talks and means of communication in an active and regular way.

8) Add value; remember that everything you say or write should add value to your audience.

9) Trial and error: you have to make mistakes in order to learn. Although it is important to be careful, don’t forget that everything remains in the Web!

10) Come on! Try it!