Having a unique, well-defined and authentic personal brand is one of the keys to landing the job you want and having career success at the job you have. A strong personal brand will differentiate you from your competitors; ultimately making you more marketable. No two professionals are the same; and those nuances, differences and distinctions make up our “brand.” Are you multi-lingual? Have an MBA from a top school? Hold a top position at a professional association? Created a non-profit? All of these accomplishments are part of your brand—and set you apart from your peers. Here’s what you need to know about how to build your personal brand for career success.

Create a Personal Mission Statement

An important starting point for brand building is crafting a Personal Mission Statement. Your mission statement is a personal GPS system meant to guide you in your day-to-day activities and to keep you on track to meet your goals. Here is a sample of a personal mission statement crafted by a woman looking for a position as a brand manager: “To secure a position as a brand manager at a luxury goods company where I can utilize my proven track record in marketing communications and my quantitative skills. I will accomplish this by attending and eventually speaking at professional association meetings; utilizing social media to connect with experts in my field; and by blogging about the luxury good markets.” To see samples of personal mission statements check out www.quintcareers.com or www.timethoughts.com.

Become an Expert or Thought Leader

Becoming a subject matter expert is an excellent way to build your personal brand. If you are a “go-to” person in your field you are eminently hireable and desired. Some ways to accomplish this include:

• Create a blog; or contribute to a blog in your chosen field (check out www.technorati.com for top blogs in each industry.
• Do your own personal Public Relations: Perhaps you got a promotion; were quoted in an industry publication; or spoke at a professional association meeting: send out a press release on www.freepressreleases.com to help raise your visibility.
• Sign up for Help a Reporter Out: www.HARO.com this site matches reporters with experts and experts with reporters. With so many media outlets available, reporters are often searching for professionals to quote for industry articles or blogs: sign up to be an “expert.”

Monitor Your Brand

• Set up Google alerts (www.google/alerts) to monitor your name and your brand
• Search www.technorati.com to track your name mentioned in blog posts
• Track your twitter posts utilizing the search feature on www.twitter.com

Pamela Weinberg is an independent career coach and works with clients in all phases of career development. She has developed a niche in personal branding and speaks frequently to students and alumni at various universities across the country on the topic. Recently seminars and webinars have been presented at NYU, Columbia University; Johns Hopkins University and the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Pamela works with participants to build their personal brands through social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin) as well as through personal public relations and networking. Through her company MYOBmoms.com, Pamela works with on-ramping women to help them return to the workplace after taking time off to raise their families. In addition, Pamela is an adjunct instructor at NYU-SCPS in the field of Career Management. 

The post Personal Branding: How to Build Your Brand for Career Success appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Lately, the B-word has been bandied about more than any other in the business world. Whether you’re part of a large established corporation or a stay-at-home “mompreneur”, branding is now a part of your daily vocabulary. But what exactly is the distinction between branding and image, and how important is it—as an individual—to maintain your brand?

We all know the importance of making a great first impression and that the way we present ourselves determines whether or not we do this. Personal branding takes this a step further; it is the collection of all the images and impressions that you impart on the world. This creates lasting impressions. It cannot be captured in a logo or picture because it is not a singular thing but rather the continuum of messages that convey who you are and what you stand for. For example if you act like a professional but go to meetings dressed down, your brand will lack consistency. However, if you are well-dressed, punctual, ethical, and friendly day in and day out, you will create a personal brand that reflects that. It becomes much more than your image: what people see. It becomes a perceived part of your identity: who you are.

For some this becomes difficult when “who you are” is, first and foremost, a mother. You must carefully manage the way you are perceived. The trouble is that it can be difficult to step outside yourself and accurately interpret how you are viewed by other people. For most people who take the time to question how they’re viewed, there is a disconnect between how they believe their image is interpreted and the reality. Few people have the self-awareness to separate their own intentions from what the outside world sees. The only effective way around this is to turn to an outside perspective – someone trusted – who can give an honest account of the image you portray. Often we think we’re sending one message but are being interpreted entirely differently.

We all have an image, an identity, and a brand. While most of us know how important these are – be it at home, work, or socially – few people actively manage them. This doesn’t just mean wearing the right clothes. It requires a much greater attention to detail than appropriate attire. Not only should we assess how we represent ourselves on a daily basis, we should analyze exactly what is working and what isn’t. Building a reputation takes decades, and ensuring that you represent yourself authentically is worth a few hours of self-analysis. Most importantly, as a mom, it takes a lot of care and attention to be perceived as a professional at work but as a mother at home.

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