How To Advance Your Career By Communicating Your Personal Brand
Understanding and communicating your own personal brand in the workplace is pivotal to your career success.
One of the most underrated career hacks is to know your worth so you can effectively communicate your value.
Back in 2019, I was fully immersed in my graduate school program where I learned all about building a personal brand from influential individuals in the community, at the university, and alumni of the program. At the time, I sat behind a desk as a student and thinking to myself,
“well ya - it’s easy for them to build a brand because they are already so established in their career” *eye roll*
Fast forward to 2020, and I was the individual standing at the front of the room speaking about building a personal brand. The opportunity to create the presentation -- to even be considered to speak at an event like this -- was an opportunity that gave me pause, and forced me to reflect on my own personal brand journey.
If you don’t think your personal brand affects your business acumen, your job opportunities, your promotion possibility, or your overall success as a career professional - you are wrong.
Your personal brand goes beyond your credentials on your resume. Your personal brand is what makes you stand out amongst the rest. Your personal brand encapsulates your values and your personality. Your personal brand is what you bring to the table. Your personal brand is how you make people feel.
In the 4 years since originally learning about the importance of personal branding in the workplace, I have taken on new identities, new jobs, new roles, new projects, new clients, and new experiences. Throughout all the change, the one thing that has stayed steady throughout all this change has been my personal brand.
What has remained steady is my commitment to make the workplace better for those we work with and for those who come after us – through civil and effective communication. My clients feel this, my colleagues experience this and my work reflects WHY I come to work every day.
If you haven’t yet thought about your own personal brand in the workplace, now is the time to do so and here are 3 steps to take in order to identify and communicate your personal brand.
Understand what a personal brand means to you
Take a minute to reflect WHAT a personal brand means to you and WHO reflects a strong personal brand in your inner circles (either personal or professional).
How do you define a personal brand?
Which individual(s) stand out to you in the workplace?
What makes this individual so impactful or influential?
What do you want to be known for in the workplace? What skillsets are unique to you?
And my definition of a personal brand?
“A personal brand encompasses the values, the humanity, and the sense of self inside you - brought to life by the energy and light showcased to others around you.
2. Identify WHY you show up for work every day
What motivates you?
Why do you work so hard?
What is this all for?
What is your why?
3. Start communicating through your actions
Identifying WHAT a personal brand means to you and WHY you show up for work every day is the beginning. It is the foundation for which you will build your career upon and it is the map for which you will navigate various situations throughout your tenure. Communication is the vehicle to help you show up and take action every day.
How are you writing emails and is that in line (aka on brand) with how you want to represent yourself in the workplace?
When meeting new people, how do you describe yourself?
How do you show up to meetings?
What type of mentorship or support are you providing to others?
How do you discuss your career goals with others?
I realize this resource probably gave you more questions than answers but the goal of Career Civility is to always give you actionable and tactical advice you can immediately implement into your work day. You now have various prompts to action on in order to start mapping out your own personal brand and how it relates to your career advancement.
Reflect on why you do the work you do, understand how you want to show up for others, and THAT is how you communicate your personal brand to advance your career.
