The PEARL of the Personal Brand!
You may have heard “the peacock danced fantastically in the jungle”, but you may be believing “until I see something happen in front of me, I can’t believe it”. Do you have an idea what I’m talking about? Yes! You are right, if you have something inside you, and nobody knows it, in today’s world it is not worth having. In the world of digital marketing and the harrowing competitive environment, you have to be very careful. You take care of even a single update on your social networking site. Have you ever noticed, why you are so careful? Because you are very brand conscious, and here I am not talking about the brands that you wear or use, here I am talking about “Personal Branding”. You have been doing everything you can to make yourself smarter and more presentable. You may have everything you need to turn heads. But if you are not making your mark effectively, then you are just like the same peacock that danced fabulously BUT in the “jungle never seen”.
So there are some checkpoints to your successful corporate odyssey and your personal brand that you need to worry about…
professional skill
Resume: Your updated resume plays the most important role in your personal brand. It is the first entry ticket that allowed your successful entry into the current organization and will give you the next invitation and entry into another organization as well.
LinkedIn: We generally ignore some fields on our LinkedIn profile. There are no fields that define your complete personality such as your interest, the type of group you follow, the number of certificates you have obtained, the honors and awards you have, the causes you care about, your publications, etc. We do not update our profile if we have completed any certificates or earned any awards while working with the current organization. We wait until the moment when we need to change our company, that is pure suicide for your personal brand.
Briefcase: Today we live in the era of “soft copies”, where things on paper no longer exist. There are no free platforms where you can create your own website or portfolio. This could be a common platform where you can link each event of your professional life. Regardless of your field, you can showcase your potential and promote your personal brand through your online portfolio or website.
Business Skills
Organizational involvement: Your office is not a hub of the human machine, there must be some activities other than official work that you could engage in. If you don’t participate in activities like weekly quizzes, competitions, or corporate social responsibility, then at some point you’re putting yourself on a back bench that would leave a scar on your personal brand.
Cause and Volunteer: The world is very dynamic and we are exploring new opportunities everywhere. Sometimes we don’t care about our surroundings. Always try to get involved in a social cause or a required topic as a volunteer that shows your leadership ability.
interest: The office is not your limit, you may have some other skill that you can enjoy and hone outside of the office. Imagine any official or unofficial meeting happens and you show your performance, which was also in your interest, it gives you extra points for a strong personal brand.
Attitudinal Ability
Communication: Communication is something that gives you a special place in your organization. If you know how to speak, when to speak and what to speak; you can stay on top of your organization. Written communication is just as important as verbal communication, because it fills your absence and your written words become your voice.
Appearance: Sometimes we think that clothing does not play an important role in representing your attitude. But we forget that our dress says the first word about our attitude. Selecting the right dress for the right situation builds your personal brand.
Idiom: In general, we are very relevant during the interview. We use very selective words when we speak and we use very sophisticated language, but by the time we get into work, we become very informal with our language. We take it for granted, we think that our partner and the management do not realize it. But until the moment you come to know that your attitude is wrongly assumed, it is too late.
relationship
Customer: The relationship with the client or clients ensures your positive position in your organization. We must give priority to building trust with our clients, because this is the most valuable factor that enhances the personal brand in your organization.
Colleagues: Sometimes we forget to behave correctly with our colleagues or colleague. They are our brand ambassadors in the organization. You can’t be the same person for everyone. You have to be very careful with all individuals.
Management: Do not always consider management as an initial problem. They will also promote you. At some point you may not like management policies, but if you care about your personal brand, try to establish a positive relationship with management. They carry a lot of weight for your brand.
Liveliness in the digital world
Social Media: Social media is being a hot spot for all kinds of brands, so how could your personal brand stay intact? If you are connected with your colleague, try to be more cautious, because sometimes your updates don’t define your personality, but people take it differently. Here, you can go with separate social media IDs if you don’t want to leave a single stone unturned for your personal brand.
Thought process: The type of links, updates, comments and photos / videos that you upload to the digital world, make your image. So you have to be very vigilant while updating anything. Here, you don’t have to be formal all the time, your sense of humor and witty comments play an important role in defining your personal brand, because your updates and comments reflect your thought process.
Networks: Your list of friends plays an important role in building the image. People will judge your personality from your network. On LinkedIn, connections are a game changer, he is responsible for a bigger relationship and a bigger business deal. So be very careful when making your network.
Generally all the points are common and I am sure you must have encountered all those points before. But the big question is that knowing and being known are two different situations, like “the peacock dances in the jungle” and “the peacock dances in the city”. Personal branding makes you a fantastic seen dancer. So let the world see your presence!!!