The other day I got asked about how to define your personal brand. It was asked as part of a discussion on career flux. For some women the questions was about how to transition careers and “package” previous jobs in a new way. For some it was how to avoid being pigeon holed by past history and deal with advice as they were building their own business. Here is what some 40-something women had to say:
“Just like a company brand, we all have equities that come from our past and present. For Red Bull it’s about energy and irreverence. They built this by acting a certain way, sponsoring extreme sports, hosting wacky events, being there to give you “wings” whenever you need energy. Similarly, think of your behaviors and communications part of your brand building activities. It’s how these are experienced by other people.
Think about what is relevant to the people (or different audiences) you interact with and what they expect in future interactions that can move your “brand” forward. So what part of your prior job history can you frame as equities that contribute to who you are today and how you will perform in the future. Your brand equity can be what you take from a job and how you apply to your life now. It’s what you do in your other activities that complement or add another dimension to this. You have control of the story. You can define what you have taken from a past job and how it is an asset.” – 40-something, marketing executive, NYC
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“No one thing defines your personal brand. You can use your experience or activities in one part of your “career” to give you credibility and that allows you to indulge in other activities that you love to do. It’s all in how you position it.” – lawyer, journalist, NYC
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“If it is your customers (the people you are serving, (e,g, your blog readers, your company clients) you should listen to what they think about your “brand”. It’s how they experience your brand that truly defines what it is. If it is other partners or team members or friends telling you what they think your “brand” should be, take it in and then listen to your core values and decide for yourself how it fits your brand.” – 40-something, marketing executive turned financial advisor
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