To strengthen your personal brand, focus on learning, networking, and humble self-promotion.
What is the key to success in the workplace? It’s building a reputation that executives, management, and influencers at a company will cause them to remember you and think of you in a positive way. One of the reasons it takes some professionals longer than others to advance their career is because they have not focused on developing their personal brand and professional reputation.
The moment a career is treated as a business, working effectively with team members, and speaking highly about your company after work, moving up the corporate ladder can come easier. Here are a few ways to develop your personal brand and develop a positive reputation in the workplace.
Crafting a Resume for a Promotion
A resume is a living, breathing thing and a tangible asset of your personal brand. It must be recrafted continually as you gain professional experience. It needs to be updated even when a new job opportunity is not open. A strong resume typically leads with a career summary of four to five sentences with an emphasis on leadership, communication skills, and team success. Resumes often include power words like:
- Delegated
- Achieved
- Invented
- Organized
Strong word choice and an active voice conveys authority in a subtle way without having to overtly say— “I’m authoritative!” Also, don’t be shy to note your accolades. An award-winning resume speaks volumes and laurels are persuasive when looking for a promotion.
Becoming a Subject Matter Expert
The professional in the room that understands the organization’s history, trending industry news, the competitive landscape and has a vision for long-term growth is a valuable employee. The average employee comes to work, finishes assignments and leaves at 5 pm. The subject matter expert might leave at the same time, but at home, he or she is improving their skills that will benefit them at work. Being an expert of your company objectives can set you apart from the rest of the pack and increase the value of your personal brand.
Continuous Learning
For business professionals, the learning never stops. Especially in today’s technology-driven landscape. Education is a continuous journey that will set you apart from the competition. Continued learning is crucial but the cost and time-commitment of a four-year college educations is great. Alternatively, sites like Pluralsight, Udemy, and Coursera offer low-cost continuous learning programs. Many of these courses are affordable and self-paced, which allows you develop skills on your time. Here are just a few of the skills you can learn from online programs:
- Graphic design
- Public speaking
- Business/ technical writing
- Leadership strategies
- Project management
Networking with the C-Suite
Networking with the C-Suite can be a daunting task for most people in the workplace. With that said, it’s a strategic move that may be noticed by the management team. Try participating in committees at work and outside of work members of the C-suite attends. If the chance arises, introduce yourself to members of the C-Suite and start some engaging dialogue—knowledge of your organization and the competitive landscape can be very useful here.
Help Other Departments
If you work at a company that has a slow period, use this time to network with other departments by helping them with their workload—most people like, and remember, a team player. Plus, it will strengthen your personal brand and show your are confident approaching new work responsibilities in other departments.
Share What You Know
A blog on LinkedIn or a personal online website are two ways to build your personal brand as a distinguished business professional. Your articles can potentially spark conversations about the direction of where the industry is headed, further solidifying your position as a thought leader in your company and related industry.
Your Personal Brand
Focus on the basic of your personal brand:
- Update your resume
- Company involvement
- Continued learning
- Networking
- Helping others
The fundamental change, when developing your personal brand, is thinking of yourself as a company. What does your company look like? What does it do? What does it know? How does it create value? It becomes easier to see the importance of your personal brand equity when you treat yourself like a business.
