Seasoned Professionals: Brand Or BE Branded!

There’s a little saying we have here at Work It Daily called “brand or BE branded.” Are you branding yourself effectively as a seasoned professional? If you want to find a great job, you’re going to have to think about how you’re presenting yourself to others. Otherwise, you risk falling victim to stereotypes and assumptions.

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Personal Branding Test

Your personal brand is how people perceive you. But, what if they’re not getting the full picture? Here’s a little test:

1.) Describe your brand in three words. (i.e. “Focused, driven, passionate)

2.) Poll your colleagues and ask them how they would describe you in three words.

3.) Analyze the results. Do they match up?

If they do, congratulations! You’ve done a great job honing in and promoting your brand. If they don’t, you need to step up your game and sharpen your brand. Otherwise, you will lose control of it. Of course, there is much more that goes into your brand than three little words, but this test is a good indicator of whether or not you’re on the right track. People might use words with which you have no interest in being associated. That’s a major symptom of a struggling personal brand.

Brand or BE branded!

Remember, brand or BE branded! This is especially true for recent grads and seasoned professionals. People will have assumptions about you based on stereotypes and previous experiences. Don’t leave your professional fate up to assumptions! To counter this, you need to focus in on your brand. How do you want others to perceive you? What do you want people to say when you’re not in the room? How do you want to be defined? Once you’ve determined your personal brand, your next step is to promote it effectively. You can have the best personal brand in your head, but if you don’t make it known, that’s where it’s going to stay: in your head.

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