Personal branding as an employee Strategically Visible in the corporate world
Let me share simple tips on sharpening your image to be successful in your corporate career and answer the question of why you even need to think about it.
You need to let people know what you stand for - it is that simple. Your image is a way of reinforcing who you are and what you stand for in your career. I was never a fan of colleagues who seemed to brag or self-promote at work. However, early on in my career, my manager told me that if no one else in the company actually knows about my work accomplishments, those accomplishments won’t really count for much. Up until that point, I’d always presumed that my work would speak for itself. I just had assumed that if I worked hard, the quality and impact would be obvious.
To have a strong image, you must be clear about who you are and who you are not. You need to be authentic. Your image reflects your unique values and strength, your potential and your performance. You must understand and be able to communicate what makes you exceptional and compelling. Be introspective, and create a list of your strengths and weaknesses. In a second step, you need to be clear what you want to stand for. Your image /personal brand is looking into the future. It’s a roadmap of where you want to be. Clarity on your future career will help better determine what steps you need to take to get there.
Prepare your elevator pitch as you need to consistently portray your image to make it visible and sharpen it. The best way to prepare for this is your elevator pitch to communicate what you stand for. Keep your elevator pitch brief by focusing on a few key points you want to emphasize. Be clear about the intent and the ask.
ReStart presenting your accomplishments internally and externally. Internally you can use company internal platforms such as presentation, video and communication platforms like a company news channel or newsletter. Joining employee research groups, offering tutorials and taking on the onboarding of newcomers will build your reputation.
ReStart Networking and always consider that it is essential to plan your network strategically. Even if you are an introvert, never eat lunch alone; plan your coffee chats in advance and with a topic. And most importantly, proactively connect with people throughout the organization, start raising your visibility amongst colleagues and industry representation.
Look for opportunities internally and externally at all times. One way to reshape your professional reputation is to engage in projects, roles or initiatives that strengthen your desired identity—volunteer for short-term assignments. Take the risk to change companies. Don’t wait ‘till an opportunity comes your way. You need to create the opportunities yourself. A pro-tip: Your strategic network can support you there!
Be prepared to ShowUp during meetings. If you don’t say anything or ask anything in a meeting, others simply won’t notice you, and you certainly won’t be building a reputation for anything other than being the “quiet one.” Ask a relevant question related to your area of competence during almost every meeting you attend. This will lead to further discussion or clarify a particular topic where you can shine. In the beginning, this will not only feel strange but as you are changing your behaviour, this will be noticed. However, this doesn´t matter; after a while people will proactively ask for your point of view.
You can write the story that should be told about you.
My recommendation is to invest time to develop further and strengthen your image. The professional opportunities you will gain are absolutely worth it. To summarize: Your Image or let´s call it Personal Brand should highlight your strengths, establish a reputation, build trust, and communicate the unique attributes you bring to your current (or desired) industry. Cultivated well, your personal brand will signal to employers whether or not you’ll be the right fit for an open role. Your image can change over time when you advance in your career and when you grow personally.
So, start today to (re)create your image in other words your personal brand!
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