You've Been Branded!
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Nope, I don’t mean that someone has physically placed a hot iron in a conspicuous place in order to lay claim. What I do mean is that you may very well have branded yourself regarding your career choices. Generations of managers from just about any industry (especially agriculture) have pigeon holed - and been pigeon holed because of degree, or experience of their career early on. Today, I’ll take a break from the normal conversation of career options - and talk about something much more important. Developing your personal brand.
I have a degree in Agriculture Education. When that topic comes up in many conversations, people tend to ask the question, “So where do you teach?” The reality is, I’ve never been paid to teach an ag education course in my life. Not once. Because of my schooling - some people think I need to work in a certain area. However, I refuse to be pigeon holed in that career, and so I work to brand myself as someone who is valuable to an organization as a masterful networker, as an entrepreneurial minded strategist, and who loves people. In fact, this is one of the first things listed on my resume.
Today we have a plethora of robust social networking utilities that help us to communicate our brand. In all likelihood, you or someone else has Googled you, looked up your Linked In, Facebook, or MySpace account. In this day and age, word travels faster than ever! The good news is that you can brand and re-brand yourself efficiently and cost effectively. A healthy combination of online media, on the job performance, and feedback from friends and mentors are all part of a recipe for personal branding success!
Here are some tips on developing YOUR personal brand.
1. Talk with friends and mentors to gather feedback about how you’re perceived currently.
2. Gut Check - ask yourself: What do I really want out of my career? Does the brand you’re portraying match up?
3. Reflect - Jot down some ideas to purposefully create your personal brand.
4. Take action - Review or create your online profiles. Be sure they match the image you want to communicate.
5. This is a purposeful process that takes time - you must keep this at the forefront of every decision (both professional and social) that you make.
I have a degree in Agriculture Education. When that topic comes up in many conversations, people tend to ask the question, “So where do you teach?” The reality is, I’ve never been paid to teach an ag education course in my life. Not once. Because of my schooling - some people think I need to work in a certain area. However, I refuse to be pigeon holed in that career, and so I work to brand myself as someone who is valuable to an organization as a masterful networker, as an entrepreneurial minded strategist, and who loves people. In fact, this is one of the first things listed on my resume.
Today we have a plethora of robust social networking utilities that help us to communicate our brand. In all likelihood, you or someone else has Googled you, looked up your Linked In, Facebook, or MySpace account. In this day and age, word travels faster than ever! The good news is that you can brand and re-brand yourself efficiently and cost effectively. A healthy combination of online media, on the job performance, and feedback from friends and mentors are all part of a recipe for personal branding success!
Here are some tips on developing YOUR personal brand.
1. Talk with friends and mentors to gather feedback about how you’re perceived currently.
2. Gut Check - ask yourself: What do I really want out of my career? Does the brand you’re portraying match up?
3. Reflect - Jot down some ideas to purposefully create your personal brand.
4. Take action - Review or create your online profiles. Be sure they match the image you want to communicate.
5. This is a purposeful process that takes time - you must keep this at the forefront of every decision (both professional and social) that you make.
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