Say My Name: 5 Myths About Personal Brand

Personal brand is the most important tool you have in your belt when it comes to career success.  Not being in control of what other people (especially your boss or hiring manager) think of you is the number one reason many women see their career stalled even though they feel they are doing their best. Personal brand is a deliberate and strategic effort to promote your skills.  In other words, it's the way you decide to package yourself for the world to see.  The sad truth is that although it's the most important aspect of career development, it's also the most misunderstood.

These are the 5 common misconceptions about personal brand.

Personal brand and reputation are the same thing. I'd say this is the most common misconception people have.  While reputation is one aspect of personal brand, there are 3 other factors that contribute to your brand as well.  They are 1) your online presence, 2) your professional portfolio, and 3) your in person connections.  While each has a distinct set of rules and best practices on its own, when put together correctly, they help create a total brand package that will keep you in demand in your career.

I don't have a brand...and I don't need one.  I think this is the most dangerous misconception to have.  First off, EVERYONE has a brand, whether you deliberately work at it or not.   As I stated above, personal brand includes your reputation (among other things).  We all know that your reputation affects the way others view and treat you.  If people are going to use your brand to decide how to interact with you, then it really is in your best interest to have a say in how you are being perceived and not leave something this important to chance.

Only senior execs need to worry about personal brand.  Again, this couldn't be further from the truth.  Not only should we all be aware of our brand perception, we also need to make sure we have an action plan in place that constantly assesses and revamps that brand as needed.  Senior execs most likely got to where they are because of the personal brand they cultivated early on in their careers.

Only professional social media outlets count toward my personal brand.  no. No. NO.  ALL online media count toward your personal brand.  91% of recruiters use social media as another way to screen candidates during the application process.  So it's not only important to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and professional, but you should also clean up your Facebook, Instagram and countless other ones as well.  When's the last time you googled yourself?  Are you happy with everything that shows up?

I can't control my personal brand.  By now you should notice a theme in all of the previous myths.  Every aspect of personal brand can definitely be controlled; though some more than others.  The key is to assess our current brand and then create a plan to revamp as necessary.

Mastering your personal brand is critical to career success.  Don't leave something this important to chance.  Get in front of they way you are being perceived by others and make sure you are doing everything within your power to create and maintain a positive image.

The Honest to God Truth About Personal Brand

At some point in your professional career, I'm willing to bet a significant amount of money that you've heard the term "Personal Brand".  And no, it wasn't used in the context of describing uber successful companies like Pepsi, Apple, or Disney; but instead it was used to describe you.

The first time I heard the term used to describe me, I'm not going to lie, I was more than a little bit confused.  "How am I supposed to come up with a personal brand?", I thought to myself, "I'm not trying to sell anything".

I have come a long way since those thoughts initially ran through my mind.  I now know that each and every professional is most definitely trying to sell something - themselves.  As a result, a personal brand is probably the most important tool you have in your arsenal when it comes to creating a successful career.

The tricky thing about personal brand is that it's always working for you, either in a negative or positive way.  Because of this, you have to make a deliberate effort to ensure that you remain in control of the impression you are creating for the world to see.  Why leave something as important as your image and public perception to chance?

The first and most important step in developing your personal brand is to decide what you want it to be.  If you had to describe yourself twitter style (140 characters or less), what would you say?  This is your brand statement.  The best statements drum up some emotion behind the words and persuade the receiver to not only see you in a certain light, but to also feel you.

What do you feel when you think of Donald Trump, Oprah, Beyonce,  or Rick Ross?  Whether you like these people or not, they've each drilled into your psyche some emotionally charged feelings about who they are.  Rick Ross' is the most simple - "I'm a Boss".  It doesn't get any more plain that that.

Once you figure out your brand statement, you will need to ensure that all of your professional interactions and deliverables (both online and offline) are aligned with it.

The bottom line is that personal brand is arguably the most important aspect in determining your career trajectory.  91% of recruiters and hiring managers will google you before even inviting you for an interview.  Don't leave something this important to chance. Become your own PR exec in the business of marketing YOU.