Personal Brand (1/4): Invest in yourself

What is a personal brand?

A personal brand has been described as the conscious and intentional effort to create, as well as influence, the public perception of an individual by positioning them strategically. This includes portraying them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, differentiating themselves from the competition to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.

Generally speaking, one hears of a brand in association with celebrities, influencers and companies, often when they have made a public error and their PR representatives are sent in to clean up the mess. That being said, Personal Branding is essential to all, especially in the workplace.

You are the star of your play

To truly understand Personal Branding, and how it can be used every day, we need to address the foundations, which are based around Goffman’s Self Presentation Theory, which explores the way people want to be seen and how people are perceived by their peers.

Goffman uses the theatre as an example of personal presentation, which they dubbed “dramaturgical analysis”. That is, everyone is an actor who is simultaneously projecting the image they would like to be perceived as, whilst also interpreting the other person (or persons) image that they are projecting and adjusting their behaviour or actions for changing situations (backdrops).

Throughout our entire lives, we select which values, behaviours and personality traits we want to present in different settings; building a personal brand of you in the process. In the next few articles, we will explore ways to refine and maintain your brand as a professional tool, and how to apply your brand on several different levels.

Building a personal brand, professionally

Firstly, let’s look at why we would use a personal brand in a professional setting. How often have you heard of the saying — ‘first impressions are lasting impressions’? Humans tend to make snap decisions based on people’s first impression; whether this is based on personality or visual.

For longstanding personal relationships, the first impression often becomes a source of humour, and will often fade over time. Professionally, on the other hand, you may only get one shot to make the desired impression.

Utilising a personal brand in a professional setting is therefore important for many reasons — from the moment a CV is submitted to career development. Not only will you benefit from setting your boundaries and expectations around your behaviour, but it will also highlight your skills, expertise, as well as any mastery you may want to develop. Expectations of your behaviour can guide you through unexpected or unpleasant situations. On the other hand, your colleagues will know when they can rely on you, thus creating a solid reliable persona.

This can be helpful for professionals, as it sets the stage and script for productive and calm discussions.

Real-life application

With these reasons in mind, how can we recognise and refine personal brand? How do we apply what we know about personal branding into everyday life? Begin by assessing and choosing the values you would like to project with your colleagues. These values should also align with your job description, and your company’s vision and values (if they have any).

If you are a job seeker, this tip is for you. Given the advancement of technology in this modern world, all it takes is a minute or less to find you via digital means; in particular, your social media. However, there is no need to remove all traces of your online existence as this can appear suspicious. Most people don’t need to worry about removing a lot of content, but a quick search is a good place to learn how the public perceives you.

For those with an established career who would like to elevate their status within their chosen field, ensure your digital persona is up to date, and any less than ideal posts or images be archived on your social media channels.

By viewing our Personal Brand as a persona, or a character, we can begin to visualise the type of person we would like to be perceived at work and rely on those values to guide us through our day to day role, as well as with any decision making and interpersonal interaction.

What’s next?

In this article, we looked at the why and what of personal branding, its history, as well as its benefits on a professional level. Next, we will look at the different ways we can communicate our brand on a physical level.