Branding Yourself for Career Success: A Tool for Student Career Success

Personal Branding It’s an often referenced term that promises to open doors and position you for success and glory. But as more experts enter our field telling us what exactly it takes to be an expert, it’s easy to lose focus as to why you’re doing it, and what exactly you need to do to make your brand stand out.

Personal Branding According to personal branding expert and CEO of Social Star, Andrew Ford, a personal brand comprises of your unique skills, relevant qualifications and personality, as well as the entire journey from discovering your existence to selecting you ahead of other applicants for opportunities.

Personal Branding Personal branding is the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual.

What is a Personal Brand? The following 10 elements are familiar to you as your thoughts and attitudes, outside interactions and life experience. Here is what they mean - and how they will form the foundations of your personal branding story. Personality Strengths Your Look and Style Goals Education and Work Experience Values Passions and Interests Influencers and Inspirations Target Market Associations

Why is Personal Branding Important? Here are some other reasons why building a personal brand will improve your life: Creating a strong personal brand can benefit your career Developing a strong personal brand will give you better sense of self Cultivating a personal brand will help you think strategically Building your brand will help you to deliver more value Personal branding will help you define your specialisation A personal brand will help you build self confidence With a personal brand, you shape your own story

“You have to bring a unique synthesis and value to the market place “You have to bring a unique synthesis and value to the market place. Credibility is based on results and customer orientation, and this is the only criteria by which people will come back. Otherwise you’re struggling to get traction based purely on an image.” - Teresa Page, Leadership Teacher.

How to Develop a Strong Personal Brand? Theme – Goals Point of Difference Personal Branding Statement Appearance The way you speak, the words and tone you use Social interactions Your peer circle and associations Social media, blogs and websites Imagery Colours Logo Reputation

Established Personal Brands Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg. words like entrepreneurial disrupter, recluse, hoodie, billionaire, may have flashed through your mind. Imagine you can have a similar impact?

Ready to develop your own personal brand?

Reinventing Your Personal Brand Define Your Destination Leverage Your Points of Difference Develop a Narrative Reintroduce Yourself Prove Your Worth “Successful rebranding doesn’t involve inventing a new persona”

APPLICATION FOR STUDENTS CAREER SUCCESS “A career brand is an image that portrays you as an expert in your field, attracts your ideal employer, and reveals how you can help their business. How can you promote your career brand effectively, to stand out among increasing competition in the workforce? Self-marketing!”

SELF-MARKETING Before you begin self-marketing, you need to understand: 1. What you are going to market about yourself 2. Who you are going to market yourself to 3. Why you are going to market yourself to them

Goals of Self-Marketing Provide direction to help eliminate trial and error. As a result, save time and money. Network with key industry players. Identify your transferable skills. Marketing these skills, not just job history and accomplishments, puts you in higher demand (i.e., more interviews). Determine what other industries your transferable skills fit into. The industry you are in affects the success of your career. Market yourself in growing industries (green-collar, biotechnology, nutrition, IT). Steer away from dying industries (textile, printing, newspapers, steel manufacturing, etc.). Resolve any setbacks that hurt your career and prevent you from getting interviews. Fix your resume so it does not portray you as "a job hopper", "lacking education", or "unable to advance at a company".

Create Your Own Mission Statement What to include: 1. Goals - Aspirations in life (short-term and long-term) 2. Core values - Who you are and what your priorities are 3. Successes - Professional, personal, etc. 4. Offerings - How you can make a difference for the world, your family, employer or future employers, friends and community

Integrate Assessments into Your Career Branding “Career and personality assessments reveal consistent patterns in your traits, characteristics, strengths, preferences, and skills” “The assessment results may lead you in a new career direction”

Key Marketing Tools: Strategic Marketing Plan - Your plan answers these questions: 1. What have I accomplished, where am I now, and where will my career be if I do not take action? 2. Where do I want to go with my career? 3. How do I get to where I want to go? 4. How do I put my plan into action? 5. What do I need to change if I am not getting success?

TIPS FOR CAREER SUCCEED BELIEVE YOU CAN SUCCEED AND YOU WILL CURE YOURSELF OF EXCUSITIS, THE FAILURE DISEASE BUILD CONFIDENCE AND DESTROY FEAR

TIPS FOR CAREER SUCCEED THINK BIG POWER OF IMAGINATION MANAGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT: GO FIRST CLASS

TIPS FOR CAREER SUCCEED MAKE YOUR ATTITUDES YOUR ALLIES THINK RIGHT TOWARD PEOPLE GET ACTION HABIT

TIPS FOR CAREER SUCCEED USE GOALS TO HELP YOU GROW THINK LIKE A LEADER

THANK YOU VERY MUCH