Reading the ‘gloom news’, which is endemic wherever you look, you might be thinking ‘crikey, it’s going to get tough to move on or find new work. Well certainly there might be a period of consolidation in the recruitment market, but as always in times of adversity, the strong will out the weak. Now is the time to be very conscious about your offer and the personal brand that will define and support your ability to create value for prospective employers or clients.

In times of heightened competition, it’s even more important that the image you present is authentic (coming from the heart with passion) and is distinctive and influential (you stand out in a crowded marketplace).

Personal brand

Whether you like it or not, everyone has a personal brand. You can choose to manage this in a strategic way or you can allow it develop of its own accord. But given that your career depends on your ability to market your ‘ME brand’, day-in and day-out, I believe personal branding is far too critical to leave to chance.

Googling - your brand on the web

To complicate matters still further, we live in an increasingly transparent world where ‘Googling’ often acts as the first reference point for information on individuals. In 2006, a survey by Execunet in the USA found that 77% of recruitment consultants Google candidates to find more information. And up to 35% remove candidates from consideration based on what they discover.

As Jonathan Winter, Founder of Career Innovation argues in the Guardian (26.07.08), "NetRep" - or someone's internet reputation - will become much more important as workers will increasingly be rated in a similar way to how buyers and sellers are rated for reliability and professionalism on sites such as eBay.

"As the workplace becomes more agile and people move between projects or organisations, people are going to need to own their internet reputation in a way that is more credible than in the past," Winter predicts. "How people are endorsed and their international profile will have a real power and influence."

Why not try putting your name into Google and see what happens? Does the search reveal you or someone else? Does what comes up support your offer or is it trivial and undermining to your brand? This is difficult to manage, but not impossible. You may also want to try visiting http://www.zoominfo.com/ and similar sites to check what information is openly available on the internet about you. It will be enlightening! Later in this article we will explore some rudimentary things you can do to help support and develop your online ME brand.

Are you authentic?

Many people see personal branding as another term for ‘selling myself’ – the brand is what you sell.  In my view, this misses the point. If you are in an interview and you have to ‘sell yourself’ then you are probably going for the wrong job. If your brand is clearly defined and you exude this with passion and desire then the assignment will almost certainly find you. Your authenticity as a leader and driver of business value will be so obvious it will be blinding.

How then do you define your personal brand? Try answering these questions as a starting point.

- Who am I and what do I stand for
- What do I believe in and would never compromise
- What makes me special
- What do you I want to achieve
- What do I want people to say about me

'ME brand' statement

Now write the answers down to create a short mission statement – a ‘ME brand’ statement.

Once you have done this test it out with your mentors, friends and colleagues. Do they find it compelling and true? If not, try again and ask them to help. Remember this is the foundation, the soul and fuel of your brand. If you point your career towards satisfying your personal mission then your ‘ME brand’ will be authentic and soar in value.

Now that you have defined your core purpose, what can you do to communicate it and find like-minded businesses and people that will respect your value? Networking and giving of yourself is the key.

Here are a few pointers to help you in this process.

• Constantly look for ways to expand your social and online network. Join clubs or societies that fit your purpose, offer to give speeches and get on the Conference Network, get out and meet people and when they ask you what you do, give them your elevator speech that encapsulates your purpose or mission.

• Create a CV that is precise, on-brand and distinctive (not gimmicky).

• Manage and foster your online profile (recruiters really do check this out) and make sure it fits your ‘ME brand’. 

• Join appropriate business networks such as Chambers of Commerce or sector specific societies or professional networks.

• Develop web content by being actively involved with professional debates on websites or blogs.

• Write articles on specialist subjects that you are passionate about. Contribute to blogs or even create your own (easy to do, just go to www.typepad.co.uk). How about your own website (you can now buy your own personal domain such as www.johnsmith.me). A blog or personal website would provide tangible evidence of your expertise and achievements. People want to see that you are on top of the issues in your industry, that you are well connected and have solved challenges that are similar to theirs.

• Review books at Amazon or elsewhere and link these reviews back to your blog or website.

• Use zoominfo.com, Ziggs.com, and LinkedIn.co.uk to make sure you have relevant and up-to-date profiles and networks.

• Check your social networks such as Friends Reunited, MySpace and Facebook, to ensure the content fits your brand (sometimes it might be surprisingly embarrassing).

Now, more than ever, is the time to ensure your on- and off-line ‘ME brand’ helps you to win in the highly competitive marketplace. It could be the difference between a successful, balanced career with purpose and passion or not.

Further action:

We are currently planning a workshop to help people define and articulate their Personal Brand. If you are interested please email me at paul@du-o.co.uk

About Paul Middlebrook
Brand Consultant and Managing Director, DUO Design and Marketing