By Kees van Langen
If you’re currently looking for a job, on average, you have 4.3 more people to compete with than you would have had two years ago. In this time of high unemployment, where each job opening can have thousands of applicants, your professional reputation and standing make a critical difference in how quickly you can be re-employed. Especially re-employed in the right job that matches your purpose and passion. Everyone wants to be known as desirable and unique individuals who have a lot to offer, but, then how do you differentiate?
We continuously brand ourselves whether we want to or not. Oddly enough sometimes we do not really care how other people think and feel about us—not enough to do something about it. However, when critical decisions others make about our life go south, we sit up and begin to take notice. We are bewildered about why the world is not on our side. That realization can be the start of conscious professional branding.
Here are a few tips on how to rebrand your professional image:
1. Recognize the impact of perception. Building a reputation of excellence requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of who we are and what we are here to do. Indeed, our divine purpose is the starting point. It is the source of our passion and it is our compass to set the direction for our lives. The Lord has backed up our purpose with suitable talents and abilities, a personality that has unique features for success (and for struggle), and a divine invitation to make it happen.
2. Don’t wait for perfection. If we wait until we are perfect, our lives will have run their course and “Brand Me Inc.” will have been a dud. Indeed, in striving for excellence and by purposefully branding ourselves we open up important opportunities for development—we encounter difficult and stretching periods that test our mettle and either confirm our purpose or cause us to tweak our direction. Being very clear about who we are and what we are is an essential prerequisite in our “professional branding” quest.
3. Market your experience through storytelling. Most of us are not very good at tooting our horn and telling the world of our greatness. But we must have a story to tell. The more engaging that story is, the more other people will be touched by it and will invite you to tell that story to others. It is even more powerful when the story goes hand in hand with a demonstration, with something people can walk away with, and with practical and/or thoughtful gesture that uplifts others.
4. Become an authentic networker. Networking has been in the forefront of branding for some time now and it represents problems for some people. Most engage their network, wanting something from their network partners, such as a job, contract opportunity, or other networking contacts. This one-way networking does not work well in branding because it does not position you as a desirable resource if all you can see is your own benefit.
A new process well aligned with branding is “netweaving,” a term coined and propagated by Bob Littrell (www.netweaving.com). It is based on two concepts that are “other”-oriented. The first concept is the golden rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I prefer the amplification of this rule into a platinum version which states “do unto others what they need to reach their potential.” The second concept is called “pay it forward.” You do good things for other people and then, when they ask what they can do for you, you invite them to pay it forward to three other people.
Netweaving, both in reality and cyberspace, is impressive and is also the way providence brings important new things to you. It is an act of true charity and faith and I have seen it work in miraculous ways.
Stay focused. Direct your actions to those around you and then work with them to find people in their network who could be important in your career and life.
Share your story. Come prepared to share your compelling story in a way that benefits and enriches others, such as your unique insights into the industry or field, new developments you have studied up on, interesting extensions you can see for that person’s business, and even asking productive questions that show your insight into this contact’s business.
Listen. When you listen and empathize, you figure out what this person’s real needs are. When you part ways, think of something low-key yet thoughtful that you can do for the other person based on what you have discussed and observed.
In future installments of this contribution to 6of7 I will explore other aspects of branding and success in the employment process in greater depth.
