Today’s economy requires people to stand out in a crowd.
A job applicant can no longer submit a generic resume with adequate experience and expect to be hired.
A mid-level employee will go nowhere in his career if she does not continue to go above and beyond the call of duty. To succeed, you must market yourself. You need to prioritize your professional image, and work on developing your personal brand.
Your professional reputation is everything in a world that is focused on instant connections and intricate networks. By maximizing your personal brand and improving your professional image, you will not only launch your career but also continue to climb the corporate ladder.
5 Ways to Advance Your Career Through Professional Image and Personal Branding
- Before you begin developing and communicating your brand, you have to identify with it.Authenticity is the key to a successful personal brand. Your personal brand is revealed through your values, your work ethic, your accomplishments, your strengths, and your goals. It’s not something that you simply sit down and create, but it’s an idea that you uncover from within. Your brand must be uniquely you, and completely authentic. You will develop and communicate your brand through your professional image, your actions in the workplace and your activity online, so you want to be able to completely identify and relate to the brand you are building.
- Verify your professional reputation, and use it to enhance your personal brand statement.While it’s essential that you recognize your strengths, values and goals, you also need others to feel the same way about you. Your brand is ineffective if you are the only one who knows what it is. Talk with your connections in your industry, including any mentors or counselors that you might have. Ask them what they believe your strengths and weaknesses are. Discuss the aspects of your personality that stand out, and have them reveal their impressions of your professional image. This information is invaluable, and it can help you develop or redefine your personal brand as necessary. Remember that your personal brand should be consistent yet fluid and will continue to be developed throughout the duration of your career.
- Make connections with honest, reliable and trustworthy people.Understand your network is a direct reflection of your corporate character. Throughout your career, you will have the opportunity to build your network both in-person and online. Take advantage of these opportunities, and incorporate your personal brand every step of the way. When you create a networking profile online, use a photo that showcases your commitment to professionalism. When you meet a new person at a local business networking event, be sincere, courteous and conduct yourself in a professional manner. Showcase your charisma. Your actions speak louder than your words at these types of events, and your professional image is everything. Developing a solid network of like-minded professionals is essential to growing your brand and furthering your career.
- Dress appropriately at all times, as this is pivotal to your overall professional image.First impressions are lasting, and your daily choices will also have an impact on your professional image. You want people to see you as someone who is serious, hard-working and devoted to your career. You should dress in a way that enhances your personal brand, yet does not distract from it. While you may want to showcase your personality and style, it may be best to choose clothing options that allow people to focus on your facial features, attitude and the words you are saying. By wearing loud colors or unconventional outfits, people may remember what you looked like at the event but forget everything that you tried to communicate. Professional attire allows people to take you seriously, and focus on the ideas and plans that you have to offer. Throughout your career, you will be judged based on what you are wearing and how you carry yourself. Make appropriate clothing choices, and you will be able to advance in your career.
- Complete the image building process by adopting and maintaining a positive attitude.This goes beyond putting a smile on your face when you walk into the office each day. You need to exude positivity at all times, even on your favorite social networking platforms. If you spend your free time posting complaints about the mundane aspects of your daily life, this can have a negative impact on your personal brand and professional image. When you are communicating in person, be pleasant and use body language that implies that you are friendly, excited and happy to be working hard in your career. People have to feel comfortable around you in order to understand your personal brand. When you are greeting someone, make eye contact and offer a firm handshake. Always smile and be friendly with the person you are talking to. Throughout your career, you will need to work with others as part of a larger organization, so your attitude is everything. People who are likable and who have a positive attitude are more likely to get promoted to the premier positions within any company or organization.
The key to a successful personal brand is being authentic, concise and clear. You want to be able to stand out amongst other people in the workforce, and establish yourself as someone who can offer unique and original ideas for any situation.
Your personal brand allows you to showcase your personality while highlighting your professional accomplishments, and your professional image proves that you are the real deal. When you focus on your professional image, and you make branding a top priority, you will find that there’s no limit to places you can reach within your career.
It’s an essential component of success in today’s competitive, global, interconnected society, and you won’t regret investing your time, effort and resources into your corporate character.
Megan Kristel is the President and CEO of Megan Kristel, Inc., oversees Kristel Closets,Style Maker University, and Megan Kristel Speaks. As a professional speaker, she regularly keynotes at conventions and corporate functions. Megan’s sell out workshops combine her trademark humor and disarming nature with practical and actionable advice.
Building on her successful style business Megan now focuses her attention on helping established and aspiring stylists build their business to lasting financial success with Style Maker University. She also provides high impact executive image programs and personal branding seminars to companies and organizations across the country.
