But your brand isn’t something you come up with as a lie or exaggeration. If you try that, you won’t get far. Your brand is your reputation- what you’re known for in the workplace.
Put simply, your professional brand or “career brand” is your answer to the question:
Why hire me?
Like we said above, your brand is partly your reputation which comes from your career background among other things. Your brand is not only about what you’ve done and what you want to do next, but it’s also a reflection of your passion and purpose.
Think about the answers to the following questions and how they relate to your unique situation:
What are you known for in the workplace?
What is unique about you as a worker?
Why should someone pick you for their organisation over others?
What value do you bring to an organisation?
How do you make a memorable impression?
The answers to these questions tell your career story and demonstrate what can be expected when they interview you or when they hire you. You can reinforce that expectation by strategically identifying your key accomplishments.
Communicating Through Story
"Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone"
Jennifer Aaker, Marketing Professor, Stanford University
When people try to convince others of something, they generally think an argument can be won using data, facts and figures. However, studies show that if you share a story, people are often more likely to be persuaded and when data and story are used together, audiences are moved both intellectually and emotionally.
In your case, your audience is the person you’re trying to convince to consider you, whether that’s the person reading your CV, the one interviewing you for a job or the one you’re connecting with at a networking event.
When you tell a story, you move your audience from one perspective to another. This makes people more confident in you and your vision. Harnessing the power of the story will enable you to be more persuasive, move people to action and help you progress in your career.
Pulling It All Together:
The best and simplest way to capture your accomplishments in a story-based format is by using the STAR methodology:
S - Describe the situation
T - Say the tasks you completed
A - Describe what action you took
R - Provide the end result
This format is the foundation for well-branded CVs and is the best way to work through behavioural interview questions.
To help you get started, we have created a worksheet which is more than just a list of achievements. It’s part of the foundation for your branded CV, interview preparations, introductions & networking and your online presence.
Webinars
Look at the webinars calendar in the CMS to see when the next Building Your Brand webinar will be held.
This online session explains how STARs work to anchor your brand and how to align your branded CV to your LinkedIn profile. It will help determine what updates and additional information you may need for your current CV.
You can also watch this pre-recorded webinar at any time by clicking "Webinars" in the top menu and then clicking "Recorded Webinars."
