25.
Establish and Develop Your Brand
When you think of Coca-Cola, what comes to mind?
- Brown
- Bubbly
- Sweet
- Refreshing
- Caffeine kick
- Carbonated
That's Coke's brand. A brand—whether it's yours, Coca-Cola's, Apple's, Google's, or anybody else's—is the relationship between you and your audience. How does your consumer (or market or fan base) think and feel about you and your skills, abilities, and experience? What's your reputation?
Your brand is a list of specific marketable and transferable skills that you can monetize. What I'm talking about are hard skills, like the languages you speak, the software programs with which you're proficient, the quantifiable results you've attained for other companies. I stress “specific skills” because I've seen far too many résumés listing soft skills like “good team player,” “able to work independently,” and “good oral and written communication skills.” These are too general, and they're a given for someone who has a degree. In other words, what distinguishes you? What makes you stand out from the competition? What makes your brand unique? As an employer who may be willing to pay you, what exactly are you going to be able to do for me?
That's not to say those “soft skills” aren't part of your brand, too. When your market thinks of you, what comes to mind?
- Creative
- Good follow-through
- Friendly
- Team player
- Hardworking
- Quick learner
- Good attitude
Or is it:
- Flaky
- Drama queen (this can apply to any gender)
- Difficult
- Full of excuses
- Unreliable
The impression people have of you is what will get you work. If Helen is seen as a good team player—someone who is reliable, hardworking, creative, and positive—then when colleagues ask about her, they'll find she's someone they would want to work with.
Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes. You make inquiries to trusted colleagues about another candidate (let's call him Todd). The word on Todd is that he's a whiner—a prima donna, unreliable, someone with a bad attitude. Would you hire him? No. You'd hire Helen. Be like Helen.