Develop Your Professional Brand

No matter what discipline you are studying at JCU, you will need to know how to effectively market yourself to employers.

You will be entering a competitive employment environment, so you need to stand out in order to be successful.  You can do this by actively marketing your professional identity, which involves selling your unique qualities, personality, characteristics, knowledge, skills and passions.

The aim is to understand and communicate what you stand for in order to convince employers of your value to stay ahead of the competition, and land that job or industry placement.  Organisations are not interested in a list of generic skills that every applicant could claim.  They want to know what makes you different and interesting.

What is your brand?

Everyone has a personal and professional brand, whether they realise it or not.  If you are unsure of yours, try these approaches:

• Ask yourself: How do I make people feel? How do people benefit by working with me?
• Ask others: What am I known for? How would you describe me?
• Online: Google yourself and see what comes up first.
• Social Media: Have a look at the last ten things you have liked, posted or commented on. What does that tell employers about you and your brand?

Now answer these questions:

• Are you happy with what you discovered?
• Are you surprised by the answers?
• Does your current brand reflect who you truly are, what you do, and where you are going?

Why is your brand important?

No matter what stage of life you are in, your professional brand is important.  It guides your choices about where you work, professional development, skill specialisations, and outside interests.  These are the qualities and attributes that make you who you are as a professional.  You want to represent a full picture of yourself (your brand), which will continue to change throughout your life as your priorities, values and interests change.

Your brand is fluid and will change depending on where you are in your life/career and who your audience is.

• If you are a student, new graduate or job seeker your audience will be employers and mentors.
• If you are an entrepreneur, your audience will be clients, financial backers and collaborators.
• If you are a leader, your audience will be your peers and other leaders in your industry.

One of the best things about your brand is that you are in control of it. So how do you build your brand?

Step 1 – Define your professional brand

• You need to know where you want to go.
• You need to know what you want to be known for.

Step 2 – Determine your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Remember, you are the product and you are trying to sell your uniqueness, so think about how you will get that message across.

Example:

Now bring it all together into your unique value proposition:

I use my natural talents of ____________ and ___________ skills to have an impact on the ___________ industry.

Step 3 – How to use your professional brand

Your brand can be used at every marketing opportunity.  You want to ensure your message is consistent in all platforms and occasions, and you want people to remember you for the right reasons.  Think about where you will use your personal brand:

• Job applications
• Online profiles
• Face to face and online networking events.

From Student to Professional  

University students should start to develop their own brand and start marketing their attributes during their studies.  Start to think of yourself as a professional in training, so you need to present a professional image.

First impressions do count. Look at the person in the image. What impression is she projecting and what do you think her brand is?

It doesn’t take long for someone to form an opinion of you, and that short instance can have a lasting impact.  Simple actions, such as giving out your contact details, or sending an email or text message, need to convey the right signals to others, especially potential employers.  So get into the habit of making a good first impression wherever you are – practice makes perfect.

Make a great first impression

• In non-COVID times, you should shake hands when meeting new people. To help you remember their name, it is a good idea to repeat it.  Try something like this: “Hello Jane, my name is George.  It is so lovely to meet you, Jane”.  This will help you link the name to the face and make it easier for you to introduce Jane to others.
• When you first meet someone, it can be hard to immediately strike up a conversation – this takes practice. One tip is to ask them a question or two about themselves. People love talking about themselves and you will also gain valuable insight into who they are.
• Think about your body language. Crossing your arms can look defensive, so uncross them to look more open and collaborative. Turning towards whoever is speaking is also recommended.

Communicate Professionally

Keep your professional identity and brand in mind in all your communications. The immediacy of email, text, and instant messaging can lead to throw away lines that may be misinterpreted. Unfortunately, emails and other types of messages are recorded and therefore leave a trail and can be used against you. Careers can be ruined based on a frivolous email remark.

The 7 C’s of communication

1. Clear: Ensure the aim and purpose of your message is clear from the outset of your written or verbal communication.
2. Concise: Less is more when communicating so be brief and targeted.
3. Concrete: Be focused in your communication and ensure that you are specific, factual and provide the required level of detail.
4. Correct: Ensure that your spelling, facts and grammar are correct. Also, ensure that the tone, language and choice of words fit the context.
5. Coherent: Reread your message to ensure that it is logical and your ideas flow smoothly.
6. Complete: Ensure your communication contains the necessary information required by the receiver to respond.
7. Courteous: Ensure that you address the recipient politely and appropriately.