Developing your personal brand takes time and a well-thought out strategy. Avoid these mistakes to protect your brand image and even your professional reputation.
If you have been wondering how to create a personal brand, or how having a personal brand can help your job search, then you have come to the right place. We have talked about creating a strong personal brand here, several times, in fact. But, what about the things you can do that will destroy your brand and ruin your credibility?
Here are the top 5 ways you can destroy your personal brand:
- Being Fake – When you create your brand, it has to be authentic. Good branding comes from knowing who you are, what you want to accomplish and what makes you stand out. Often, people create an image of who they wish they were or who they think other people want to see. This isn't sustainable. Instead of creating a persona, create your best self.
- Trying to please everyone – Often, people try to avoid taking a strong stand about anything. They want to make everyone happy and appeal to as many people as possible. And, there isn't anything wrong with that in theory, but in practice, it makes your brand weak. When you take a look at some of the strongest brands, they all take a stand about who they are and what they are all about. This may alienate some people, but it will appeal strongly to the people who agree. Be yourself, and stick to your guns.
- Using social media ineffectively – Tweeting while under the influence of anger, boredom or even alcohol can ruin months of good networking. Have a plan of attack when it comes to social media and, before you publish anything, ask yourself how this promotes your brand, expresses yourself and is it of benefit to others.
- Trying to get as many contacts as possible – Personal branding isn't an election. It doesn't really matter how many virtual hands you shake. What is important is building strong connections with the people in your network. Spreading your message far and wide will take up most of your time and won't actually help you at all. Instead, think about your audience and build real connections.
- Neglecting face time – Personal branding isn't just an online activity confined to social media spaces. To build a true professional network, you need to get out and meet people in real life. Create a professional reputation that exists in your workspace, in your community and even in your industry. Attend networking events, volunteer in your community, offer your skills and talents to help local non-profits and participate in your industry. All of these ways to build your reputation will server to create a strong foundation for your personal brand.
What do you think about these ways to ruin your personal brand? Let me know in the comments.
If you are looking for a job in the Manhattan area, visit ManhattanJobs for the best Manhattan area job listings.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for ManhattanJobsBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!