Enhancing your Personal Brand

Mentor – Protégé ProgramBrian Waters

Agenda

• Networking and introductions• Warm up drill – Elevator Speeches• New skill introduction: Building your brand• Guest Presenter: : "Career path considerations

when working for a motor carrier"Brendan Mazur

Averitt Express

• Wrap up

February 2015 Mentor Protégé Event

Mentor – Protégé Program

What is a brand?

The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products

What is a personal brand?

Personal Branding is about identifying and then communicating what makes you unique and relevant and differentiated

What my co-workers envision when they hear my name…

What my boss envisions when he hears my name…

What my Mom envisions when she hears my name…

What you get when you Google my name…

Your personal brand is all about who you are and what you want to be known for

• We want to project an image of professionalism that will cause employers to be eager to hire us• Your image is not a logo, but it is present in everything you touch

– Resume– Wardrobe– Social media– Method of communication

• You can’t change your image overnight, but you can develop your brand to enhance your image• A strong, authentic personal brand helps you become known for what you're good at, sets you apart from everyone else, and

can position you as a niche expert

4 Simple steps to building your brand

Step 1:Determine your appeal

• Make a list of words that best describe these features of your personality– Consider your personality– How do I make people feel?– How do people benefit by working with me?– What words do others use to describe me?

Step 2:Determine Your Description

• Develop a descriptive modifier that brings out how you want people to feel about you– Dynamic public speaker– Certified export specialist

• Consider these questions– What field or industry am I in (or do I want to be in)?– What are the words I would use to describe my work?– Who is my target audience?

Step 3:Determine Your Function

• Write down what you do (or will do) as it relates to your career plan: – Manager– Analyst– Supply chain expert

• What service do I have to offer people?• What do I do that makes me stand out from

everyone else?

Step 4:Put it all together

• Look at your three lists of words, and see how you can combine them into a short sentence or phrase—no more than five words.

• It can be a description:– Energetic supply chain professional– Versatile logistics analyst

• Or a mantra:– Motivating others to do their best– Inspiring excellence in operations– No broken bones with Alfred Jones

What do we do with our brand?

• Simple statement that remains on the tip of your tongue when there is no time for an elevator speech

• Enhances your self awareness• Narrows down your goals and helps communicate

them• Helps you stand out from the rest• Breathes new life into your career documents:

– Business card

– Resume

– LinkedIn profile

Consider this…

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.

-Henry David Thoreau