Personal brand is massively important for career development, especially in today’s increasingly social-media centric business world.
Building brand ‘you’ is something which can be easy to neglect, especially as we all have important jobs to be getting on with and the dreaded to-do lists continually piling up! It seems by working hard at our jobs we will surely be doing enough to promote a good image for ourselves, and while that is always true, there are other things which can be done in order to cultivate a better professional reputation.
Know your sector and its people
Knowing how to market yourself in a particular way, while building a rapport with various types of professionals, will help open the door to opportunities which might have otherwise passed you by. Building a successful personal brand through the right type of networking can put you on the radar for official recognition, awards and other great things to add to your CV. Whether you’re in a junior position, or a managerial role with plenty of experience, personal branding can further careers and place you in contention for promotion, or even new job offers.
A small but valuable commitment
‘Personal Branding’ may sound like a commitment which can chip away at precious time, but it need not be time consuming. Increasing your presence at networking events, conferences and sector-specific shows is a great way to meet face to face with the people that matter in your line of work. These type of events happen regularly, but one or two a month should give you plenty of opportunity to get talking. An added bonus is that these events often take place in the evening, so they will rarely clash with any of your current commitments. Volunteering, offering articles on an area expertise, or boosting your social media presence are all great ways of increasing your exposure. If you have something valuable to share, there are likely people who will want to listen. Though it is worth mentioning that many employers now have a specific social media policy, so be sure to know what you’re doing before you get posting!
Finding success by being yourself
I have experienced the value of personal branding, and seen the benefits which it can bring for career development. Throughout my career, I have made a concerted effort to make myself available for opportunities and say ‘yes’ to things. From taking an active role in bid reading – whilst still completing my day-to-day role – to ensuring I have a greater understanding or procuring services and contract writing, all of these things improved my expertise and sector exposure. Whilst these tasks were interesting and helpful, my primary objective was to network with the contractors that were important in for my role.
I have also been lucky enough to be in contention for industry awards, having been a finalist in for BIFM’s rising star category and featured as a rising star for this very website! While these nominations are not always within your control, personal branding will go a long way to putting yourself in the frame for consideration. If you work hard, and market yourself in an innovative and efficient way, nominations are potentially going to follow. The great thing about personal branding is you can choose as and when you are able to do some, and a little will go a long way.
Useful sources for personal branding
How to build your personal brand
How to boost your own personal brand
The Ultimate 5 Step Playbook To Managing Your Personal Brand
About the Author:
Cheryl-Anne is a seasoned professional with many years of experience in the facilities management sector. Most of her career has focused on implementing innovative projects to ensure first class customer service and promoting core business values in both Hard and Soft FM. Cher has an impressive record of building stakeholder relationships and leading multidiscipline teams to drive increased operational efficiency, client satisfaction and cost reductions. She also has well-honed, analytical, presentation, influencing, and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with all management levels.
Cher also has considerable understanding of customer service management, financial planning, account development, and leading and empowering team members. She has a recognised ability to create optimized working environments which ensure change is implemented and maintained. Cher is a 2015 G4S Group Performance winner, 2015 BIFM Rising Talent finalist and 2015 finalist of Young FM Manager of the Year.
Since June 2012, Cher has been service delivery manager at G4S Facilities Management. She has been tasked with managing and developing the delivery of Total Facilities Management (TFM) services to meet operational and business requirements. She has ensured departmental level agreements and KPIs are met while operating within the framework of the overarching contract. Moreover, Cher has been responsible for the successful implementation of G4S and the Business Stream’s health and safety and environmental policies.
