Building a professional identity

Building a professional identity

We all have a personal, professional brand, but is yours working for or against you?

“Personal branding is the art of becoming knowable, likable and trustable.” said John Jantsch, a veteran marketing speaker and business workshop leader.

Managing your personal brand well can lead to doors opening for job interviews, promotions, new partnerships and clients.

Establishing a vision and mission statement is standard practice for businesses, but dedicating time, thought and planning into creating your own personal brand vision and mission is also vital.

The team at PWC developed a Personal Brand Workbook which reflects deeply on the importance of building a personal brand; “Your brand becomes your personal calling card—a unique promise of value; a distinct and authentic representation of you. In building your personal brand, you will define your individuality, maximise your strengths and manage your choices now to create future opportunities.”

At a time when our professional and personal profiles are more visible and searchable than ever, it’s essential to give the right impression, whether it be in a face-to-face meeting or via your LinkedIn profile.

The team at CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,300 managers and found that “70 percent of employers said they use social media to screen candidates and 57 percent of employers said they are less likely to interview a candidate they can’t find online.”

LinkedIn is the most widely recognised and utilised social media platform for professionals, with over 562 million users worldwide. The Muse published an article detailing an extensive check-list guide of expert-backed techniques to make your LinkedIn profile shine. Getting your LinkedIn profile right is a box that should be ticked when building and maintaining your personal, professional brand.

According to a recent Forbes article, the five top tips to build your personal brand at work are:

1. Say yes to relevant opportunities.
2. Speak at a conference.
3. Ask one question at every meeting you attend.
4. Network internally beyond your immediate team.
5. Share your voice with influencers.

Having the right office environment is another key ingredient to building a professional brand that opens doors for you and your business.

Earlier this year, Harvard Business Review published an article covering how coworking spaces affect employees professional identities. It was reported that “coworking spaces give some members a sense of professionalism and credibility that traditional remote working does not. This echoes a finding from our ongoing studies: working from an actual workplace (as opposed to from a home office or coffee shop) can signal to others that you take your work seriously and that others see you as a serious worker. The workplace has become a symbol of “legitimacy.”

Tim Spencer of Range Capital occupies an office at Flexispace, Sydney’s premium coworking office facility. When asked about why this office environment works for him, he responded that “it provides the ideal day-to-day environment for Range Capital; an atmosphere that is professional and comfortable for both colleagues and clients alike. Having the No.1 Martin Place, Sydney address sets the right tone for our professional business offering.”

It seems clear that building and maintaining a strong, professional, personal brand is an ongoing pursuit with many bases to cover.

In the words of Robin Sharma: “Greatness comes by doing a few small and smart things each and every day. Comes from taking little steps, consistently. Comes from a making a few small chips against everything in your professional and personal life that is ordinary, so that a day eventually arrives when all that’s left is The Extraordinary.”

To secure a flexible work space in Sydney that will help build a strong personal and professional brand for you and your business, contact the Flexispace team.