Career & Life Coaching

Before you can learn much about how to use personal branding for a competitive edge, it’s important to have an understanding of what personal branding is. Fortunately, it’s possible to take a look at the way many successful people have used personal branding to get a feel for what it is and how it can work for you.

Personal branding is something that has been done by a number of well known people. Some of the most well known among them are:

* Oprah Winfrey. Think what you will about Oprah’s personality, but from the time that she branded her show with her own name and aired a number of her personal struggles in a public way to the time that she launched her magazine, her book club and the talk show careers of Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray, Oprah has remained true to her personal brand.

* Donald Trump. Donald Trump isn’t just a real estate mogul, he’s also a man who worked hard, made his way to the top and then, time and time again, has found ways of staying there. Trump hotels have a certain reputation; so do his investment strategies that are available to almost everyone who watches his infomercials and has an internet connection, and, of course, The Apprentice also has a large audience simply because of all that the man has done to establish his personal brand.

In addition to Oprah and “The Donald”, there are a variety of others who have built their identities and empires on a foundation of personal branding. From Madonna to Bill Gates, from Rachael Ray (who established her brand by promising to teach others to prepare meals in 30 minutes and helping everyone to recognize that cooking is something that everyone can do) to Richard Branson, personal branding has proven to be a successful strategy – one that can also help you to get a competitive edge during your job search.

The reason that personal branding is so valuable is that it demands self-awareness; in order to have a brand, you need to be sure that you are able to know who you are and what you believe in. Likewise, personal branding means knowing what you value and making a commitment to bring it into everything that you do. Most importantly however, personal branding is about having the courage to be yourself – and to let others know who you are – and the confidence to believe that you can have a positive impact.

Personal branding is something that will give you a competitive edge during your job search because it will help you to appear confident and strong; it also is effective because prospective employers will see that you are committed to achieving your best and delivering consistent results. When you take advantage of personal branding and have the strength to market yourself and your values, you will find that you are able to have more than just a job – you’ll find that you are well on your way to creating an exceptional career and reaching your goals.

I recently surveyed my clients who are middle managers or in mid-career positions to see what they had in common. I discovered three common elements: most are in mid-life; their biggest challenges are balancing life and career; and they are using this stressful, pivotal time to reinvent themselves.

In Canada 9.831 million people are between 40-59 years old. In the US this number climbs to 82.549 million people. Our entry into the 21st century has changed how people feel about being mid-life adults. Far from the mid-life crisis of generations past, it is nevertheless still a time of challenges and crossroads. While career, family, relationships, health and personal growth all become equally important, people tend to focus on their career/job because it represents money. Like it or not, money is a big factor in the balance we try to create in our lives. The mid-point often shakes people out of the auto-pilot and requires the answers to some hard questions: Is this work providing fulfillment? Am I energized by it, or drained? Can I spend more time with my family and still make ends meet? Is this what I want to do with the rest of my life? And if not, WHAT? If one pays attention, this period can provide some very important information to use in the second part of life.

Mid life is the beginning of your second chapter. What better time to take an inventory: what is really important to you; what are your VALUES; what you are good at; what are your skills and ATTRIBUTES; and what is missing in your life? Taking some time now to review where you have been, what you have done and how it has served you means you can move forward with awareness. Awareness allows us to make clearer, more positive choices for ourselves – and results in a life with fewer regrets. This is not always an easy undertaking. In addition to these concerns, there is the challenge of living in a society that caters to the young, which can cause self scrutiny and fear of aging. A therapist and/or a life or career coach can help you navigate the process.

Once you have some clarity, the next step is to set goals, put a plan in place for achieving them, and support yourself as you move forward. The bonus of mid-life is that you are equipped with half a life’s worth of experience – your experience! Mid-life doesn’t necessarily mean having to change your life; you can learn new methods of living, and change the way you experience your life by making new choices or having a different outlook.

Because you are self-aware and focused, the benefits of branding are many. Self-branding: A. Increases your confidence and self-motivation B. Increases your visibility and presence C. Differentiates you from your peers and colleagues As a result, you will: A. Achieve your personal and professional goals B. Increase your salary

Personal branding is the strategy behind the world’s most successful people like Oprah, Madonna, Donald Trump, Richard Branson and Bill Gates. It demands commitment to what you value, consistency in what you deliver, and the guts to market who you are. It is the difference between an ordinary career or business and an exceptional one. Get clear on the brand “You”, and be faithful to it.

So get unstuck! This is another beginning. As you move into the second chapter of your life, think about what will make your life a success for you – and use this to create the life you want.

“Sometimes the best begins in the middle”

Branding is a process started by large corporations like Nike as part of a marketing strategy in the 1980′s. It is a concept which had them selling their customers an image and an idea. Soon, along with the pair of running shoes you were buying, you were also buying into the concept, and “just doing it”; and your Bell telephone service isn’t just about a tool, it’s about the way we are all connected. Advertising has become less about the product and more about the feeling the company wants you to associate with what they sell.

Branding isn’t just for companies. People in all walks of life and various career stages are starting to use career tips like self branding to get ahead. Like a company and its products in the marketplace, self-branding means looking at yourself as a winning brand. It’s being aware of the things that set you apart from everyone else and make you memorable and unique – your skills, abilities, personality traits. Being self-aware means you become clear about what you stand for and what you have to offer. Doing a good job is no longer good enough to guarantee your career will go well.

Branding yourself means you become associated with what sets you apart from others and the added value you bring to a job, business, or situation. Self-branding demands self-awareness and communicates that you feel comfortable in your own skin. When you know what you’ve got to offer, you become powerful and intentional about how you communicate that through the quality of service you provide. You are your most important asset. Self-branding provides direction and clarity of purpose for how you work, not just what you do for a living.
Because you are self-aware and focused, the benefits of branding are many.

Self-branding:

As a result, you will:

Personal branding is the strategy behind the world’s most successful people like Oprah, Madonna, Donald Trump, Richard Branson, and Bill Gates. It demands commitment to what you value, consistency in what you deliver, and the guts to market who you are. It is the difference between an ordinary career or business and an exceptional one. Now you know one of the most important career tips. Get clear on the brand “You”, and be faithful to it.

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Copyright 2009, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.