Today’s article is written by Kobie, a Classy Career Girl reader and writer of another great career blog ~ wannabe | employee. Kobie works in HR and lives in South Africa (which I think is really cool!) Welcome Kobie!
How do your co-workers see you? What is the first thing that comes to mind when they talk about you? Every company has to decide what they would like their corporate brand to look/feel/sound like, why not try it on a personal level? While companies brand themselves using logos, business cards and advertisements, you can brand yourself by fine tuning your behavior and appearance.
Here are a few ways to look at it:
What do I look like?
First impressions go a long way, but after you’ve aced the interview, do you make a continuous effort to show your colleagues that you take your role seriously by putting some thought into your everyday presentation? What is their impression of you?
- Positive: “She always looks well put-together”, “He is so well-groomed” or “She never wears anything that would put the company’s name in a bad light”.
- Negative: “When was the last time he had a shower?”, “Her low necklines always draw a lot of attention” or “He looks like he doesn’t own a razor”.
What do I sound like?
People pick up trends in the way you communicate very quickly. What are the things people will pick up in your communication after working with you for a while?
- Positive: “He always keeps things relevant and to-the-point in meetings”, “She is always friendly” or “She knows how to express herself well”.
- Negative: “She is usually very negative”, “She is always the first one to spread a rumour” or “He is always criticising people around him”.
What does my work say about me?
Even if you are constantly pleasant and looking smashing in your professional wardrobe, if your work is sloppy or you are unreliable, you might as well kiss your personal brand goodbye. What are you known for?
- Positive: “Her work is always on time”, “You can always count on his accuracy” or “Her spreadsheets are always so neat”.
- Negative: “He tends to wait until the last minute to do what I ask of him”, “I always need to make corrections to her documents” or “His paperwork always has coffee stains all over them”.
The goal of this exercise is not to advertise ourselves as being without flaws, but instead to set aside a little time to evaluate the kind of message you are sending on a regular basis, and see if there is room for improvement.
What are the little things you can start doing to improve your personal brand and reputation at work today?
About Anna Runyan
Wow I need to work on my branding. I don’t think I come off really awesome or really bad right now but I would like to have a better branding though!
xoxo
That is such a good point! Working on your brand is great way to climb out of that ‘average employee’ category. There’s nothing wrong with being in that box, but we all want a little more out of our jobs than just making the cut. I think this is something we can work on for the remainder of our careers and there will always be more ways to fine tune our brands. Enjoy the process!
Hi Kobie-Thanks again for a fabulous post!! I think a lot of people get stuck in that “average employee” category because they get so use to doing their daily jobs. But you have to continually challenge yourself to become better and better! I know it is something that I am always working on!
Hi there! Glad you enjoyed the advice in this article! Hopefully it can help you work on your branding:) Good luck!
Awesome post! I just landed a new job so this is very timely and helpful. Before I used to go for average, fly below the radar, and stay out of trouble. Now I’m pushing myself and my brand to match your positive examples. Thanks!
Congrats on the new job and for pushing yourself to stand out!
That’s great news! Enjoy your new job and your new branding journey!
Your point that people make impressions in multiple ways is right on target.
I think one of the simplest things people can do at work is to stop walking around all morning with a coffee cup. Drink your coffee before work and get on with the day, especially when you’re first starting a job.
Hi CJ, Thanks for the tip! Glad you liked the article!
CJ you’re right, even things like always being seen walkinig around with your coffee can affect thw eay people see you. Putting thought into the little things will make a big difference in the end.
I love articles on personal branding. I’m glad you shared this opportunity because I had never heard of Kobie or the wannabe employee site before this.
Thanks for the tips, they were top notch.
Bryce
Hi Bryce, Glad you and Kobie could connect!
And thanks for the fabulous compliment! Anna
Nice to meet you Bryce! So glad you liked the post ☺