One of the big topics involved with my clients is always the subject of 'branding' themselves effectively.
I have found a wonderful article that I hope can call for a reflection, specially, during this global financial crisis. Now, do me a favor, finish the reading and google your name. Then, go and start taking control of it!
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/oct2008/ca20081028_901617.htm
Brand Yourself to Fight the Bad Economy
Author Dan Schawbel lays out his strategy for individuals who want to make a name for themselves—or simply protect their jobs
By Marshall Goldsmith
My friend Dan Schawbel is a leading voice in the area of personal branding, focusing on helping individuals gain self-confidence, discover their passion, and develop a brand by using social media tools.
I invited Dan to discuss how personal branding can be used to fight the economic downturn and protect people from future layoffs. In his new book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, he provides a detailed four-step strategy for success. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:
Marshall Goldsmith: Dan, what exactly is personal branding, and why is it so important in today's challenging workplace?
Dan Schawbel: Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. Each and every one of us has a brand because we are constantly being judged based on first impressions. Also, we are forced to sell our ideas and unique abilities to all stakeholders inside a company or as an entrepreneur.
Ten years ago, in a Web 1.0 world, your brand was hidden unless you were an executive at a leading company or a Hollywood celebrity. Now, with the evolution of the Internet into a Web 2.0 environment, every single person has a voice that can build or destroy their reputation and that of their company in an instant. Another major difference is that you needed a lot of mainstream press years ago to make a name for yourself. Today you can start a blog and join social networks for free.
Everyone from hiring managers to admissions officers and even talent agencies is scrubbing the Internet, either in search of their next hire or as a background check. According to Careerbuilder.com, 22% of managers screen their staff using social networks like Facebook, and Kaplan says that 10% of admissions officers verify potential students using social networks. There is a massive opportunity for you to position yourself as an extraordinary brand and be recruited based on your passion.
What led you to get involved with personal branding?
I graduated from Bentley College in 2006, after accumulating eight internships and seven leadership positions. During my interviews, hiring managers had noticed my "personal branding toolkit," which contained a custom portfolio, résumé, cover letter, and Web site. This made me stand out. After several interviews, I landed the marketing job I wanted at EMC Corp (EMC).
One year later, I started experimenting with social media outside of work. I launched my own blog, after reading Tom Peters' famous "Brand Called You" article. I soon realized that my passion was in fact personal branding, as I love marketing, mentoring, and all things social media. What started as a blog became awards, an online TV show, and my own magazine. I was profiled in Fast Company, and the article was read by EMC PR and sent to a vice-president, who then hired me to be the first social media specialist. Long story short, I was hired without even applying for the job.
What is your four-step process for building a powerful brand?
•Discover: In order to really understand who you are and carve out a career path moving forward, investing in self-discovery is critical. In fact, if you don't spend time learning about yourself, your values, personal mission, and unique attributes, you will be at a disadvantage when marketing your brand to others. Start by removing yourself from distractions and ask yourself, "Who am I?" and, "If I could do anything, what would it be?"
•Create: Your personal branding toolkit may consist of a blog, Web site, business card, résumé, reference document, cover letter, portfolio, or even a LinkedIn profile. Each piece has to be consistent with the next and reflect the brand you discovered in Step 1.
•Communicate: Now it's time to use everything you've created to let people know you exist. By attending professional networking events, writing articles for Web sites, and putting on your "personal PR hat," pitch bloggers and traditional journalists to start gaining attention and recognition for the brand you created in Step 2.
•Maintain: As you grow, mature, and accelerate in your career, everything you've created has to be updated and accurately represent the current "brand you." Also, you need to monitor your brand online to ensure all conversations about you are positive and factual. You can do this by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name.
Can you explain how social media tools can protect workers?
You need to build your brand equity outside of your current job because there is no such thing as job security anymore. To do this, you should become a blogger, reserve your name on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and take ownership of your Google (GOOG) results by constantly monitoring what shows up for your name over time. Each of these social media tools rank high in Google, therefore they can give you the necessary visibility you need to seize opportunities.
Thank you! I love to give my readers new techniques to adapt and succeed, especially in today's turbulent business environment. How can we reach you?
I can be reached at http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/ or dan.schawbel@gmail.com.
Readers, I would love comments from you. Please send your advice for developing a personal brand.
his articles and videos online at MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Meat for thought: Latinos y Latinas in the Workplace Insights
A fellow member of the Hispanic Human Resources Network at linkedin posted this question ' Latinos y Latinas in the Workplace: How Much Progress Have We Made' and the link to the article related to it as published by Diversity Best Practices (July 2008) http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/member/cdo_insights/CDOI-2008-03.pdf
Take a look whenever you have a chance. It has some similarities to another article featured on the SHRM magazine recently on this matter.
Take a look whenever you have a chance. It has some similarities to another article featured on the SHRM magazine recently on this matter.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What are dreams without hard work? My many thoughts on what each can achieve no matter what.
Long time ago a dreamer was found to be poetic, now a dreamer has a conglomerate of interpretations. It sounds better to say you are a 'goals oriented' person than to say you are a 'dream catcher', don't you think it is a contradiction that we try to instill creativity and imagination to our kids but then, narrow their career choices to traditionally accepted options?.
Are you under a politically correct career choice that makes you unhappy? do you wonder how wonderful your retirement will be once you get that chance to really do what you want and fulfill that childhood dream?
Here's a brief story. Henry David Thoreau was a man that lived a life dictated by his own beliefs and principles. He lived in the 19th. century and was an anti-slavery advocate that helped escaped slaves on the Underground Railway. He had a very simplistic life , close to nature and himself but with eyes that would make wonderful discoveries. He died at 42 and left quite a legacy.
Don't you wonder what will be left behind you once you are gone? what seeds had you planted? what principles had you defended?
Are you a citizen of your own words that build a better world or a victim of this world?
There are these words by Thoreau that I'd like to share with you "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.Now put the foundations under them".
What do you see when you look at the mirror? a satisfied individual that leads a life of fulfillment or a victimized one that has no choice but to keep surviving day after day?.
The key is simple: DARE!!!! DARE to explore, to discover, to go on the wonderful journey that means giving yourself and your dreams a chance. It takes work, lots of it. A dream without foundation is like a leaf that flies as per the wind desires.
I like to use the word DREAM with my clients, my family, my friends. I still go to sleep and wonder what surprises life will bring if I keep working hard on my journey.
A dreamer is not a Don Quijote fighting fantasies to conquer but a warrior that creates a vision, designs a strategy, goals that match with it and move on working really hard to get there.
Most of the clients that call me are professional foreigners that have worked really hard to be where they are at but have forgotten what their dreams are or have no faith in their abilities as warriors to pursue their task. Some get shocked by what's different around them , forgetting the value of their own distinctiveness and failing to sell themselves. Cultural shock some may say. I like to see it as a lapse of memory of those times when an adventure and a challenge was all what was needed to fight for something really wanted. Can you switch your mind and look at yourself more kindly, at the world more generously, at the opportunities more openly?
The beginning starts with yourself. Can you dare to explore what makes you different? do you believe it? now just use the words to build it. We all speak differently, we have accents, different backgrounds but a common language is spoken more often on this very global job market. Learn the language and go and sell your uniqueness.
If you have a dream, a strategy, set of goals and work hard, then every experience will build upon your portfolio - if you learn from them - to make you stronger and chances are you can be successful and happier.
NOT 'the end'
Are you under a politically correct career choice that makes you unhappy? do you wonder how wonderful your retirement will be once you get that chance to really do what you want and fulfill that childhood dream?
Here's a brief story. Henry David Thoreau was a man that lived a life dictated by his own beliefs and principles. He lived in the 19th. century and was an anti-slavery advocate that helped escaped slaves on the Underground Railway. He had a very simplistic life , close to nature and himself but with eyes that would make wonderful discoveries. He died at 42 and left quite a legacy.
Don't you wonder what will be left behind you once you are gone? what seeds had you planted? what principles had you defended?
Are you a citizen of your own words that build a better world or a victim of this world?
There are these words by Thoreau that I'd like to share with you "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.Now put the foundations under them".
What do you see when you look at the mirror? a satisfied individual that leads a life of fulfillment or a victimized one that has no choice but to keep surviving day after day?.
The key is simple: DARE!!!! DARE to explore, to discover, to go on the wonderful journey that means giving yourself and your dreams a chance. It takes work, lots of it. A dream without foundation is like a leaf that flies as per the wind desires.
I like to use the word DREAM with my clients, my family, my friends. I still go to sleep and wonder what surprises life will bring if I keep working hard on my journey.
A dreamer is not a Don Quijote fighting fantasies to conquer but a warrior that creates a vision, designs a strategy, goals that match with it and move on working really hard to get there.
Most of the clients that call me are professional foreigners that have worked really hard to be where they are at but have forgotten what their dreams are or have no faith in their abilities as warriors to pursue their task. Some get shocked by what's different around them , forgetting the value of their own distinctiveness and failing to sell themselves. Cultural shock some may say. I like to see it as a lapse of memory of those times when an adventure and a challenge was all what was needed to fight for something really wanted. Can you switch your mind and look at yourself more kindly, at the world more generously, at the opportunities more openly?
The beginning starts with yourself. Can you dare to explore what makes you different? do you believe it? now just use the words to build it. We all speak differently, we have accents, different backgrounds but a common language is spoken more often on this very global job market. Learn the language and go and sell your uniqueness.
If you have a dream, a strategy, set of goals and work hard, then every experience will build upon your portfolio - if you learn from them - to make you stronger and chances are you can be successful and happier.
NOT 'the end'
Friday, January 2, 2009
It is a new year, so...what now?
The first few days of the year are promising and full of hope, commitment to our inner wishes and ultimate dreams. Some are very optimistic, others more cautious about what to expect out of a year of a global financial constraint. Whatever way you put it or situation you are at or goal you aim to achieve there are some common principles you can follow that are pretty easy and universal for everyone whether living in a Latin American Country, USA or anywhere else.
1. You know people, don't you? Not hard as we are mostly social animals by nature. right? even if you believe your work and personal life consume most of your days not leaving space for anything else, hey! here's a treat: the people you know and how kind you've been to them, may actually return the favor one day. "What goes around, comes around". Even if they don't - believe that actually some will remember your kindness and pay you back in unexpected and some times unknown ways! - the fact that you plant a seed should be good enough to bring a smile in your face and bring some joy to your life that may actually return to you in a fulfilling way that will eventually reflect both in your performance and potential career development. So, keep networking and building connections that will open doors for you if you...
2. Dare to dream big! If dreaming sounds too wild for you, then set up ambitious goals. Share them with others (unless confidentiality is key for their success!). Once your mind and heart are into something, all your energy and resources move toward your wants until finally your needs are also met on a wonderful and satisfactory career ride.
3. Planning and respecting your own set of priorities are key for your success. There will be always emergencies, urgencies, unpredicted stuff that will make the ride looks like a very hard wall impossible to climb but stick to your plan and set up your boundaries. Do you remember your childhood lessons about saying NO to others when you did not want to do something but were afraid to upset or hurt somebody else? well, what about starting for making yourself happy? Go for it and do not settle for less.
4. Work like a flying ant. Ants are hard and disciplined non-stop workers, but what if you could see from the above what's happening at the bottom and be able to actually look at the big picture. So, work hard with that dream stuck to your heart and get a helicopter ride once in a while to change the perspective. Do not forget the Monkey joke when climbing a tree and make sure those at your feet look at your face and not at your bottom, which ultimately means, be kind to others no matter their hierarchy level or range of importance as per your project needs.
5. Keep a sense of adventure, exploration and fun in your life. I do not think things move smoothly and perfectly synchronized to align to a plan. As I come from a very chaotic region where the unexpected is the rule, I have learned - like most of my fellow pals with either living or working experience in Latin America - to enjoy, embrace and look at the potential opportunities in every unexpected turn that could swift my plan. The result could be amazingly rich in its possibilities and allow you a further sense of growth and a wonderful instinct for opportunities, not counting, your own happiness. The top head of my former employer in Venezuela told me once that the secret of success was having fun at what you did, he must know well as he is currently the head of BP worldwide.
In conclusion, network kindly, dream big, plan and set yourself as a priority, work hard without missing the bigger picture and enjoy the ride!
IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE, YOUR PRESENT AND ULTIMATELY THE FUTURE YOU DECIDE TO BUILD WITH YOUR MIND, HANDS AND HEART.
So, can you decide to have a happy and full filling 2009? Tomorrow starts now.
1. You know people, don't you? Not hard as we are mostly social animals by nature. right? even if you believe your work and personal life consume most of your days not leaving space for anything else, hey! here's a treat: the people you know and how kind you've been to them, may actually return the favor one day. "What goes around, comes around". Even if they don't - believe that actually some will remember your kindness and pay you back in unexpected and some times unknown ways! - the fact that you plant a seed should be good enough to bring a smile in your face and bring some joy to your life that may actually return to you in a fulfilling way that will eventually reflect both in your performance and potential career development. So, keep networking and building connections that will open doors for you if you...
2. Dare to dream big! If dreaming sounds too wild for you, then set up ambitious goals. Share them with others (unless confidentiality is key for their success!). Once your mind and heart are into something, all your energy and resources move toward your wants until finally your needs are also met on a wonderful and satisfactory career ride.
3. Planning and respecting your own set of priorities are key for your success. There will be always emergencies, urgencies, unpredicted stuff that will make the ride looks like a very hard wall impossible to climb but stick to your plan and set up your boundaries. Do you remember your childhood lessons about saying NO to others when you did not want to do something but were afraid to upset or hurt somebody else? well, what about starting for making yourself happy? Go for it and do not settle for less.
4. Work like a flying ant. Ants are hard and disciplined non-stop workers, but what if you could see from the above what's happening at the bottom and be able to actually look at the big picture. So, work hard with that dream stuck to your heart and get a helicopter ride once in a while to change the perspective. Do not forget the Monkey joke when climbing a tree and make sure those at your feet look at your face and not at your bottom, which ultimately means, be kind to others no matter their hierarchy level or range of importance as per your project needs.
5. Keep a sense of adventure, exploration and fun in your life. I do not think things move smoothly and perfectly synchronized to align to a plan. As I come from a very chaotic region where the unexpected is the rule, I have learned - like most of my fellow pals with either living or working experience in Latin America - to enjoy, embrace and look at the potential opportunities in every unexpected turn that could swift my plan. The result could be amazingly rich in its possibilities and allow you a further sense of growth and a wonderful instinct for opportunities, not counting, your own happiness. The top head of my former employer in Venezuela told me once that the secret of success was having fun at what you did, he must know well as he is currently the head of BP worldwide.
In conclusion, network kindly, dream big, plan and set yourself as a priority, work hard without missing the bigger picture and enjoy the ride!
IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE, YOUR PRESENT AND ULTIMATELY THE FUTURE YOU DECIDE TO BUILD WITH YOUR MIND, HANDS AND HEART.
So, can you decide to have a happy and full filling 2009? Tomorrow starts now.
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