Personal Branding 101 - Jan 12, 2024 Newsletter

Smile, you’re on camera! 📸 Let’s discuss the power of personal branding and the importance of first impressions, whether you’re job hunting or eager to advance your career.

🎁 It’s yours! A personal branding worksheet so you can put your best foot forward.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Every one of us has heard this phrase a thousand times. And while it’s true that you can’t know someone’s character, dreams and life story just by looking at them, our brains often assume they do — even if we’re just looking at a stranger’s photograph. 📷

Indeed, thoughts about people we see in photographs continue to prevail even after we’ve met them in person. In other words, if you see a stranger’s picture and think “What a lovely person!”, you’re likely to feel the same way once you meet them — even if it’s months later.

Likewise, if someone’s portrait makes you think “This person looks annoying”, it’s likely that you’ll continue to feel the same during your first encounter. And this isn’t due to some psychic ability of yours; rather, it’s because of something called the halo effect, and another thing called self-fulfilling prophecy. 🔮

“Halo effect” refers to how an initial assumption sparks additional ones (ie: “This person looks nice; therefore, they must also be incredibly successful and an excellent friend.”) “Self-fulfilling prophecy”, on the other hand, predicts the following: if you meet someone expecting them to be annoying, you’re bound to tense up. This alone can lead to a negative interaction.

So, where are we going with this? Pay attention to the photos you use on your LinkedIn, portfolio and personal website — because the recruiter that comes across them will feel like they know you!

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Personal branding, baby! 👶

It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelancer or an executive, in full-time employment or in the process of launching your own startup. It doesn’t even matter whether you fix leaking pipes or teach English or crunch numbers for a living: building a brand for yourself is bound to be beneficial.

The reason is because (as much as we wish this weren’t the case) appearances matter in the world of work. The way you present yourself in pictures, in writing and in the color schemes you choose for your website or business card will send a message about you.

This is how you can control what the message says:

1. Get a professional to take and/or edit your headshot. 💄 Unless you’re a photographer, designer or other type of creative soul, good lighting and a blurred or solid background can paint you in a professional light.

2. Be consistent. Pick the same typeface and color scheme for your business card, résumé, professional social media profiles, website or portfolio. This will make your work memorable and instantly recognizable.

3. Proofread your posts, contact information, bio and so on. 🔎 Though they’re not really a reflection of your ability (unless you’re a writer or editor), spelling errors can still undermine your credibility and expertise in a field.

4. Work with a designer to create your logo and business card. Or, if you don’t need a logo, at least ask for their advice on the font you’ll be writing your name in.

Your personal brand says a lot about you

But is it saying the right thing? With our Personal Branding Worksheet, you can make sure it is in just 10 steps. Featuring informative and expository prompts, the worksheet will help you to craft your own unique and memorable personal brand.

Stay tuned for more awesome gifts…

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