How to Brand Yourself for Success
by Paul Slezak, Sydney Area Manager for Aquent

Maybe you are familiar with the concept of the elevator pitch.

Picture the following scenario: You are waiting to be interviewed by the Manager of an organisation you are extremely keen to work for. You have spent hours preparing for the interview, and two minutes before your appointment, the Manager rushes out of her office, shakes your hand and tells you that she has just heard that her ten year old child has fallen over at school and is in hospital with a broken arm. She apologises profusely that she has to cancel the interview, but insists that she still wants to hear a bit about you. As you both step into the lift and the doors close in front of you, you realise that you have approximately half a minute (at the most) to leave a lasting impression… to convey your defining statement before she rushes off and potentially forgets all about you.

This is literally your elevator pitch. In this instance you have a half-minute window of opportunity in which to succinctly define to a potential employer your own personal U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition— the one thing that sets you apart from anyone else applying for the same job.

So just how attractive a product are you when it comes to job hunting? What are your competitive advantages? How can you differentiate yourself? What makes YOU so attractive to an employer? As importantly, are you able to convey your U.S.P. (your “defining statement”) in fifteen words or less?

In today’s job market, your own brand and personal U.S.P. are an indication of the true value your next employer will receive from you and so it is critical to be able to distinguish yourself from everyone else—to create and convey a message and a strategy that successfully promote the brand “YOU”.

In the world of marketing, the power of any brand will (either physically or subliminally) affect consumers’ purchasing decisions. Brands are created to predispose consumers’ thoughts as to the quality and price they should expect from a particular product or service. Interestingly, the situation is exactly the same in the world of marketing careers—and careers in general for that matter. In today’s ever-changing employment market, the most successful candidates are the ones who understand the true value of branding and positioning themselves. Those currently in or looking to move into a marketing career need to realise the importance of applying the traditional key marketing principles and concepts to better position themselves in the marketplace.

The competition out there is fierce and creating your own self-promotional brand (and therefore your U.S.P.) is by no means an easy task. Everything you say and do during your search for a new job or new career will impact the value of the brand you create.

It’s all about you—so decide who you want to be.

Take advantage of your own personality and project it.You know yourself better than anyone else. Understand that it is impossible to achieve uniqueness and to create a brand using somebody else’s identity so be true to yourself. There is no point in lying or exaggerating on a résumé, during a job interview, or even on a behavioural or psychometric profile. You won’t fool anybody (for long) before your brand (the real you) is totally discredited. Being open and honest at all times during the employment process will ensure that you promote a distinctive brand that will remain top of mind in the eyes of a potential employer—and this is key!

Remember that you have few opportunities to build your reputation—few opportunities to establish your credibility. The harsh reality is that when it comes to any job search there are rarely second chances.

Regardless of how strong your brand and U.S.P. may be, if you cannot communicate the features and benefits (your skills, competencies and achievements) associated with your brand (you!) confidently and convincingly, you will not succeed in securing the position you want.

Any successful brand establishes itself as a powerful tool for distinctiveness. Think of the white “flying” kangaroo against the bright red background on the tail of every Qantas aircraft and you immediately think the spirit of Australia . When you think of the Nike “swoosh” (the second most widely recognised logo around the World after The Cross!) you immediately think just do it! And I guess the global symbol of TheGolden Arches of McDonald’s speaks for itself.

When you are looking for a job and speaking to potential employers (or even recruiters), YOU become your brand—your powerful tool for distinctiveness. The name you were given on the day you were born becomes your brand (regardless of the font you may have since selected to print your name on your curriculum vitae or business card!) Your personal brand and U.S.P. encompass your talents, your experience and achievements. However exactly how and what you do, say, and how you deliver and convey these so-called talents, experience and achievements constitute the packaging of your brand.

Complacency can be a huge threat to your career. It does not matter whether you are hoping to start in a new field altogether or if you are looking to progress further in your current field, continuous learning and development is the key to your success. It is also important to understand any new and emerging trends in your chosen career field. We all began our careers at the same spot—the beginning! But we have all excelled and achieved at different stages along the way—so you need to position your brand in its exact context.

• If to date you have only worked in the family business—say it!
• If you are a member of any key industry bodies—state it!
• If you feel your skills are marketable or transferable—prove it!
• If you are an outstanding communicator with sound business acumen—show it!
• If you are a manager with several key achievements under your belt— emphasise it!

I have mentioned that you are your brand—so think about what personal attributes, characteristics, features, skills and competencies make you unique and therefore separate you from the crowd? Do you have any particular work-related experiences, leadership experience, memberships, education or training that will distinguish you from others on the shortlist? You need to be aware of what skills you do possess, and then make an objective judgement on the demand for those skills in the job market. Then ask yourself whether you have what it takes to sell your brand (you!) to a potential employer?

Your updated CV is the marketing piece for your brand and will no doubt include your career objective as well as highlight your U.S.P. – your “defining statement”. However you need to ensure that as opposed to a static list of previous job titles and past positions, your promotional piece must highlight the skills you have mastered and all the achievements for which YOU can take credit.

So how do you promote yourself? Part of the answer to this question lies in just how succinct and up to date your skills summary and CV are. However, successful self-promotion no doubt also comes down to just how polished your interview technique is—but the answers to preparing for and surviving the interview are no doubt a topic for another time! For now just remember that you are not promoting your ability to get a job (i.e get through the interview process), you (and therefore your brand) are there to promote your ability to actually do the job in question.

Before embarking on the search for any new position, you should at least consider asking the following questions in relation to your career to date:

• Where have I been?
• Where am I at in my career now?
• What (if anything) am I running away from?
• What (if anything) am I running toward?
• Am I being realistic in my choices?
• How exactly do I get to where I want to go?

Understand that the answers to these questions are not defined by previous job titles. Ignore previous position descriptions. Instead ask yourself: “What have I done that added distinctive value”? “What achievement am I most proud of”? You need to confidently take credit for what you have done. When you are promoting your brand during the job search, everything you do communicates the value and character of that brand—YOU.

So if you want potential employers to regard your brand as successful, promote yourself as a credible leader. After all you are a leader. You are the brand custodian responsible for your brand and U.S.P. You are leading YOU!

Now with all this in mind, let’s just hope that you are not ushered into the elevator before your next interview has even begun. But at least now if you are, it won’t be a silent ride!

Paul Slezak is the Sydney Area Manager for Aquent (www.aquent.com/mcs), a global firm that delivers total staffing, consulting and outsourcing solutions for Marketing, Communications and Creative. Through a network of nearly seventy offices in fifteen countries, Aquent services in the areas of print and Web design and production; advertising and media, marketing, public relations and marcomm office support. Paul also speaks and trains on career and recruitment issues and can be contacted on (02) 9264 1888 or e-mailed via pslezak@aquent.com