Have you ever thought about how you present yourself? It may seem like a simple thing to know how to do, but in regards to building a career, it can be the way you connect with people who can help you land that job!
At the Mentorship Program’s conference call with Kristy Laughlin, a Virginia Tech alumna who is a manager at Deloitte Consulting, the key points and importance of developing your personal brand were discussed.
The discussion opened up with Kristy explaining what a personal brand is. “It is your ‘reputation’”, explained Kristy. “It is your perceived value and it is very important in whatever career you choose to pursue.” Kristy then went on to offer guidance on where to start.
The first step is to have the goal in mind of differentiating yourself. Kristy suggests brainstorming answers to the questions: “What sets you apart from other people? What is interesting about you? What do you have to offer?” Your mission should be to stand out so employers remember you as a person who can bring something unique to their company!
Another component to your personal brand should be highlighting your strengths. Kristy explained that students will automatically name “school strengths” such as math or chemistry. While those are fundamental parts to your skill foundation, Kristy went on to emphasize that other things are more important down the road. She admitted that when she is looking for people to hire, she looks for those who are “problem solvers, team-oriented, and motivated to make clients happy.” It is important to note that different jobs require different skill sets, but there are certain skills that are desirable across the board. For example, being able to work with others effectively is something that pretty much every company looks for in an employee.
There are a couple of different ways to find out what your strengths are. First, think about what you enjoy doing. After all, there is a reason why you like the things you like, right? For instance, I am good at statistics and I love doing it, so I would list that as one of my strengths. Another way to discover your strengths is to ask your friends, family, and coworkers. They see how you work from a different perspective, so they may notice something that you don’t. It may even be a good idea to do both of these approaches so you can collect multiple ideas!
The last piece of your personal brand should be mixing in your experiences. It’s nice that you know how to do x, y and z, but if you haven’t applied what you know, the employer may be skeptical of how you will perform for them. You don’t have to recite your resume, but include one or two things that showcase what you know the best. Also, I suggest talking about things that you enjoyed doing. Your passion and interests will come across more genuine if you discuss things that you like, as opposed to talking about a class or job that you hated.
Finally, it is important to show off your personal brand! Towards the end of her talk, Kristy stated that it is crucial to “show up.” Go to networking events. Attend employee happy hours. Grab coffee with a coworker or alumni that has a job that you’re interested in. If you have a strong personal brand that you are confident in presenting, it can be very useful at events like these to help you open doors!