What do people think of you when they come across your name? What would they think of you if they Googled you or stumbled across your social media accounts? What do you want them to think you?
Are you struggling to come up with a clear answer? Do you have an answer, but that answer makes you nervous? Then, the Personal Branding Course is for you.
Discover AIHM’s ‘Personal Branding’ Executive Education Course
Learn to develop and manage your personal brand. Shape the first impression potential employers and business partners will have about you, and curate how they’ll perceive you if they dig a bit deeper.
Understand how a brand works from the inside out and the outside in. Showcase your internal values. Figure out how you want to present yourself. Learn how you are presenting yourself, whether you know it or not.
Instructor Warren Stanworth gives you a sneak preview of the 2-day Personal Branding course below.
Personal branding… why bother?
As we are all aware, the world has become a small place, mainly due to advancements in digital technology and the emergence of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Curious about someone on the other side of the world? They’re only a few clicks away.
Today, people all over the world can access and view our pictures, read our posts and blogs. Just by taking a cursory look at a person’s Facebook or Instagram account, we can form an image and a perception of an individual’s character, beliefs and motivations. Whilst posting fun, exciting and sometimes provocative pictures and posts can engage admirers, friends and family, we have to be aware of the message we are sending to potential employers or customers. This course is an opportunity for you to consider your Personal Brand and ways to make it easy for the right kinds of people to find you for the right kinds of work.
Personal branding isn’t just about surface appearances and creating a flashy image of ourselves. One of the most important components of personal branding is determining internally what is important to you, what your values are, what kind of work you do or want to do. You need to explore how your personality is organised and what your values are. I believe that these are vital pillars you need to determine and establish clearly in your mind before you can go out and talk to other people about you. You need to figure out what is important to you and what you stand for. The foundation of personal branding is knowing yourself by identifying your passions and motivations.
Another key reason to build a personal brand is the fact that building a brand will help differentiate you from people who do similar work. It will get your name out there, and you will become associated with certain qualities. A personal brand is, in many ways, just like any other brand. (Fun fact: You already have a personal brand whether you know it or not.)
Building Reputation
Consider this: what do you want people to think of when they hear your name? You want them to associate you with certain kinds of things—specific qualities, successes, ambitions.
I believe very firmly and very strongly that reputation management is important. Now, I have some colleagues who believe it's kind of superficial and don't think it's that important, and I respectfully and strongly disagree with them. Everybody should have the opportunity to put their best foot forward. Everyone deserves to have some ownership over what they look like to other people. Each person has the power to make sure that the image they are projecting matches their internal values.
So, I happen to believe reputation management is very important. When I do something new related to my work and my ambitions, I want to share that with people. I share my work activities and successes. I share slide decks on my areas of interest. I share articles not written by me but on the topics I’m passionate about, the areas where I want to apply my expertise or focus my attentions. Doing these things has helped me to build my reputation strategically and truthfully. In this course, I’ll share what I’ve learned about doing reputation management the right way, and by that, I mean ethically. Your brand should be like a mirror: it reflects the truth, and it reflects the path you’ve placed yourself before.
Providing Awareness
Another aspect of why you should do personal branding is related to providing awareness. I've said it before, and I will say it again. I believe that everybody in this world has a gift to offer the world. And part of that is getting that word out, that notion of ‘Hey, I have this gift, and I want to give this gift.’
You are providing awareness of yourself to people, whether you know it or not. Do it more intentionally and tactfully. Certain things are going to catch your eye—for example, different articles that you read. Nobody will pay attention to exactly the same topics. Pass on your own personal constellation of interests and specialities via social media and your different communication channels. Allow it to shine. Enable people to see your own personal lens on the world and your career field.
What do you consider an important issue or a hot topic? Which other experts do you agree with? What areas of research and industry innovations are you keeping your eye on? Learn the best ways to let these topics radiate through your personal brand. Your career will thank you.
Register Today
Join the next session of the Personal Branding course. Register now.
