Miuccia Prada once said, “What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.” In fashion your personal style reflects who you are, what you stand for, and what you do. It is a great way to express yourself. And just as you use fashion to build your unique personal identity in real life, the internet is here to help you build your unique online identity, or online personal brand. Recognizing the need of professionals to be recognized as experts in their fields and build their unique professional presence, Bayt.com has recently launched Bayt.com Specialties, a dynamic platform for professionals to interact and share their knowledge.
Your personal brand reflects who you are. This means creating a realistic assessment of your strengths, what you love doing, and the skills that you’ve mastered or are working to master. Bayt.com helps you create a unique Public Profile where you can show potential employers what you're really good at. Bayt.com also offers you the means to ask for Recommendations and Endorsements by other professionals – bosses, friends an colleagues – to show employers what you're really of and stand out as an expert in your field. If you understand your strengths, skills, passions, and values you can use this information to separate yourself from others and truly stand out.
Personal branding is very powerful because it sends a clear, consistent message about who you are and what you have to offer. A strong, authentic personal brand helps you become known for what you’re good at. It makes others able to say what your unique promise of value is once they see you or your name. Having a polished online presence is extremely important, especially when you know that 84% of MENA employers will take the time to research candidates online before making a final decision (the Bayt.com "Hiring Management in the MENA" poll, August 2012).
Below are 6 steps to create your unique personal brand:
Step 1: Define your overall aspirations Be specific and clearly define your goals and objectives. Is it to become known as the best project manager in a certain industry? Obtain the job of Creative Director at a large advertising agency? Become VP of Marketing? Be specific of what you want to achieve.
Step 2: Conduct research How are those who have made it to where you want to be conducting their personal branding efforts? What can you learn from them? Who are your biggest competitors and what are they doing to successfully brand themselves?
Step 3: Determine your brand attributes What do you want your personal brand to convey? What adjectives do you want people to associate with you?
Step 4: Assess your current state How do people currently perceive you? How large is the gap between the current you and the person you want others to perceive you to be? What needs to change and how?
Step 5: Create your game plan Your game plan should include more than just branding yourself in social media – it needs to include all aspects of you. Defining your plan needs to include the tangible and intangible characteristics of personal branding including attire, hair, makeup, behavior, and verbal and non-verbal communication.
Step 6: Manage your brand effectively Proactively manage all aspects of your brand, ensuring these aspects are in sync and that they continue to reinforce your brand attributes.
