Personal Branding

The topic for the day was personal branding. At first the students were asked as to what a brand was. Some answers given were that a brand was an identity, a symbol of recognition or a definition of something. When viewing the definition for brands it clearly says the same; that a brand is an identity or a symbol of a product, service or a business. However IPO (2014) states that a brand is a “promise of an experience” and is an assurance to the customers of the nature and standards of products or services. Thus branding does not simply limit to an identity or a symbol but a reputational asset which is invaluable.

Thus as stated by Montoya (2014), personal branding can be defined as a “clear, positive idea that comes to mind whenever other people think of you”. It is a professional alter ego which influences others perspective of a person. A personal brand is a definition of a person, his values, personality, actions etc. Montoya (2014) further states that a personal brand tells as to who you are, what you do and what makes you different to others.

There are many ways to create your own personal brand, to market yourself. As discussed during the lecture, the following are some of the ways to market you

·         Personality – proper behavior, attitudes, way of handling things etc.

·         Networking/social groups – the way a person deal within a group, as a team, how well you communicate

·         Presentation of oneself – how confident you are, how you present yourself in the presence of others etc.

·         Attire – the way you dress, dressing with an effort in accordance with the occasion and place shows the respect towards the other party

·         Curriculum Vitae – the CV of a person is a way of marketing themselves to the potential employees

Brogan (2014) and Clarks (2014) states different elements that should be consisted in a personal brand which helps in marketing yourself such as

Ø  Self esteem

Ø  Being yourself

Ø  Offer value – what can you offer, why should someone hire/recruit you

Ø  Build a destination – a way people can reach you and know about you such as phone number, email, web profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter), blogs etc.

Ø  Share your ideas

Ø  Be innovative

Ø  Build and learn constantly

Ø  Communicate well with others

Building up a personal brand is not easily achievable over-night. It takes time, effort, transparency and should be always consistent. However when a personal brand is achieved, it can derive many benefits as stated by Montoya (2014)

ü  Create credibility

ü  Added perceived value

ü  Greater recognition

ü  In business context, increased earning potential and continuous flow of business

ü  Association with a trend

ü  Enhanced prestige

ü  Top of the mind status

Recruitment Process

Creating a pool of candidates for a particular job post in a company can be stated as recruitment. It invites applications from candidates who are seeking a job placing in the company. University of California (2014) states that recruitment process helps in the initial screening of the CVs, in order to gather potential candidates to the company. If the CV of a candidate is accepted, it leads to an interview, where the company officially meets the recruiters for the first time. Hence the interviews are a critical factor in determining the acceptance or the rejection from the job opportunity.

Therefore it is important to have a good preparation before facing an interview. Preparation can be done

ü  Practically – organizational background, travelling, attire, time

ü  Mentally – why is the job important to you, justification for the CV

ü  Psychological – presenting yourself without being nervous and scared

Before preparation, it is important to determine the purpose on an interview in interviewer’s perspective. According to University of California (2014), the following are some aims of an interview for an interviewer

·         To determine the preparation with respect to the organizational background and the related industry

·         Communications skills

·         Leadership potential and teamwork

·         In depth review of the qualifications

·         Comparisons of applicants’ strengths and weaknesses with each other

·         Determination of life goals, self-awareness and work ethics of the candidates

Therefore in order to obtain the satisfaction for the above criteria, the prior preparation should be done effectively

      Preparation about the organization

It is critical to have a clear understanding of the job that is being applied to, knowledge about the industry, organizational background etc. so that it shows the interest of the interviewee regarding the job being applied to. Knowing information about the responsibilities of the job, skills required, average salary in the industry, organizational background etc. will help in effectively communicating with the interviewers as well as help in negotiating factors such as salary and outcomes of the job. Sources such as company website, articles, information gained from employees can help in obtaining this information (University of California, 2014)

      Time and travel

It is important to arrive early to an interview in order to avoid possible delays that can occur. The mode of travelling too should be determined so that timing can be set accordingly. When selecting a mode of transport it is advisable to avoid public transport which are crowded and slow if possible in order to prevent unnecessary delays and complications

      Attire

Attire is an important element to be considered before and interview as it should be well fitting and appropriate. According to VirginiaTech (2013), wearing proper attire communicates the respect for the organization and the occasion and the understanding of the industry that you are applying for. The following are some guidelines for men and women in relation to attire in accordance with VirginiaTech (2013)

Women	Men	General
·         Suits can be of pants or skirts. Pants should be creased and tailored and skirts should be of conservative length ·         Light colored blouse/shirt with small patterns. ·         Jewelry – avoid chunky and colourful jewelry. A conservative watch, simple necklace, earrings are acceptable ·         Wear comfortable yet professional shoes, preferably closed toe pumps of a suitable height ·         Makeup – should be light and conservative. Avoid bright and dark colors	·         Suit jackets and pants should match ·         Suitable suit colors include navy, dark grey ·         Avoid ties with extreme colors and patterns and tying techniques ·         Long sleeved shirts ·         Clean and polished pair of shoes (Black, Brown) and belt to match ·         Dark socks of mid-calf length ·         Jewelry – a conservative watch, avoid earrings.	·         A 2 piece matched suit in conservative colors is known as the best and safest choice ·         Expensive clothing is not required. But quality should be present ·         Cleanliness person wise and clothes wise is important ·         Clean and trimmed fingernails ·         Conservatively styled hair ·         Use of perfumes/colognes should be done sparingly

Table 1 - Interview Attire (VirginiaTech, 2013)

      Interview questions

Questions asked at an interview play a major role in the selection process. The interviewer may test a wide area through the questions asked, which can be either based on the CV or based on general information. Therefore it is advisable to prepare a verbal resume, a justification for the CV as well as be aware of other question criteria asked. The following are some common questions asked at an interview according to American University (2014) and University of California (2014)

Ø  Tell me about yourself?

Ø  Why did you apply for this position?

Ø  What are your major strengths and weaknesses?

Ø  Where do you see yourself in (5 or 10) years?

Ø  What are the contributions that can be obtained from you to the organization?

Ø  What are the reasons for leaving the current/past job?

At the end of many interviews, an opportunity is given for a round of questions to be asked by the interviewee. It is important to be aware of the types of appropriate questions to be asked. University of California (2014) and American University (2014) presents certain appropriate questions to be asked as follows

·         What are the expectations from the job holder?

·         What type of work environment will I be in?

·         How are employee performances evaluated?

·         What are the significant changes or challenges that I might have to encounter?

·         How are the employees trained?

·         What are the opportunities for progression within the company?

It is important to avoid direct question related to salary, benefits, vacations etc.

      Psychological preparation

Mental preparation is an important factor which will help to face an interview calmly and confidently. Nervousness and fearfulness can lead to forgetting facts and inability to answer properly which will be a disadvantage for the interviewee. Preparation through mock interviews conducted with the help of others, practicing appropriate answering methods will help to a great extent in facing interviews successfully (University of California, 2014)

      End of the Interview

It is vital to clearly understand when the interview has come to an end. If the interviewer expresses conclusion of the interview, clarify the situation by asking whether he/she has any more questions to ask. At the conclusion of the interview express the interest in the position to create an impression of the enthusiasm. Finally it is important to thank the interviewer before leaving for the time spent and offer a firm handshake. (Foothill College, 2014)

References

American University. 2014. Interview Preparations. [online] Available at: http://www.american.edu/careercenter/Interview-Preparations.cfm [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

Brogan, C. 2014. Personal Branding for the Business Professional. [e-book] Available through: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/img/broganbranding.pdf [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

Clarks, D. 2014. Brand you 2014: five personal branding tips for the year ahead. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2014/jan/06/brand-you-2014-personal-branding-tips [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

Foothill College. 2014. How to Market Yourself Effectively. [e-book] Foothill College. Available through: http://www.foothill.edu/career/documents/How_to_Market_Yourself.pdf [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

IPO. 2014. Intellectual Property Office - What is a brand?. [online] Available at: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis/t-brands.htm [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

Montoya, P. 2014. What Is Personal Branding?. [e-book] Available through: http://www.petermontoya.com/pdfs/tbcy-chapter1.pdf [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

University Of California. 2014. Human Resources: Recruitment & Selection Hiring Process. [online] Available at: http://hr.ucr.edu/recruitment/guidelines/process.html [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

University Of California. 2014. Purpose of the Interview — Human Resources. [online] Available at: http://www.hr.ucdavis.edu/sdps/career-management-toolkit/take-action/interviews/purpose-of-the-interview [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].

Virginiatech. 2013. Interview appearance and attire | Career Services | Virginia Tech. [online] Available at: http://www.career.vt.edu/interviewing/interviewappearance.html [Accessed: 20 Jan 2014].