When trying to focus on every aspect of Personal Branding, especially in this generation, things get overwhelming and unmanageable. When a corporation releases a new campaign for a product or to promote their own brand, there are various media outlets and styles that need to be accounted for and different audiences that need attention. While some corporations have the luxury of human resource assets and capital for promotion purposes, individuals do not share in that fortune. This poses a challenge that people need to consider and that obstacle is not having the bandwidth to focus on too many objectives and promotional tactics at once. To narrow down this focus, I have presented the top three most significant Personal Branding skills that individuals should practice in order to enhance their brand identity and equity.
The three skills that are most crucial when interviewing, networking or excelling in your career are writing, communication and technical skills. Each skill supports one another and when combined it forms a strong Personal Brand, which is valuable in the marketplace and in life.
- Writing skills: One of the most important methods of communication is writing. Your writing may appear in emails, blogs, papers, reports, presentations, websites and other media such as magazines and newspapers. If your writing is unsatisfactory it will be known by those you communicate with and you will lose credibility and respect out of it. Focusing on your writing is vital to a successful career, especially because the world is run by email and if you can’t spell or write in a linear fashion, you will lose opportunities. Learning to write can also be a challenge and it comes with time. To help speed up your development, enroll in classes at school or seek the aid of a mentor. Be sure to be consistent with your writing too and learn new vocabulary in order to have a stronger impact. Through writing, especially in blogs, your brand is highlighted and you touch your readers. Customize your writing to the audience, by conducting research and tailoring the content to the people who will be reading it.
- Communication skills: The larger the corporation, the more important good communication is. Also, interpersonal communication is valuable in networking and accomplishing tasks, wherever you are. Communication skills are present during a speech, presentation, day-to-day talk, elevator pitches to executives or between you and a peer. Each interaction is important to showcasing your Personal Brand in positive light. Presenting at work is a time where you can build credibility, network within the corporate environment and be seen as a leader or subject matter expert. Your credibility is at stake during a presentation, so be prepared to answer questions and be concise with your PowerPoint slides and vocals. Presenting is a formal way of letting your audience or managers know that you exist and add value to the business. The difficult part is the pressure that you endure before you present because you are being judged on your verbiage and subject knowledge. This is why preparation is the key to your success. Strong presentation skills are a clear path for leadership, which corresponds to management.
- Technical skills: If you thought communication and writing were important, technical skills are not only important but are required for most jobs in society today. Most job listings require experience using software packages such as Microsoft Office. More and more companies use these products, such as Microsoft Excel, for operational purposes in any job function. To be accepted into a position, you should invest time in learning computer skills or other skills that are needed in your field. Today, without these skills, you have a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace and become a commodity. Brand yourself through gaining these skills, especially the ones that are in high demand in your respected areas because it will differentiate you and make you stand out and be distinct.
