Brand Yourself--Get The Job
By Antonia Petniunas

Not too long ago a smart marketing expert figured out that people don’t chose products because they are better, but because they feel better about them. If a product could be defined with an attractive, compelling and easily- identifiable personality, consumers would connect with it in a more personal way, develop an emotional attachment to it and choose it over the competition.

And so the concept of branding was born. Branding has become so successful, the process has been honed and developed into a formal system. Today, brand strategy is a key step in the launch of countless products, from soap, to credit cards to TV networks.

Can branding techniques help you compete for a job in this tight labor market? You bet. Right now, employers are deluged with resumes. Your competition may have similar—even superior—skills to yours. All things being equal, employers will pick the applicant they are most inclined to like and trust. And the easiest way to gain their trust is to convey an appealing and clearly defined "brand personality."

How do you go about branding yourself? The process is really very simple.

Research

Brand strategists are constantly amazed by how little most companies know about the image that they project. A corporation may be trying to impress with their huge size while their target market yearns for intimacy. Or, maybe they’re obsessed with proving their technical superiority to an audience of "technophobes." That’s why the first stage of most branding efforts is research into what the brand is all about. You can perform this kind of self analysis in a more informal way.

Ask your closest friends, relatives and former employers the following questions. The answers will help you think about yourself in a whole new way.

"When you first saw my resume (or "When you first started working with me…" or "When I was little….") what were your concerns about me? Did these concerns pan out, or did I make up for them in some ingenious way?"

"What would you say is my best asset? Skill? How about my best personality trait?"

"Why do you think people like working with me? (Or “Why do people respect me? Love me?”)

"What do I seem to be able to do right every time?"

"If you could compare me to a famous brand (Nike, Starbucks, Energizer, etc.) what would it be, and why?"

Finally, ask yourself a question. Of the many people you’ve worked with over the years, whom do you most respect, and why? The way you answer this question will reveal the qualities you truly admire.

Core Values

You’ll notice the questions above were not focused on your job knowledge or skill set. Instead, they explored your attitudes, ways of relating to others and core values.

Your core values are the things that make you you. They will never change, no matter where you work or what new job skills you acquire. It’s critical to your future job success to understand them because you will not be happy working somewhere that doesn’t honor or let you express your core values.

No matter how much you try to bend yourself, you will not please employers if the basic "you" (your brand personality) doesn’t provide a package of qualities their corporate culture demands.

Sure, it’s tempting to claim that you are a perfect match for a job, but sometimes this is phony, usually impossible and definitely not necessary. The job posting describes a mythical, ideal candidate, but, perhaps your own real set of core values presents a better answer for the company than the prospective employers first imagined.

To establish your core values, look back at the interview Q&A and find six adjectives that crop up often in the responses. Now, write a sentence explaining what each of these words means to you. The result should be a statement of your core values.

for Example:

“I believe that methodology matters: Doing a job well each and every time—from mowing the lawn to always making the free throw—gives life a rhythm and meaning that is all too lacking today. Never ‘slip shod’ I believe in following all the right steps and adhering to a proven process every time, because it gives your team the right to depend on you.”

What if all the words used to describe you sound a little negative or boring? Think again. Someone "cold," could be unflappable, stable or no-nonsense. Someone "wild" might be imaginative, energetic or stimulating. "Shy" could mean circumspect or even a good listener.

Don’t forget to write up any other values not mentioned in your Q&A which you think are important.

Positioning Statement

In the corporate world, the positioning statement is a short sentence that clearly defines a brand’s personality, what motivates it and what it hopes it brings to its audience.

Looking at your core values, write a positioning statement about yourself in two sentences or less. Keep in mind the question, "How can my core values serve my prospective employer? The outcome should sound dramatically different than the typical "mission statement."

Old Mission Statement: Detail-oriented accountant with 5 years of experience with Lotus, Excel and accounting programs seeks opportunity in payroll.

New Position: I’m an unflappable, no-nonsense accounting expert who seeks to provide a busy employer with consistently perfect payroll records today, tomorrow and every day.

Now, Market Yourself

Now that you’ve defined your brand personality, there are dozens of ways you can spread your brand message.

Use your positioning statement on the top of your resume or in a cover letter.

Bullet point your core values as eloquent statements in a cover letter or e-mail.

Shorten the positioning statement and place it on letterhead or a business card.

When you talk to an employer, explore their feelings about some of your core values. Do your ideals match up?

Refer to a copy of your brand values when you’re "on the spot" during a cold call.

Think of creative ways to express your core values. Detail oriented tiny typeface? Bold colors? Loops and lines that express consistency?

Above all, stay consistent. Stay on brand! WW

WorkingWorld.com - Changing Jobs WW226 - February 25, 2002
http://www.workingworld.com/?d=changingjobs&archive=1
Toni Petniunas is a 15-year veteran entertainment marketing expert. As an award winning writer/producer and member of the prestigious Writer’s Guild of America, she has created mass-appeal consumerads, network promotions, trade ads, behind-the-scenes specials and trailers working for the global branding company 3 Ring Circus, advertising agencies, and major studios and networks.