“You are only as good as the good you do for others.” ~Unknown
The quote above has appeared in my email signature since about 2011 and has come to embody both the philosophy by which I live my life and the mantra upon which I base my career and business. As I have worked with various clients on defining their professional brand, I have come to realize that more than anything -- a brand is ultimately our offer of value to others. The beauty in this perspective is that we all have something of value to offer and contribute to the world. The challenge is how difficult it is to identify and articulate your value in such a way that it connects to others and encourages them to engage with you.
If you think about it, any job posting is just the far wordier equivalent of the classic, “Help Wanted” sign, hung in a retail store window. Employers are seeking the best person they can find to help them deal with a specific set of pain points that are currently hurting their business. Your job as a candidate is to develop a brand and career platform that demonstrates your experience and track record in resolving this set of pain points or ones that are similar enough to be compelling.
The best way for you to make your case in response to that “Help Wanted” sign is by thinking through how you have been successful in helping others in similar business situations and leveraging that experience as one of the defining characteristics of your brand. Here are three things to think through to help build your brand:
1) Who do you help?
Depending on your function, the recipients of your help could be customers, constituents, clients (external or internal), co-workers/superiors, or the company itself. The point is, regardless of your role, there will always be someone or some entity on the receiving end of the benefits of your work.
Brand Building Block:
A critical part of defining your brand is identifying the audience you are best equipped to help. You have likely built up expertise in the nature and nuances of the challenges they face, making you highly adept at tapping into their needs and crafting the best solutions.
2) What problems do you solve?
Next, you will want to consider the types of problems you are very good at solving. Over the course of your career, you have likely encountered and/or been called upon to resolve a range of business problems. There are problems that you are both skilled at and enjoy solving and those you are also skilled at but would rather avoid.
Brand Building Block:
You would want to orient your platform toward the problems at the intersection of your strongest skillset(s) and enjoyment. Since no one wants to be known for work that they don’t enjoy doing; it’s critical that you are clear on this component. Being able to articulate your ability to solve a certain range of problems will help make you highly attractive to the right audience. Where there is a match between their needs and your solutions, relationships and employment are found. Looking back over the body of your work will likely reveal to you themes and patterns to help you carve out the lane which you occupy that few can.
3) What’s unique about your help?
Finally, it will be critical to figure out what is unique and/or better about the way in which you help others. You are not the only candidate with your job title and the accompanying skillset, so your unique qualifier is that only you are you.
Brand Building Block:
Your distinct advantage may lie in the approach you take to solving the problem, the solutions you devise, or something in between. Whatever it is, you need to be able to identify at what point in the journey you add value in a way that is different from others. Some of you excel in technical ability and for others, it’s interpersonal relations. Still others bring their unique perspective to the table that shapes proceedings in ways not possible without their presence. We all bring something to the table by dint of our way of thinking, doing or being that give our solutions a unique flavor.
If you have difficulty seeing any of this for yourself, getting feedback from others you have helped or getting professional help can help you successfully derive your brand.
Identifying these three core elements will be of immense value to you in helping you identify and articulate your brand through the lens of how you help others. When people can connect to how you have improved the situations of others, that immediately makes you attractive. Further, if they can see themselves and their story in the stories of those you have already helped, you are well on your way to establishing meaningful relationships that can lead to expanding your network, building meaningful relationships and advancing your career.
If you would like to discuss how the way you help can transform your brand, I’d love to support you! BOOK NOW for a free consultation.
niiato@avenircareers.com | Call/text 917-740-3048