Me, Inc.

Become the CEO of Your

Career using Personal
Branding

By
Pomerantz Career Center
 Presentation Overview
• What is branding?
• Branding yourself
• Why branding today?
• Getting started: 7 steps for building a
brand
• The importance of branding
What Do These Things Have

In Common?
• The golden arches, the Nike
swoosh, and an apple icon?
• These are all examples of brands of
McDonalds, Nike and Apple computers
 Branding
• Because of branding, you likely have
certain images that comes to mind
when you think of these products
• A brand is a tool that is used in the
business world to describe all the
information or perceptions that are
connected with a product or service.
 Branding
• When you see these brands somewhere, you
associate them with a set of expectations or
perceptions
– Nike = tough athletes at the height of their performance.
– The Golden Arches = fast service and good food
– Apple logo = cutting-edge technology.

• You associate these concepts, thoughts, and

images with the particular companies because of
the brand each company has established.
 What Do We Mean By
Branding?
• Branding is…
– An image created in someone’s mind
– It’s both tangible and intangible characteristics
of a product or service that make it unique
– Products that are branded are often chosen
over similar products because they somehow
have a perceived value of being ‘better’
•Example: Think of the teenager deciding
between a name brand pair of blue jeans
and an off-brand pair. Which do you think
they will choose?

Why do they perceive one as better than

the other than the other?
Branding
• Branding is not just for products
anymore…
• Use branding concepts for yourself.
• In this program you will learn how to
establish a career brand for yourself,
starting your own business “Me, Inc.”
People Can Brand Themselves Too
• Think about the way the following
people have branded themselves:
– Michael Jordan
– Jessica Simpson
– Paris Hilton and
– Various political leaders
 Branding Yourself
• Helps to define who you are/what you are about
(or why an employer should hire you)
• Branding yourself is a way of associating great value
with a product (the product being you)

• Branding yourself is not about getting an

employer to choose you over your
competition.
• It is about getting the employer to see you
as the only solution to their problem
 Why Branding Today?
1. Trust is essential in the corporate world
• People want to do business with and hire or promote people they
know and feel good about

2. There has been change in what a

traditional career path looks like
• People today change careers an average
of 8 times during their lives
• Branding can be consistent throughout
the changes (ex. Hard work and creativity
can flow through to different occupations)
3. There is also a change in the way
people communicate
– Electronic communication doesn’t allow
personality to show
(compared to face-to-face communication)
– Your first interview might be over the phone
or your first communication with a potential
employer could be over e-mail.
– This type of communication could make it
difficult to express yourself.
4. Branding makes you more memorable
(think about how the swoosh or golden
arches stand out in your memory) in the
midst of the different type of
communication.
•If you can get an employer to associate positive
traits with your application or communication, you
will likely rise to the top of the applicant pool.
 Getting Started:
7 Steps to Building your Personal
Brand
1. Self-reflection
2. Continuous Learning
3. Prepare marketing strategy
4. Build relationships
5. Prepare marketing pieces
6. Develop your pitch
7. Follow up
 Step 1: Self-reflection
• Before you start, you need to know
what you’re beginning with.
• Self-reflection will help you identify
the tools you have and the areas you
need to improve.
• Identify and list past accomplishments
and achievements – create a master list
of all the good things you’ve done.
– This may include employment, internships,
volunteer opportunities, leadership positions, civic
involvement, or courses taken.
– Don’t sell yourself short, spend some time
reflecting on all the activities, and achievements
you’ve taken part in
– Continue adding to the list each time you have a
new experience
• Identify areas in need of further
development
– Once you’ve created your list of
accomplishments, you can look for
areas in which you’re lacking
experience
• Plan and focus on gaining new experiences
• This can come from many different sources:
internships, volunteering, workshops, etc.
• Next, identify what makes your
product unique or different
– What’s your best asset? What are you
noteworthy for? What do you contribute that
you are most proud of?
• Ask your parents, friends, etc. to find an
answer to that question
– Once you uncover your ‘edge’ make sure you
write it out and play it up as often as possible
 Step 2: Continuous
Learning
• It is imperative that you regularly
benchmark your skills against others and
develop a plan to keep your skills on the
cutting edge
• Continuous learning is essential to build
your brand.
– Add a Degree (majors/minors) or certificate
– Attend conferences and workshops
– Spend time spent with a mentor
 Step 3: Prepare Marketing
Strategy
•Mission statements are the backbone of a company
•By creating a mission statement for Me, Inc., you
will have direction for where you want your brand to
go.
•Mission statements are short, descriptive statements
of the common objective and focus of the
organization.
•Keep your mission statement to no more than two or
three sentences, or about 30 words.
• Mission Statements
– End your statement with qualifying words
and phrases to describe your mission.
– Example: “My personal career mission is
to inspire and equip students to reach
their maximum potential."
– Notice the other examples in the
PowerPoint
"My personal career mission is . . . "
Following are some examples:

"My personal career mission is to become a world-class

aeronautical engineer in the commercial aviation industry."

"My personal career mission is to gain experience in the public

accounting field toward earning my CPA designation."

"My personal career mission is to master the leading software

development tools and gain greater understanding of e-business
application development."
• Mission Statements
– Your personal mission statement should be
tightly focused toward the first three to five
years of your career.
– You can give specifics about the job type
and/or industry, as appropriate.
– This personal career mission statement will
form the foundation of your career focus.
– A mental concept of your personal career
mission statement is not enough. You should
write it down and put it where you can see it
every day.
• Create a vision statement for Me, Inc.
– Your vision statement takes your
mission statement a bit further by
mentioning HOW you will complete what
you intend to
(as stated in your mission)
– Make sure you mention specific tactics
you will practice or methods you will
use.
• Create a marketing plan for Me, Inc.
• Be visible to enhance your profile
– Volunteer
– Be involved
– Talk about your mission and your edge/talents/etc.
• Everything you do and choose not to do, can
communicate the value of your brand
– E-mails you send
– How you conduct yourself in meetings
– Words you say
– How you dress
– Conversations you have
– Etc.
 Step 4: Build
Relationships
• network is defined as: group of
people who exchange information, contacts, and
experience for professional or social purposes. 
(The Oxford Dictionary)
• Networking tips:
– Word of mouth is powerful; what are people
saying about you?
– Keep in good contact with your network
– Always make sure your network knows of any
recent successes
• Networking
– Don’t forget about potential networking
circles: friends, faculty, programs you are a
part of, family, organizations
– Search out new professional associations or
online communities to add to your network
– Find opportunities to weave your personal
mission/vision statements into conversation
with your network
 Step 5: Prepare
Marketing Pieces
• Your promotional pieces should include:
– Cover Letter
– Resume
– Personal References
• Consider how you will incorporate your
mission/vision into your promotional pieces
• Consider how you will distribute these
pieces
– Job search engines
– Distribute to family and friends
– Directly apply to an organization
 Step 6: Develop your
pitch
• A formal interview is your opportunity to
pitch your brand: Me, Inc.
– Tips:
• Practice makes perfect (take advantage of the Mock
Interview program)
• Dress appropriately and professionally
• Prepare (research the company and reflect on your skills
and abilities)
• Don’t be too modest (you’re selling your product and you
don’t want to sell yourself short)
• Consider how you will incorporate your personal
mission/vision statements into the conversation
• Your ‘pitch’ can also occur in
informal settings
– Conversations, e-mails,
presentations, etc.
 Step 7: Follow up
• Good follow-up communication will assist in
creating a positive association with your brand
– Return employers’ calls immediately
(establishes trust)
– Respond to all requests (shows responsibility)
– Write a thank you note after interview (associates
courtesy with your work)
– Write acceptance/decline letter upon accepting a job
– Keep in touch with your network
 Let’s Review:
7 Steps to Building your Personal
Brand
1. Self-reflection
2. Continuous Learning
3. Prepare marketing strategy
4. Build relationships
5. Prepare marketing pieces
6. Develop your pitch
7. Follow up
 The Importance of
Branding
• Creating a brand allows you to associate
value with your product (you!)
• There are many competing brands…you
must position yourself so employers
choose you
• By branding yourself – you’ll stand out
from other candidates
• If you don’t brand yourself, someone else
will do it for you