The Self as Brand in the Job Market

How are you perceived?

Is it how you want to be?

@shiraabel

Who Am I?

• Shira Abel

• Business Development & Marketing

• Abel Communications

• @shiraabel

Self as Brand

Identifying characteristics that distinguish you from your competition

@shiraabel

Why Branding is Important@shiraabel

India 6.8% * CIA World Factbook 2009

NOW is the Time

Differentiation

• How do you compare to others going for the same position?

• What makes you stand out among the crowd?

• When your name comes up – what is the response?

@shiraabel

Your Brand

• Consensus about who you are

• Reputation, public image and character

• Collective opinion about you

• It’s like a Rorschach test. Somebody flashes you name. What leaps to mind?

*David D’Alessandro

@shiraabel

Example – Me

Twitter List Shows Perception

• Common phrases: Social Media, Marketing, Business, Northwestern, MBA, Conversationalist, Design, Israel, Jewish

• Funny tags: Peoplewhocouldbeatmeup (thank you @unmarketing), onlyfunnyifsonelosesaneye (thank you @noahroth)

@shiraabel

@shiraabel

Other Info From Twitter

• More followers than followed shows good content – giving information of value

• Numerous sites out there that show the “Tweeters” level of influence

• Pulls people to you

The Brand of Shira Abel

• How I am perceived – is it accurate?

• Yes – I do marketing & business development for start-ups, using social media as my main method for marketing and building / maintaining relationships

• I also have an interior design blog (side project) and often tweet about design (a small part of my differentiation)

@shiraabel

Relation to My Work

• Companies find and contact me– New client – Looppa.com (white label social

media platform) contacted me for Business Development after finding me on Twitter

• Build relationships with influencers– Making meetings with investors and start-ups

for a client (Platonix – a joint venture firm)

@shiraabel

Robert Scoble

Technology Evangelist

Famous for Tech

Blogger

Managing Director – Building 43

Chris Brogan

Blogger

Social Media Strategist

President of New Marketing Labs

Where are you online?@shiraabel

What do the results reflect?@shiraabel

Perception is Reality

• How do others see you?• Is it the impression you want to

be giving?• You are already being branded• To build a good personal

brand if you must see yourself as others see you

@shiraabel

Let Others Brag for You

“…ask yourself: What have I accomplished that I can unabashedly brag about? If you're going to be a brand, you've got to become relentlessly focused on what you do that adds value, that you're proud of, and most important, that you can shamelessly take credit for.”

*Tom Peters

@shiraabel

The Brand Called You

“What do I do that adds remarkable, measurable, distinguished, distinctive value? Forget your job description. Ask yourself: What do I do that I am most proud of?”

* Tom Peters

@shiraabel

Focus

• Clarity – who are you and who you are not

• Consistency – what is your message

• Constancy – showing the same message to the entire audience

@shiraabel

How?

• Differentiate

• Create value

• Be found

• Network

• Be memorable

• Take calculated risks

@shiraabel

What is Your Message?

• Information about you– Goals– Values– Drivers– Interests– Skills / Talents / Expertise

• Information from others – about you– How do they perceive you?

@shiraabel

Develop Your Brand

• Target audience – Imagine yourself in their shoes – what are their needs

• Unique value proposition– Why would someone go to you for something, over

someone else?

• Attributes – choose three– Aligned with goals– Authentic– Relevant to your target

• Value– What is your elevator pitch of unique offering?

@shiraabel

Getting Started on Your Brand

• Volunteer with a charity organization

• Sign up for an extra project inside your organization – Introduce yourself to new colleagues – Showcase your skills – Work on new ones

• Take on a freelance project

@shiraabel

Get Yourself Out There

• Teach a class

• Write articles for publications

• Write your own blog

• Build a newsletter (connect to blog)

• Speak on panels and at conferences – and make sure they video it

• Post the video of the conference (or just your video blog) on YouTube or Vimeo

@shiraabel

Connect

• Twitter• Facebook• LinkedIn• SlideShare• Flickr• YouTube / Vimeo• Skype• Stumbleupon • Digg

@shiraabel

Some Social Media Platforms

• LinkedIn• Twitter• Facebook• Friendfeed• Blog (comment on yours and others)• Blip.fm / Last.fm• Flickr• FourSquare / GoWalla

@shiraabel

Give

The secret of social media is that it’s opt-in. If you are not giving interesting information, people will not follow you. The way to build influence is by giving. Give information you think is relevant to your audience. Save them time. Give them a reason to trust you – only then can you ask for something in return.

@shiraabel

Maintenance

• Google Alert for your name

• Stay active and connected

• Assessment – Are you hitting your mark?

• Evolve – Flexibility is critical

@shiraabel

What NOT To Do

• Spam

• Use a “Follow 1,000 users a day” program

• Follow 1,000 people when you just started and are only followed by 12

• LinkedIn – only follow people you know and have connected with (I didn’t do this in the beginning – mistake)

• Share too much

@shiraabel

Build Influence

• Share information

• Share contacts

• Introduce people

• Do favors

• Acknowledge support

• Be transparent

• Build trust

@shiraabel

The Importance of Network

• Get to know a new group of people outside of your normal group

• Working well with others will have them singing your praises

• Having a good reputation brings work to you

• Build your level of influence

@shiraabel

Thank you

Shira Abel-Shvo

Abel Communications

http://www.abel-communications.com

@shiraabel

References• http://www.bls.gov/fls/intl_unemployment_rates_monthly.htm• http://www.photius.com/rankings/economy/unemployment_rate_2009_1.htm

l• http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html?1261779078• http://www.slideshare.net/narejo/brand-u-1948592 • http://www.slideshare.net/lealea/the-art-of-selfbranding • http://www.slideshare.net/daisy4133/brand-you-2643523• http://www.slideshare.net/aliciafalcone/personal-branding-central-exchange-

4-1-09-1235515 • http://www.flickr.com/photos/8870819@N07/951917390/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/20195637@N00/2216663973/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/26977717@N02/3911671956/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/43188053@N00/202880863/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/50016673@N00/63746104/ • http://www.insidesocal.com/click/Steve_Jobs.jpg

@shiraabel