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MBA Chat: Personal Branding v Career Branding - 06/24/10 8-9pm EST #mbachat

The Michigan Tech – Tech MBA Online #mbachat has been moved to Thursday’s from 8pm-9pm EST.

The MBA Chat (#mbachat) is a 1-hour discussion on Twitter where anyone can participate in our open source conversation. The Twitter Chat on Thursday, May June 24th 8:00pm-9:00pm EST will include Ryan Rancatore (@RyanRancatore) and Hajj E. Flemings (@HajjFlemings) who will answer questions.

Topic: Personal Branding vs. Career Branding

Noted web strategist Jeremiah Owyang recently posted this article debating the merits of “personal branding” and “career branding”. Understandably, Owyang is a proponent of building a career brand, as he has utilized this method for more than a decade. Let’s explore the differences between personal branding and career branding, and determine which path is right for you.

Show Bios

Ryan Rancatore – www.PersonalBranding101.com

Ryan is the advertising creative coordinator for a Fortune 500 financial services firm on the West Coast. His experience building the brand of a globally respected firm helps provide a unique perspective on the world of personal branding. Read more from Ryan at Personal Branding 101 .

Ryan’s role as advertising coordinator for a major financial services firm allows me the opportunity to work on both media plans and ad production – the science and the art of advertising, respectively.

His real passion is in the creative development of ads. I’ve helped develop television spots, print and online creative, social media strategy, and more.

Hajj E. Flemings – www.BrandCampU.com

Hajj is the founder of Brand Camp University and author of “The Brand YU Life: Re-thinking Who You Are Through Personal Brand Management.” He has been featured on ESPN.com, BusinessWeek.com, BlackEnterprise.com and travels nationally speaking as a branding expert enabling personal and business brands to remain relevant. His branded clients include Walt Disney, NFL athletes, Ford Motor Company, Skechers Footwear, U.S. Department of Defense (Telecom Division) and numerous colleges and universities to name a few. His book was selected as one of Fast Company Magazine 2008 Readers Choice Business Books of the year.

How to Follow and Participate:

To participate you can use http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetgrid.com/. Watch for tweets with the hashtag #mbachat and follow the conversation on the @TechMBAOnline Twitter account.

This chat is sponsored by Michigan Tech MBA Online program: www.mbaonline.mtu.edu.

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Personal Branding vs. Career Branding

Noted web strategist Jeremiah Owyang recently posted this article debating the merits of “personal branding” and “career branding”. Understandably, Owyang is a proponent of building a career brand, as he has utilized this method for more than a decade. Let’s explore the differences between personal branding and career branding, and determine which path is right for you.

The definitions in quotes are directly from Owyang. I largely agree with his descriptions, except for the notion that personal brands must be quite so “me-centric”.

Silhouette

Personal Branding

“The first approach is called a ‘personal’ brand, which focuses on that of the individual. The ‘personal’ brand focuses on the individual, essentially focusing on ‘me’. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it is fundamentally a different mindset from the second type.” (J.O.)

1. Fewer Restrictions. As a “lone wolf”, you operate not as a mouthpiece for your employer, but as your own entity. By distancing yourself from the accompanying restrictions, you are free to operate autonomously.

2. Consistency. If you switch jobs, get laid off, or your employer disappears overnight - your brand is largely unaffected. In today’s tumultuous economy, this factor may be more important than ever before.

3. Freedom to Change. As an independent operator, you aren’t tied to any one product or subject. If your passion suddenly flips unexpectedly, your personal brand can do the same.

Career Branding

“The second type of approach is what I call a ‘career brand’. The difference is simple. This is a brand that’s focused on “what can you do for your clients or employer”, with a focus more on ‘we’. (J.O.)

1. Halo Effect. As a career brander, your individual brand is boosted by the reputation of your employer as well. If you work for Google or Apple, you receive an immediate lift in brand authority (deserved or not). Note that this also works both ways, and can have negative consequences.

2. Efficiency. A career brand can be powerfully efficient, as your day job can fuel both your current and future career prospects. No need to exhaust yourself with duplicate efforts, working separately from your 9-to-5 (as is often the case for a personal brand).

3. Employer Benefit. While building your career brand, an interesting thing happens - you benefit, your company prospers as a byproduct, and your network enjoys the ride too. Triple win! An individual brand ideally serves to help others, and this aspect plays a huge role in allowing that to occur.

In some cases, employees will not have the authority to choose their path. Public affiliation with your employer may be censored, or your outward communication may automatically be considered “property” of the employer.

But, given the choice, which would you opt for: personal branding or career branding?

Ryan Rancatore discusses the latest topics and trends related to building a brand at Personal Branding 101. Connect with Ryan on Twitter at @RyanRancatore, or on Linkedin.

Photo credit, zedbee.

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#mbachat 06/07/10 7:30pm EST Topic: “How do I Become a Subject Matter Expert?”

The #mbachat is a 1-hour discussion on Twitter where anyone can participate in our open source conversation. This Twitter Chat is on Monday, June 7th 7:30pm-8:30pm EST with host Hajj E. Flemings and the topic is “How do I Become a Subject Matter Expert?”

How to Follow and Participate:

To participate you can use http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetgrid.com/. Watch for tweets with the hashtag #mbachat and follow the conversation on the @TechMBAOnline Twitter account.

This chat is sponsored by Michigan Tech MBA Online program: www.mbaonline.mtu.edu.

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7 Ways to Increase Your Job Security

There is a lot of advice and information out there on branding yourself for the job search; however, personal branding isn’t just a one-time activity. Personal branding is an ongoing process that can not only help you advance your career once you get an opportunity, but also help you to keep your job in tough economic times.

Here are 7 tips on how personal branding can help you increase your job security at work:

Demonstrate to your boss that you get it. Make it known that you know what needs to get done and are doing it and a lot more. Today job security is about company security. Any employer feeling on the financial ropes looks for ways to lighten the load. All too often, that means reductions in force, or simply put, layoffs. The people aren’t casualties are those who bring real value to the enterprise. Smart employees brand themselves by making it clear to the leadership that they understand the harsh realities of business and aren’t afraid. They demonstrate that by identifying problems and fixing them, by seeing opportunities and seizing them, and by being a strong voice that motivates positive action. If you’re a whiner and naysayer, you’re toast! If you’re a “I’m with you no matter what,” can-doer, you’re golden. - Dawn Lennon, ConsultBigPicture.com

Be mindful of who you need to be influencing. In many cases, it may not be just your immediate boss or even people in the same office or country. Be very clear about who makes the decisions about your role and department and that they are aware of the contribution you are making. - Paul Copcutt, SquarePegSolution.com

Find an internal champion who can speak knowledgeably about your contributions. A mentor is the best person to serve in this capacity. If you have a mentor who is well placed in the organization, this person is in an excellent position to speak up for you. Very often employees are let go because upper management does not know that they are very valuable. Having an internal champion to speak for you can go a long way in terms of persuading management that you are too valuable to lose. Some organizations have formal mentoring programs in place. If your organization does have such a program, make sure that you take advantage of it. If they don’t look around to see who might fill this role for you. - Cheryl Palmer, CallToCareer.com

Go the extra mile in your role. While you’re building your external brand, you also need to build your brand within your company. If everyone knows you, and knows that you add value to your team through contributions, industry knowledge and industry research, you’ll become more difficult to get rid of. - Erik Vermeulen, ErikVermeulen.com

Go above and beyond your role by getting involved. The more involved and active you can become in the company, the more entrenched and indispensable you become. This could be joining a cross-functional committee, writing for the company blog, sharing/contributing ideas, expertise or opportunities to other functions and teams within the organization, offering to start, lead or coordinate company-wide initiatives and more. This will showcase your value and talents, but also your loyalty and commitment to the company’s long-term success. And who wouldn’t want someone with those assets on the team? - Chris Perry, CareerRocketeer.com

Become the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in your area of expertise! When you are the SME for your area, it is very difficult for a company to let you go unless you are an extremely difficult person to work with, or the company completely changes direction whereby eliminating your functional expertise. However, in addition to becoming a SME in just your area, having a strong foundation of understanding about the overall business of your company and picking your spots strategically for where you add sound judgment and advice in a respectful, thoughtful and positive manner, could also help you stave off being let go involuntarily. - David Kimmelman, GetTheJob.com

Cross-train so that you can backfill a position, if necessary. In an era of cutbacks, you make yourself more valuable if you are flexible and can do more than one job. If your company does not formally cross train its employees, volunteer to be cross trained. - Cheryl Palmer, CallToCareer.com

Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this wealth of personal branding insight!

Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing “generator,” a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.

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i Finish: The app that defines Personal Branding

One of the biggest challenges in life is not starting but finishing. Anybody can start something but to the finisher goes all the spoils. What if Fred Smith founder of FedEx stopped with his term paper at Yale, when his professor told him overnight shipping would never work? Fred is a finisher and the impact of his start is still being felt today.

History chronicles those that finish. We rarely talk about the runner-up, second place, or the 500-page book manuscript that you wrote but never published. Personal branding is captured in one word is finishing. One of the people that I have a great deal of respect for is Seth Godin who has talked about this topic at length and has packaged it as shipping.

Reasons Why we Like Starting Stuff

  • Big Bodacious Teams: At the start of a project, leaders and teams are galvanized and inspired to change the world.
  • The Shiny Objective Syndrome: People love working and focusing on new task, projects, and the flavor of the day. Even entrepreneurs believe that they can do the impossible.
  • Excitement – Launching an idea is typically very energizing.
  • Drinking Bathwater – People who would drink your bath water because they think you are the greatest thing since sliced bread gassing your head up.

What is the value of finishing?

  • Building Mindshare: Mindshare is owning a slice of mental real estate in the mind of your target audience. Building a strong personal brand is established over time by finishing projects that are consistent with your personal brand objectives.
  • Creating a culture of execution: You begin to approach projects, ideas, and businesses with the mindset of starting things that you are intentionally planning on finishing. Your life becomes a series of completed projects or ideas that slowly build or speak your consistency. People began to identify you as a person that executes.
  • Conversion: Finishing is about converting objectives into strategies. To complete anything that is significant you have to create small victories on the road of completion. Finishing forces you to strategically approach your work in a way that will result in measurable objectives you complete.

Tips for Finishing

  • Set measurable goals and objectives.
  • Validate the objectives align with your personal mission and purpose. The end result should add value to your personal brand.
  • Shorten your list: You are not creating a list to sound or look important.

What Finishing Means to your Personal Brand

Finishing is not about being a rocket scientist or throwing junk together but about establishing clear objectives and aligning strategies to make those objectives a reality. Personal Branding taken a step further is about completing projects that are mission and purpose driven and align with your passion, the way you are wired and your personal brand DNA. The end results is attaching your name and your legacy to finished projects, ideas, or products that aligns, builds, and strengthens your personal brand.

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