Personal branding: where do we get started with this nebulous concept?

Alex and I are interested in helping pharmacists create a personal brand that helps you:

Stand out amongst the crowd in a way that does not compromise the authentic you. We want you to embrace your values and interests in a way that sets your heart on fire (in a good way, not like heartburn.)

Flip the job search on its head. We want people coming to you saying “YES!, We need you to work at our company. We know how valuable you will be on our team!” We want you to never have to look for a job again.

We want people to know what you’re all about

These goals can be achieved by developing a very clear and genuine personal brand.

We are often asked, “How do I get started with developing my personal brand?”

10 Questions to Ask Yourself That Will Define Your Personal Brand:

1. What are my core values?
2. What do I believe in?
3. What do I want others to know about me?
4. What do I want others to say when I’m not present?
5. How do I serve others?
6. What are some of my unique abilities?
7. What feedback have I received from my superiors?
8. How would others describe their professional interactions with me?
9. What area(s) of the profession am I most interested in?
10. What do I hope others will say at my retirement party?

::PAUSE HERE::

Time to answer the above questions before moving on. Come back to this post after you have thoroughly considered the above.

::RESUME READING::

OK, now that you have the key components of your brand figured out, it will be much easier to start working on development and distinction of your personal brand.

Here are a few quick ways to look at your personal brand’s development:

Evaluate an outsider’s perception of you. What are you communicating to others, and how do you find out their perception of you?

• Self-assessment: A great tool to recognize the outsider perspective of you is the Johari window. After filling out this assessment, send to 5-10 colleagues to see what your professional colleagues see in you.
• Stakeholder interview: There is a great book, Total Leadership, which recommends asking the important people in your life what their expectations are of you. You may be surprised by what you find out! Also, you can use this information to set professional goals.

Carefully select what you share. Look at your last 5-10 posts on LinkedIn or other social media… what types of content are you sharing? Does this content contribute to your personal brand? What will others learn about you when your post shows up in their newsfeed?

Aligning with other brands. What professional organizations are you involved with? What are the core values of the organization you work for? Are you representing those core values? If yes, how?

I look forward to getting to know you and your personal brand. If you’d like to talk this out a bit more, get a hold of us here.

Jackie Boyle

Jackie is a coach at the Happy PharmD. She loves her family, changing the world, and pharmacy. 🙂