Bringing Your Individuality to Work: Brilliant or Taboo?

Featured Article & Career Coach: Elizabeth McAloon

"Personal branding" is the latest buzzword. It's a topic that cuts across a number of career management areas. The concept can be extremely helpful, but the language leaves many people feeling that there's a big mystery out there about how to be successful. Let's demystify it right now!

There are products, and there are brands.

What's the difference? Well, a brand is made up of all the intangible associations that go along with a particular product: the romance of Chanel No.5; the sexiness of a Ferrari; the cachet of a Rolex. To the working world, you are, in part, a product. Sure, you've got that dazzling smile and you're the one everyone wants to sit next to at the holiday party—that's part of the product. But it's more than that.

Your brand is the unique special recipe of you—your experiences, skills, personality, talents, creativity, wisdom, ability to connect with people. It all adds up to what you specifically add to an organization.

I've asked dozens of people about their brand, and very few can convey it with any clarity. Personal branding is not your title. Personal branding is the "youness" that you bring. It's not necessarily what you do, but the particular way you do it.

Let's look at some examples: [Read more!]

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