Q: "It seems like the hot new buzz word is branding, or your personal brand. I feel the need to incorporate this into my resume and in the interview process. But truthfully, I'm not crystal clear on what this actually means."
A: Branding means a lot of things. I counsel my executive clients by saying that branding means being authentic to who you really are, expressing that throughout your career marketing documents, and conveying that in the interview process and during the course of the actual job.
One way that I guide the executive in identifying his or her brand is by asking them to think about what they are known for. Are they a turnaround specialist? A start up specialist? A change agent? Excellent in establishing infrastructure? Fantastic and driving process improvements? Something else?
OK, those are all key words and buzz words. Your brand does not end there. It begins there. The next step is to make the brand uniquely you. Employers need an executive who can truly bring value to their organization. The way you demonstrate your ability to deliver is to illustrate past situations in which you've come in, defined the objectives, established the priorities, and executed to a good degree of success.
There is a unique story involved in every professional situation you've encountered throughout your career. At some point in your career, you likely developed a reputation for being able to do a particular thing, or being able to do a particular thing with a particular flair or style. That is your brand.
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