No matter what industry you’re involved in, having an idea of your personal brand is key to representing yourself well in every situation. If you don’t have a firm idea of who you are, it’s easy to lose your focus or moral compass as your career progresses. Here are three suggestions for developing your brand based on advice from John Branca Harvard.
1. Focus on Connections
One of the top priorities that John Branca Harvard mentions is staying true to the artists he represents as an entertainment lawyer. Rather than putting an emphasis on his profit or the risks he takes by representing a certain artist, he focuses on connections with his clients. This viewpoint is easy to replicate across industries. For example, if you’re a therapist, you should present yourself as a physician who puts his or her clients’ health and wellbeing above all else. If you’re a researcher, you should prioritize developing relationships with your fellow researchers rather than trying to figure everything out on your own. By centering your brand on connections with your clients and coworkers, you create a supportive community and increase awareness about your brand.
2. Make Your Brand Public
Developing your brand isn’t very useful if you don’t tell people about it. When you’re a high-profile professional like John Branca Harvard, you can let your brand speak for itself. In your early days, it’s critical to emphasize it on your resume and networking sites. Create a mission statement that sums up your top values and how your work aligns with these concerns. Choose three words that summarize this statement, and include your results at the top of your resume and in your LinkedIn bio. Make sure that this content aligns with your work experience, education, and pastimes.
3. Stay True to Yourself
When you focus on your brand, it’s easy to get caught up in your flaws and start working around or hiding them. While you should certainly present your best self, your brand should also accurately display who you are. Don’t pretend to care about causes that you never think about, and avoid stretching the truth about your work experience. Instead, focus on the unique parts of your life and personality that drive your career and motivate you to cause change.
Follow these three tips based on John Branca Harvard’s advice to develop your brand while staying true to who you are.