Building A Personal Brand To Maximize Your Career Goals
How you begin each day will set the tone for everything else that follows
. Having a well balanced life starts with a great morning routine and a positive attitude. So, how does your morning routine usually start out?
Hit the snooze bar
Get up 20 minutes late
Rush to shower
Dash to your closet that's packed to the max
You say to yourself, Ugh, I have nothing to wear", or "I guess Ill just wear this same old shirt and pants today, like I wear every Monday".
No time for ironing or makeup
Run to the Car and speed through traffic to make it to work on time
In today's times, we already have enough things to deal with or that distracts us other than "not having anything to wear". Having a wardrobe that fits our lifestyle and personality will definitely make your morning routine easier and allow you to feel more confident. In addition, having a closet that is highly organized is essential to knowing what you have to wear and styling it accordingly to the look you want to achieve.
"Great Style Through Effective Personal Branding" is a philosophy and also an approach to help you take control of how you look, feel, and how others react to you. Everyone from mother's staying at home to corporate recruiting firms see the importance of a personal brand and how it has an effect on your overall well being and how people perceive you.
In a recent report published by the National Association of College and Employers (NACE), grooming and interview attire is a very important component as potential candidates market themselves to employers. Overall Grooming was the strongest physical attribute at 73 percent, compared to facial hair and usual hair styles. The physical attributes like grooming and personal styling are items that could make or break a candidacy, according the NACE report.
By understanding, the effects and benefits of having "Great Style Though Effective Personal Branding", you can avoid uncomfortable situations like not dressing appropriately for a particular setting.
What is Branding?
When a company develops a brand they consider their history, values, mission, attributes and their target market. By recognizing these factors they can create a strategy to send their message and purpose to their target consumer. We, as consumers identify with the company's logo and have emotional reactions to the product or service a company offers us.
What is Personal Branding?
Everyday we encounter people; some of us interact with hundreds of people in one day. Sometimes its a mere conversation, other times we only spends just a few seconds around these individuals. The first impression is the lasting impression, which has been noted to last seven seconds. Why wouldn't you want to make an impression that reflects who you are and how you want people to connect with you?
If you are a brand, then your clothing is your logo. What impression is your wardrobe giving to those around you? One way to determine this is to identify "what" is your personal brand?
What is Your Personal Brand?
Start by asking yourself these questions and what needs should your wardrobe serve, and how should it function to support you.
1. What are my goals? Am I in the middle of changing careers? About to get promoted? You have the desire to feel more confident and want to attract the perception of prestige? Write your goals down because these are the type of questions that will determine the tone of your brand.
2. Who is my audience? Superiors? Peers? Your Clients? We all want to be respected by how colleagues, family, friends, so think about who is the most supportive of your goals and they will most likely be your target audience.
3. What part of my personality will contribute to my success and would it be most recognized for? Think of what you're great at, your biggest achievement, or how your peers describe you. A description like: Resourceful, creative, carries integrity, confident and driven". This question is powerful because it can show you how your appearance currently is and bring more clarity on how you can improve your wardrobe situation.
Cool, you knocked those questions out, and it feels pretty great right? You've just begin the process of building your brand and vision for you goals. We can use this to create a wardrobe that supports your purpose.
Giving Style for Your Lifestyle
The answers from the Personal Branding will be used at how you look at your clothing in your closet, which is not just the clothes that are right in front of you. You have to look deeper than just those clothes you always wear together, like clock work and ask yourself if each piece serves a purpose and really supports the element of your brand.
For example:
Is wearing only white and blue dress shirts to work showing others my level of expertise and creativity?
"Is having sweat suits in multiple colors that I wear through the week to run errands and then to parent teacher conferences effecting my level of confidence?
Is a tired and oversized suit effectively communicating my need for advancement and being resourceful to the person interviewing me?
If you sense a pattern in your answers, or look at your closet and know its not supportive of your goals it is time to address your personal brand and make it effective towards your lifestyle.
Getting Great Style Through Effective Personal Branding
The philosophy behind "Great Style Through Effective Personal Branding" is to have a wardrobe that is controlled by your lifestyle, personality, and not buy impulse shopping, trendy items and other things in your closet you bought but never wear. It is a process that if its taught correctly can lead to success in other areas of your life. You can achieve great style that is satisfying and can sustain you for way longer than a couple of seasons. Part of building your personal style is analyzing aspects like getting the proper fit, selecting the right colors for your skin tone and hair, and observing your shopping habits. A great way to gain expertise in this would be to work with a personal style consultant knows how to get "Great Style Through Effective Personal Branding" and who's an expert in achieving the proper fit and style for every body shape while giving them their own signature style. Working with an image consultant will be a great resource for you and can save you a tremendous about of money in costly shopping mistakes, bring focus and vision to your wardrobe. April Spicer, a personal style consultant can help bridge the gap between how you look and how you feel.
by: April Spicer
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