Personal brand & your authentic self: what I learnt from WIDAC’s recent personal brand workshop

Personal brand & your authentic self: what I learnt from WIDAC’s recent personal brand workshop
November 20, 2019 Todd Richardson

Determined, dynamic, committed, funny, loyal, friendly, loving, giving.

This is the list of words I was asked to bring along to Women in Design and Construction’s recent personal brand workshop that I felt described who I am.

What I took away from this event was not so much new knowledge for me, but confirmation of something I already thought to be true: 

The key to a successful personal brand is being authentic to what makes you, you!

Networking and building a name for ourselves in the industry has always been important to gain a competitive edge in the workplace.

But as technology has evolved and our lives have become increasingly visible across many digital mediums – our personal brand has become one of the best tools we have to advance and influence our career!

Having said that, your brand needs to extend beyond a job title and a set of skills and responsibilities.

You need to find your point of difference, know your why and communicate it.

How you go about doing this was the topic of discussion at WIDAC’s personal brand workshop.

 

how-to-build-personal-brand-at-work-construction-people

Some words of wisdom from one of the guest speakers on the night.

 

 

For me, my why is my commitment and determination to supporting women in the construction industry and helping my network to understand the importance of building their own brand.

And it’s something I’ve been working hard on growing and communicating over the last 18 months.

I’m involved with industry committees, I regularly attend and volunteer at networking and charity events, and I always try to share my involvement with all of the above on my LinkedIn.

Why? First and foremost, because I love being involved and connecting with people in this way.

It’s something that transcends into my personal life too. I never miss volunteering at my son’s scout camps, and I sit on the PNF of my children’s school.

But secondly, because I recognise, particularly in a competitive industry like recruitment, it’s one of the best ways I can stay top of mind and build genuine relationships with my clients and candidates. 

 

So, here are my key takeaways from the workshop and some of the things that I’ve learnt from my own experience building my personal brand:

      • Start with finding your point of difference. Write down a few words that you feel describe your values, personality, and what you do well.

     

      • Engage, engage, engage! Work to turn your new connections into ongoing relationships. Exchanging business cards or connecting with someone on LinkedIn at an event and never speaking to them again doesn’t achieve a whole lot! It also doesn’t help to build your credibility.
    • If you’re in a position to do so, building your brand within your current company can be just as powerful as building it externally. Make yourself known to those above you! You never know where your work colleagues are heading next, they could become a great referral down the line.

 

To hear more on the topic, from the Director’s of WIDAC themselves, click here to watch an interview I recently did with Althea and Erin on the power of personal brand and the influence it’s had on their careers so far.

For more advice from our team, or to chat to us about how we can help you to secure your next opportunity, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us through our Contact Us page or by emailing getstarted@constructionpeople.com.au.

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