Present your personal brand

www.cartoonsbyjim.com Links to an external site.

By now you have developed a good idea of the resources that you bring to a potential career: your "wanderings" of experience that provide the raw material for your story; your strengths that you can build upon through your time at UW in the "Wisconsin Experience"; and your history of accomplishments which can be shorthanded as "challenge-action-response" (CAR) statements.  Now it is time to tie these together into a "personal brand" which you can express in print, in person, and online.

Special update: Given the global COVID-19 pandemic concerns of Spring 2020, you will deliver your personal brand performance by recording a video of yourself using your computer, phone, or tablet, and then uploading that file to an asynchronous text discussion board.  Please find your section's discussion board for this week here: Discussions

Read this first

• Bill Coplin, "Branding yourself," in 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2012). Download Bill Coplin, "Branding yourself," in 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2012).
  Good advice on mixing in technical and soft skills with your major.

Complete these steps

1. Write it.  Write a brief (about 250-word or one-page) description of your personal brand.  This is different than writing a resume or crafting a LinkedIn site -- it is a concise narrative of who you are, who you hope to become, and how you might add value to an organization.  You might think of it as an introduction that you would provide at a job fair or in an informational interview.  You can't say everything about yourself, your hopes, and your dreams in your short brand description, but you can provide enough unique interest to give an interviewer plenty of opportunities to follow up on specifics as your conversation progresses over email or in person.

2. Review it.  Compare the personal brand that you've written to the draft you composed earlier in the semester.  Think about what's different, if anything, about how you're describing yourself now that you've worked through the rest of the course.  

3. Adapt it.  Now use your 250-word written brand description to develop a 90-second narration of your personal brand that you can speak to someone from memory.  (Sometimes this is called an "elevator speech".)  Do not just read the written brand description; instead, talk your way through the highlights in a professional but conversational way.  Imagine you are talking to an employment recruiter at a career fair, for example, or introducing yourself at the start of a sit-down employment interview.

4. Turn it in.  Upload your written personal brand description to Canvas to get credit for this assignment. (You might also want to add it to your LinkedIn profile.)

5. Practice it.  You will need to perform this 90-second personal brand narration in front of the class.  So you should practice this narration first in front of your friends, your family, a cat, or a mirror in order to become comfortable with it.  You should be able to narrate your personal brand in a natural way, without notes; notes will not be allowed in the presentation.

6. Deliver it.  Perform your speech, standing up in front of the class and without written notes, when you are scheduled to do so in discussion section. Remember these quick tips:

• Dress in a way that makes you feel both comfortable and professional.  Avoid both extreme ceremony (no formalwear) and extreme informality (no sweatpants).  Usually a "business casual" outfit is best.  (If you would like help assembling interview-appropriate wardrobe, SuccessWorks has a rotating supply of garments that you might explore.)
• Make sure to start your presentation by saying "Hello" and stating your name (even though your class will all know who you are).
• Don't worry if you find public speaking stressful; everyone does.  Engaging with your audience through eye contact and gestures can make you feel more comfortable.  And remember to speak a little more slowly than you might usually, since nervousness often makes us quicken our speech.  
• Be attentive and respectful when other students are giving their own personal brand presentations, so you can provide good peer feedback.
• A friendly smile often helps!

7. Reflect on it.  Your TA will make a digital recording of your speech and send it to you within a week of your presentation.  Review this recording and think about what you could do to improve your performance next time.

Notes on this assignment

• One way to compose your personal brand is to use the "present-past-future" method as described on the career advice site The Muse Links to an external site.: "First you start with the present—where you are right now. Then, segue into the past—a little bit about the experiences you’ve had and the skills you gained at the previous position. Finally, finish with the future—why you are really excited for this particular opportunity."    
• Public speaking is never easy, and some students find it more stressful than others.  That's why we're practicing this crucial task in a safe, supportive classroom environment full of fellow students who are also figuring out their career goals just like you.  Being nervous is natural -- see if you can channel that energy into your speech, to convey your enthusiasm for your future.
• Refer to the following handouts from SuccessWorks to set the proper tone for your speech: Dress for success Download Dress for success and Guide to interviewing Download Guide to interviewing
• You might want to consult the BadgerStudents page on preparing for interviewing Links to an external site.
• The advisers at SuccessWorks have great advice and workshops for interview preparation that can help with this kind of career-related public speaking.
• Your TA will have further advice for making effective presentations, and will answer any questions you have, but remember: the best advice is simply practice, practice, practice!
• How does your personal brand reinforce and extend what is already present on your resume and your LinkedIn site?
• Is your personal brand more about who you are right now, or who you want to become as your career progresses?  
• How difficult do you find it to speak in front of an audience -- especially about yourself?  Do you think others share these challenges?
• What kinds of experiences can you explore to improve your public speaking skill?

To learn more

• Taking Initiative Student Guide
   chapter 08, "Communicating your value."
• Katharine Brooks, You Majored in What? chapter 10, "Words create worlds." 
• Blaise James,"The value of personal branding,"Gallup Management Journal (2009). Download Blaise James,"The value of personal branding,"Gallup Management Journal (2009).
    Personal branding advice linked to the StrengthsQuest reflection tool.
• Tom Peters, "The Brand Called You,"Fast Company (1997). Download Tom Peters, "The Brand Called You,"Fast Company (1997).
  Original business press article which ushered in the personal branding craze.
• Lindsey Pollak, "Be able to introduce yourself," in Getting from College to Career (New York: Harper, 2012). Download Lindsey Pollak, "Be able to introduce yourself," in Getting from College to Career (New York: Harper, 2012).
    A great all-around guide to the career search process.