The 10 Building Blocks Of A Personal Brand

Someone asked me for job advice and I ended up writing this in an email. I wish I could take credit for these ideas but they’re time-tested pieces of advice I’ve heard over and over throughout the years. And like a good navy suit with a white button-down shirt, they’re always appropriate.
Think of them as the 10 basic building blocks (a.k.a. the infrastructure) of your personal brand.
  1. Make a schedule you can keep to. Shows you do what you say you’ll do.
  2. Confirm that you understand what is wanted. Repeat it aloud. Send the other person an email, short and sweet, if it’s significant enough (like at the start of a project).
  3. Get very organized. Sort your work by fiscal year and subject. Keep the shared workspace organized. Keep email organized.
  4. NO PHONE CALLS in office EVER and no personal emails. This is obviously extreme but if you shoot for zero and hit 5% you’re doing good.
  5. Find a mentor who will talk to you and help you. Make friends. Have coffee. Nobody is an island.
  6. Genuine effort and a good attitude go a long way.
  7. Check your work before you give it in. Don’t just rush to send it off. Sit on it for a couple of hours.
  8. No talking to boss unless it’s to ask, “What can I do for you?” No emailing unless it’s “Here’s what you asked for.”
  9. Offer to help with seemingly small things. Your appearance should be equated with an end to pain.
  10. Try giving a shit. Read about your office on the news. It’s as easy as setting up a Google Alert.
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All opinions my own.

About

Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal is an author, independent brand researcher, and adjunct marketing professor with 20 years of varied experience. An avid researcher and prolific, creative writer, Dr. Blumenthal's interests span communication, marketing, qualitative media content analysis, political rhetoric, propaganda, leadership, management, organizational development, and more. An engaged citizen, she has for several years worked to raise awareness around child sex trafficking and the dangers of corruption at @drdannielle on Twitter. You can find her articles at Medium, www.AllThingsBrand.com and www.DannielleBlumenthal.com, and she frequently answers questions on Quora. All opinions are Dr. Blumenthal's own.