The Business of You: Uncover Your Brand

Think of your career as a business. Like any company, success hinges on your ability to effectively market your personal brand—the unique set of experiences and skills that you bring to the table. Meg Applegate, BS’06, MS’11, founder of Hinge Resume and an IU Alumni Association career coach, shares tips for uncovering your brand and marketing it to the masses.

Call in the SWOT

Good news! Your personal brand isn’t something you invent—it’s something you uncover. Applegate explains that defining your vision, passion, goals, values, and strengths requires an internal and external review.

She suggests clients start with a SWOT analysis. This assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will provide you with a strong baseline understanding of your personal brand.

You’ll answer questions such as:

• What do I do well and where can I improve?
• What professional development could I benefit from?
• What is changing in my industry?

Conduct a Mini 360

To gain an external perspective, Applegate has her clients conduct a mini 360-degree review to gain a clear picture of the strengths and traits others believe you possess.

“It’s a five-question survey for the trusted people in your spheres of influence—family, friends, coworkers,” she says. “I’ve had clients create a Google survey or call people on the phone. One person threw a party and surveyed everyone individually.”

Your survey questions might include:

• What are five adjectives that describe me?
• What are my top three strengths?
• Where do I give greater returns than the average person?

“A mini 360 is like a nice mirror,” Applegate says. “It’s a real light bulb moment—you not only see what people are seeing in you, but you’re able to identify patterns between your internal and external reviews.”

Spell Out Your Brand

After gathering information from the SWOT and 360 review, it’s time to create a personal branding statement, which Applegate says should reside at the top of your résumé. The statement spells out your unique promise of value—what you do, what sets you apart from others in your field, and what you can offer potential employers.

Let your personality shine through this three-sentence blurb and follow it up with two or three bullet points that show your impact in the workplace.

“These bulleted examples should be based on the job that you’re applying for,” Applegate says.

Keep Track of Your Wins

Struggling to articulate how you’ve made an impact in previous jobs? It’s time to start tracking your wins—both big and small.

“Start filing away your performance reviews, and after you’ve finished a project, document the metrics in a document,” Applegate says. “Most people talk about what they did on their résumé. I want to know the impact they had on the organization, on the department, on the team, or on the bottom line.”