Develop a Personal Brand for the Job You Want
During the past year, I’ve been lucky enough to speak at a few virtual events about personal branding, including at a global conference with youth from around the world at the World YMCA Youth Summit. Any time I talk about personal branding, I talk about May Busch, a shining example of how taking control of your brand can change the trajectory of your entire career.
Defining her goal
Ms. Busch started her career as a junior analyst at Morgan Stanley with the hopes of becoming a Vice President with the company. To get there, Ms. Busch employed what she called her “nice Chinese girl default brand strategy,” which meant she “put [her] head down, worked hard to learn and become excellent at the job, and waited for someone to recognize [her] talents and raise [her] up” — which is, quite frankly, how most people approach their careers.
So where did that get her?
In a year-end review, Ms. Busch was described as a “super-organized hard worker with a great attitude.” On its face, that’s a great review. However, Ms. Busch realized that it was not the kind of great review that differentiates her as an up-and-coming executive. So she set out to redefine her brand — and her reputation.
Re-identifying her brand
Ms. Busch’s approach to rebranding herself was not unlike a corporate rebrand. She knew it was far more than simply coming up with great new language and a personalized font for her resume. It needed to be grounded in truth. So she set out to do the legwork, embarking on a research and discovery process to document both what she was known for and what she wanted to be known for — where her brand intersected with her reputation.
Ms. Busch interviewed friends and colleagues. She studied the personal brands of other executives she admired and whose careers she aspired to emulate. She found that yes, she was indeed a super-organized, hard worker with a great attitude. However, she was also an insightful and inspiring leader who had a knack for mentoring and growing strong teams. While both were true, one set of descriptors would catapult her into success far beyond her original goals.
Transforming her persona
Once she identified the language of her brand and verified its truth in execution, Ms. Busch set out to make a change, starting by reframing her personal brand so she could express it with authenticity, penning the statement:
“My team depends on me to be a leader who is influential and respected so that I can deliver for them by getting them paid, recognized and promoted, and my organization depends on me to be successful in bringing in more business and developing the next generation of leaders.
To do that, I need to invest in my brand and develop connections and visibility so that others can see the value I bring. Only then can I get promoted to a level where my contributions can help more people and make a positive impact on a broader scale.”
She was still a hard worker with a great attitude, but she actively shaped others’ perceptions of her through the story she came to control. Because of that effort, Ms. Busch was able to rise to the position of Managing Director and COO of Morgan Stanley Europe — a position much higher than her original goal of VP.
Today May Busch is an executive coach, speaker, advisor, author and entrepreneur, leveraging her personal brand success and mentorship skills to help other hard-working individuals with great attitudes take control of their destinies and positively impact their careers, industries and the world.
So what do you want out of your career? What do others need from you in your role? Investing time and resources into your personal brand allows you to grow your career while making a greater impact on your team, your industry and your community. Learn more about how Kane can help on your personal branding journey.
