I Hate Your Job

Recently, I asked Dan Schawbel of personal branding fame some questions which I thought might be of interest to you, and he answered the call. Thanks, Dan!

1. What is personal branding? The process by which individuals differentiate themselves by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition to achieve a specific goal. This definition was developed through expert collaboration using a wiki.
2. How would you sum up your best personal branding advice in as few words as possible? Use social media as a career catalyst by clearly displaying your personal brand on a blog or other websites, generate a community around your ideas and focus on meeting others who share similiar interests. Networking is how we get from point A to point B in our careers, so meet new people, give first rather than receive and nurture the relationship to create everlasting opportunities.
3. What are your thoughts on deciding which version of your name to go with when you buy a domain or write an article? Is that a stupid question? For example, C.S . Lewis was known as Jack by his family, and his first name was Clive. He went by C.S. Lewis in print though. It depends what your comfort level is, but either way, as long as it is consistent and gives people enough of a realization of whom you are, then you are in good shape. When you choose your name, ensure that your email address, social networking aliases, avatar and biography information match that name. Try to stay away from nicknames such as “smartmarketer101″ and avatars of other people or objects.
4. Many of my readers are in one job but longing for a different one. How do you manage your brand when you want to transform what you do but haven’t yet? Everything stems from passion. Start a blog or website with something you are passionate about and network yourself into an opportunity that aligns with that passion. I was doing product marketing but my true passion lied in social media and personal branding, so I developed my brand online to illustrate that. Now I’m doing what I did outside of work, for work. Anyone can achieve this, but if no one knows what you enjoy or excel at, you will be stuck.
5. Can committing to a personal branding decision be helpful in motivating us toward change? It’s less change and more of a mindset. If you understand that branding for product and companies can be transferred into personal branding, then you will be more successful. The tactics the big brand names use still apply. Instead of change, focus on yourself, what value you can provide and how that value is attributed to your passion.
6. It seems like there should be a different branding strategy for a creative writer than for a lawer than for an entrepreneur. What are some key differences between how a creative, a professional, and an entrepreneur should go about building a brand? If you are creative, people are going to be looking for examples of your work, therefore you will have to incorporate a portfolio into your website. If you are an entrepreneur, you will be more idea centric, while if you are a professional, you will want to focus more on positioning yourself as an expert to the world.
7. What am I doing well and what am I doing poorly with my personal brand? Be honest… Chuck, I would break apart your “About” section into “Blog Info” and “Chuck Westbrook”. The most important part of a blog is connecting content and author. The fast we can find out who is writing it, the more we can grasp the content. You have a great blog title, graphics and a well thought out concept. 284 subscribers would probably agree. I think you should make a podcast at some point, so your readers can get a better picture of who you are and the personality/appearance behind the man.
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