My personal branding story started when I came across the book ‘Branding Yourself’ co-written by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy. The book was particularly interesting because it opened new ways of how I could better market myself to improve my career prospects. Some chapters in the book were real eye openers. Below I am going to list the three most important chapters that really helped me to better market myself:

  1. The Linkedin Chapter: I was one of the many people that had a dormant Linkedin account with a handful of connections. After reading the chapter in the book and the importance of Linkedin for networking pusposes, I decided to give my account a good update. My next step connecting with people I already knew and then in various industries/companies/areas I was interested. I was then discovering more qualities on Linkedin like the discussion groups, job vacancies and the opportunity to connect with important people. My participation in active discussions got even the attention of CEOs and seasoned professionals. Unlocking the full potential of Linkedin was like discovering a hidden gem.
  2. The Blog Chapter: Before I read this chapter I thought that blog writing was a waste of time. People had nothing better to do then share their ideas and information with a few other people online. After reading this chapter, I decided that my blog would be useful to serve as a motivation and that it would showcase my knowledge on a particular subject. The chapter was useful because it was a step by step procedure of choosing an idea or theme for your blog, the various platforms available and tips how to write effective posts. I created my blog last March and have 20 followers, had around 500 visits and have increased my knowledge about the subject as well thanks to the amount of time I spend on research. I send the link to potential employers and other interested people. It has become like my virtual business card.
  3. The Networking Chapter: After reading this chapter, I found out that people trust people more if they meet them on a personal level. You are not your CV or your college degree. This served as an impetus to attend conferences, business breakfasts, seminars, workshops and other business related events. I spent time meeting people during the coffee breaks and later meeting them for coffee. People introduced me to other people and I did the same – the book emphasizes a lot about helping others. I learnt a lot from these laid back conversations that made my path clearer than ever before.

In short, with its step by step and user friendly manner (even some fun anecdotes), ‘Branding Yourself’ helped me in finding new alternative ways to become more proactive in the professional world. I would recommend it for those that want to take that step further in their careers by better harnessing the power of technology/social media and making the right connections.

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André Spiteri  hails from the Mediterranean island of Malta and is a freelance market researcher that specializes in micro businesses. Having spent a number of years into Japan he also specializes in international trade and investment. He has his own blog that deals exclusively with trade and Japan. You can contact him on Linkedin or via email at andre.spiteri@zoho.com