Personal Branding

So what the heck is personal branding? It is really just considering your marketing plan -- what is it that is the most valuable about yourself to potential employers and how do tell them that? It is not only thinking about what you have to offer, but also the path you are taking to get there, especially if your long-term goals will take several steps to get there.  Where does your personal brand come into play? In every networking context such as your initial elevator pitch/introduction; emails to professors, law school administrators, and professional colleagues; your LinkedIn profile/google profile/twitter account/comments on blogs/everywhere else online; every encounter you make along the way. (After all, the last impression you made on someone is just as important as your first impression.)  To consider how to build your brand from the top down check out this blog post.

Networking 101: Introducing Yourself

You need to be good at introducing yourself.  This means telling just enough about yourself to inspire questions without talking too long, being too boring, or being too conceited or modest.  It needs to be tailored to setting, but you should still have a basic elevator pitch ready as well.  After all, you never know when you're going to meet someone on the El or in the bookstore or in the coffee line that has the next opportunity or lead for you.  After all, the last impression you make is as important as the first impression.

Networking 101: Follow-Up

We can all do a better job of networking -- we fall behind in catching up with people, don't keep LinkedIn updated, etc, but we can all do a better job of follow-up.  Sometimes this is creating a spreadsheet of your contacts and when/why you last contacted them.  Sometimes this is reaching out to old contacts for new reasons.  Or trolling through LinkedIn every month for contacts you've recently solidified. Check out this blog entry for more thoughts on follow-up.

ABC Mixer Networking Reception - April 28

Connect with professionals from the Illinois CPA Society and the Chicago Chapter of the Risk Management Association on Thursday, April 28, 2011, at 5:00 p.m., at The Plymouth, 327 S. Plymout Ct., Chicago (next to the CBA!). Cost is $65 per person. See details and registration form in PDF.