Personal branding essay 500 words

Reading and Resources

Personal and Professional Branding

Read the chapters located in the Library which can be accessed by going to Academic Tools in the home area of the course.

Read: Chapter 4: “Defining Who You Are”

           Chapter 7: “Crafting Your Personal Brand Profile”

Chritton, S. (2014). Personal branding for dummies (2nd ed.). Retrieved from Books24x7 database.

Review the short elevator pitch presentation.

What is the difference between a coach and a mentor and where can you find them?

A mentor is the “guru” or wise and/or experienced person in the relationship who guides the mentee to help them develop personally and/or professionally. They might provide resources, provide direct training concerning a process etc., or they might let the mentee sit in or witness an interaction that helps them learn or develop.

The coach is the person who creates an open and trusting environment of possibility that enables the coachee(s) to develop themselves. Through guiding questions, suggestions, and an objective perspective, coaches allow new ideas and ways of approaching a goal to be realized. According to Brunner (1998), coaching might be considered a modernized use of the Socratic method of dialogue used by Socrates (469–399 B.C.), i.e., asking the coachee various questions that lead them to the answers they are searching for (as cited in Garvey, Stokes, & Megginson, 2009).

Sometimes you can find coaches or mentors at professional society meetings or get-togethers. You might find someone in your community who has a reputation as a great mentor or a recent retiree who can provide mentoring or coaching appropriate to you for the career you want to pursue. Another alternative is through online social media networks. If you choose to meet someone in person who you were guided to online, you will want to meet in a public place at least initially. You will want to get a resume and check references if they are not personally recommended by someone you trust. Mentors and coaches are typically good at listening, explaining, and providing feedback.

References

Garvey, R., Stokes, P., & Megginson, D. (2009). Coaching and mentoring: Theory and practice.

Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

An elevator pitch is particularly useful for selling yourself to a potential employer. It typically consists of your introduction, what you do now, what you can offer of value to a potential employer, what you want from the contact, and how you will follow-up. You will be addressing the elevator pitch in the Discussion.

Example of a 30-second elevator pitch:

Hi, I’m Kim Haber, a stock analyst with HHT in Manhattan specialized in technology (putting out her hand to shake his.) I am a big fan of your investment firm as your analysts are some of the most dynamic and ethical I have found in this field. I would love to speak with you about your new expansion opportunities I read about in today’s Wall Street Journal. Since I am really familiar with the demographics of the market you want to expand into, I think I could be a real asset to your firm. It’s a real pleasure to meet you. Here’s my card; I will follow up with an email.