Career Road Map: Reflect, Reset, and Plan Your Next Step. Week 5, December 22, 2024.

"Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room." — Jeff Bezos

Welcome to Week 5 of our six-weeks challenge.

To begin, let us recap the previous challenge activities. We started with career growth and then moved on to values, beliefs, feedback, and networking.

I am pleased that many of my readers have engaged actively with the previous challenge activities and have shared their experiences. It's encouraging to know that the activities have been valuable.

This week, we will focus on personal branding, a crucial aspect of career development for mid-career professionals. As you navigate your career transition, it is essential to reflect on your brand to ensure that it represents your current career stage.

This week's challenge activity will lead you through an inspiring quote, a reflective question, and an actionable step. By participating in this challenge, mid-career professionals will gain a new perspective on their brand and identify ways to enhance it in the upcoming year.

Thinking of a personal brand reminds me of a Kente cloth, an African fabric with intricate designs that represents the identity, heritage, and values of the Ashanti tribe in Ghana. Just like the Kente cloth, your brand must reflect your values and your true self.

Let's get started!"

Take a moment to reflect on this quote.

Your personal brand is a promise to your clients... a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability" - Jason Hartman.

Reflective questions

1. What did you do to build your brand this year?

2. How does your current brand reflect your core values?

3. What brand materials did you use this year?

4. Which of your brand materials had the most impact?

5. Which of your brand materials had the least impact?

6. What changes can you make to ensure that your brand materials reflect the professional image you want to project in the future?  

Action

Write down three new actions you can implement in the coming year to enhance your brand.  

Final Words

I trust that this challenge has revealed your brand's impact. You might have been strategic with your brand, which would have contributed to the impact you achieved this year. On the other hand, you might have taken a casual approach, which might have led to some missed opportunities.

The outcome of this challenge serves as your foundation for building your brand in the coming year. What would you like it to be like?

Bear in mind that your brand should evolve with your goals and the job market. Get ready to leave behind outdated practices. Instead, unleash your creativity and develop your unique strategy. The key aspects to consider are credibility, authenticity visibility, consistency, and value.

Keep Moving with confidence towards your goals.

 I wish you success with your career transition.

Regards

Pamela Odukoya

Calabash Coach