By: Rocky White
Note: 2018 Administrative Professionals Week is April 23-27 and Day is April 25. This is a worldwide celebration of all Office Professionals.
What brand are you projecting?
You’ve heard the old phrase, “you are what you eat.” Well, personal brands for the office professional are like that – “you are what you project. ” At least that’s how you are perceived by others. How you walk, talk, behave, communicate, and look projects an image. That image can get you promoted or relegated to a dead-end job.
The brand employers want. Employers want workers who can interact and fit in with people above their status and below it. They want people who have a broad repertoire of behaviors and know when to shift and use what gets the job done. That may mean adapting one’s dress, writing in a more or less formal way, displaying impeccable etiquette, knowing when to speak or listen, being able to converse on a wide-range of topics.
Mark your calendar for April 23-27, Administrative Professionals Week, and begin thinking about how you can best recognize and celebrate Office Professionals. SyN will help you do that, by focusing on the eight skills areas that turn ordinary employees into extraordinary talent.
How to identify your current brand:
- Using self-assessments can point out areas of strengths and what you need to improve.
- Asking trusted friends and colleagues to describe your style can be revealing.
- Comparing yourself to others in roles you’d like to have some day is important. What do they wear? How do they handle themselves? How do they relate to others?
- Have someone photograph you – top to bottom, front and back. Videotape yourself in a simulated scene, like interviewing for the job you aspire to. Tape yourself on a phone call. Be honest. What do you see and hear? Would your role model look/sound/act like you?
- Have someone you respect critique your communication style. Is your writing up to par? How’s your grammar? Are you aware of your mistakes and the message they send?
CLICK HERE FOR OFFICE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM DETAILS
How to upgrade your brand and enhance your image:
- Look for a mentor who will provide feedback and direction.
- Seek self-improvement through training, college classes, webinars, reading, self-evaluations, etc.
- Take stock of yourself on a regular basis. Are you moving forward or backward?
- Develop a business persona; keep a casual persona for outside the office.
- Establish a business network and work it.
The brand of the office professional. Even in cyberspace, you are projecting a brand. Don’t get so comfortable “being yourself’ that you forget to hone a professional brand. A professional brand will take you wherever you want to go on your career path.
Speakers you Need (SyN) applauds Office Professionals. SyN is a professional training company headquartered in Kansas City with over 100 subject matter experts positioned throughout North America. For more information about SyN’s professional development and training programs, contact Rocky White at 913.815.1494 or visit: http://speakersyouneed.com/