What do you do if your personal brand in Public Relations isn't reflecting your career goals and values?

To ensure your personal brand in Public Relations aligns with your career goals and values, start with an honest self-assessment. Evaluate your online presence—social media profiles and professional bios—to see if they reflect where you want to go. Examine the content you share, the language used, and the image you project. Ask yourself if these elements align with your future aspirations. Identify any discrepancies between your current brand and your desired professional identity. This critical self-audit will help you pinpoint areas needing adjustment to better align with your career goals and values.

The need to communicate efficiently is key when presenting your personality and values on your brand. Choose three keywords that define you and start building a conversation around it so you can then craft your plan.

Your personal brand is an evolving story! It’s okay to change direction as you grow. Be authentic, be intentional, and don't be afraid to pivot when necessary. Your brand should be a true reflection of your professional aspirations and personal values, not a fixed image you feel stuck with. That being said, first, recognize that your personal brand is a narrative that sometimes needs a rewrite. Audit what you're posting, the stories you're sharing, and who you're connecting with. Reflect on whether these align with your career goals and values. If not, adjust your messaging to focus on what truly matters to you and where you want to go.

Talk with your trusted advisors- ask them how you are presenting, and where they see a disconnect between your aspirational self and your current actions. Specific examples will be useful, so, ask them to go from the general to the specific. Not sure how? Say, "for example...." and have them fill in the rest. Actions belie attitude. Use examples of your actions to evaluate how you might have acted differently.

SMART goals provide a structured framework that enhances focus, motivation, and accountability, making them a powerful tool for aligning personal PR branding with a business aspirations. By ensuring the goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, individuals can effectively manage their branding efforts while reaching business goals. By using the SMART criteria, businesses can create structured, achievable, and trackable goals that contribute to their overall objectives, ultimately leading to improved performance and strategic success.

A. Properly define your objective, this is the foundation and will lead in directing the how, when, which and what? B. Without CLEAR objectives achieving any goal might seem impossible.

As a young disabled public relations specialist, I believe that defining career objectives and values is crucial not just for personal growth, but also for creating a brand that authentically represents who I am. My experience has taught me the importance of resilience, adaptability, and empathy, all of which I want to be known for in my PR career. These goals will not only guide my career decisions but also help me stay true to the values that define me as both a professional and an individual. By aligning my brand with these objectives, I can measure the success of my efforts and ensure that I am making a meaningful impact in the field of public relations.

- Audit Your Online Presence: Review your social media profiles, website, LinkedIn, and any other online platforms. Are these platforms conveying the message you want? Do they reflect your current goals and values? - Analyze Your Content and Engagement: Look at the content you share and the conversations you engage in. Are these aligned with your career aspirations and values? - Seek Feedback: Ask colleagues, mentors, or peers for their perception of your brand. This can provide valuable insights into how others see you and whether that aligns with your intended image.

Définir des objectifs Faites vous aider pour y parvenir sincèrement… Ce n’est pas facile de se libérer du connu mais à deux vous pouvez y arriver!

Defining your goals and values is critical, as it will help you gain clarity on what you want to communicate. Think about how you would like to be perceived in the industry and what are those unique attributes that set you apart. Once you have this clear, craft a consistent message that you can use across all of your platforms, such as LinkedIn and your social media. Make sure the language you choose authentically reflects your experience and aspirations. Remember that your personal brand is not a static thing; it is important to continually re-evaluate and update your message. As your career path evolves, so should your brand, ensuring that it always accurately represents who you are and where you are headed.

To enhance your personal brand in Public Relations to better echo your career ambitions and values, start by defining these goals and values. Consider your desired perception and unique attributes in the industry. Craft a cohesive message that embodies these aspects across all your professional platforms, including LinkedIn and social media, using language that genuinely reflects your expertise and aspirations. Continuously reassess and update your messaging to stay aligned with your evolving career path, ensuring your personal brand accurately represents your professional journey and goals.

Mein Tipp: Überlegen Sie, was Sie wirklich antreibt und was Ihre Werte und Ihre Vision sind. Diese Botschaft sollte klar vermitteln, wofür Sie stehen und welche Art von Kunden oder auch Projekten Sie anziehen wollen. Achten Sie darauf, dass Ihre Botschaft in jedem Gespräch, jedem Posting/Artikel und jedem Profil klar erkennbar ist. So können Sie Ihre Marke zum einen neu ausrichten, aber auch nachhaltig stärken und verbreiten. Wichtig ist hier vor allem Authentizität.

- Stay Current with Industry Trends: The PR landscape is constantly evolving. Keep your personal brand up-to-date by staying informed about industry trends and adjusting your strategy as needed. - Be Open to Feedback: Continuously seek feedback from trusted colleagues and mentors. Use this feedback to refine and improve your personal brand. Be Consistent and Authentic - Maintain Consistency Across Platforms: Ensure that your messaging, tone, and visuals are consistent across all platforms. This helps build a recognizable and reliable brand. - Stay Authentic: Your personal brand should genuinely reflect who you are. Authenticity builds trust and credibility, which are crucial in Public Relations.

This is something that I have wrestled with for years. I work for an organization that tends to take a “keep us under the radar“ approach to PR. I would like to be more proactive. So, my team has launched an “internal PR“ campaign, teaching the org what safe, healthy, proactive PR can look like: —We produced a roadshow that we present to our internal neighbors, including our executive team. —In that roadshow, we highlight the results of the times where proactive public relations has built up our brand awareness. —We focus not just on outputs, but positive outcomes. This internal campaign is slowly moving the needle inside the organization. We are not where we want to be, but we are so much farther down the road than we used to be.

Create content online. Algorithmic platforms (like this one) are perfect at distributing content to new audiences. That's exactly what you need if you want to build a new personal brand that reflects your career goals and values. Not to mention - there are dozens of OTHER benefits to building an audience online.

As a young disabled public relations specialist, I find that engagement is not just key—it's empowering. In an industry that often values appearance and first impressions, it can be challenging to break through stereotypes and assumptions. However, by actively participating in discussions and offering my unique insights, I can shape my narrative and demonstrate that my expertise and ideas are what truly define my brand.

Identify Gaps and Areas for Improvement - Compare Current Brand with Desired Brand: Identify differences between how you are currently perceived and how you want to be perceived. Note the specific areas where there is a disconnect. - Focus on Key Areas: Determine which aspects of your brand need the most work. This could be your messaging, the platforms you use, your network, or the content you create and share. Develop a Personal Branding Strategy - Create a Clear Personal Brand Statement: This should succinctly describe who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique. - Set Branding Goals: Define (SMART) goals for your personal brand. No of LINKEDIN FOLLOWERS etc

Your online brand is of utmost importance. Your LinkedIn profile, online portfolio, personal website and personal social media channels are the first glimpse of you - your work and your person - for an employer. Do all of your channels convey your personal brand? Are you showcasing your best self in every way online? If there is something you do not want to be seen, hide it or remove it. Leaving photos and bios out of date makes those reviewing your information question why they are so. You have to think of your own brand like your business brand or employer's brand.

As a young disabled public relations specialist, I believe it's crucial that our digital presence is not only updated but also authentic and inclusive. In a world where perceptions are often shaped by what people see online, it's important that my LinkedIn profile and other digital assets accurately reflect who I am and the unique perspectives I bring to the table. This includes ensuring that my professional headshots, bio, and portfolio not only highlight my expertise and career goals but also speak to the resilience and adaptability that come from navigating the world with a disability.

Wenn Ihre persönliche Marke nicht mehr zu Ihren Karrierezielen und Werten passt, ist es Zeit für ein Relaunch: Starten Sie mit einer ehrlichen Bestandsaufnahme Ihrer digitalen Präsenz. Passen Sie Ihr LinkedIn-Profil, Ihre Website und andere Plattformen an Ihre aktuellen Ziele an. Nutzen Sie neue professionelle Fotos und überarbeiten Sie Ihre Bio, damit sie Ihre Expertise und Vision klar widerspiegelt. Es ist entscheidend, dass Ihre Online-Präsenz konsistent und authentisch ist – damit Sie gezielt die Menschen ansprechen, die Sie auch erreichen wollen. Gern überarbeiten Sie auf dieser Grundlage auch Ihren Styleguide, also ihr CI, sodass auch Wiedererkennung geschaffen wird.

- Engage with Your Audience: Actively participate in conversations that reflect your interests and expertise. Engage with your audience by commenting, sharing insights, and connecting with like-minded professionals. - Demonstrate Expertise and Thought Leadership: Regularly share your knowledge and opinions on relevant industry topics. This helps establish you as a thought leader in your field. Network Strategically - Build Relationships with Key Influencers: Connect with professionals in your industry who can help elevate your personal brand. This could be mentors, industry leaders, or peers who share your values. - Participate in Industry Events: Attend conferences, webinars, and networking events.

Réaliser vos actifs ! Voilà une BELLE tâche à réaliser 😋 Cherchons les ENSEMBLE. Et après leurs acceptations nous trouverons comment vous pourrez les réaliser sereinement C’est parti !

I have always prioritise personal branding and have served as an advocate of the concept for my PR colleagues and other work mates. I have resolved that in building a personal brand, I make sure that with my personal brand commuincation, I am clear, consistent and concise. However, I ensure that my personal branding goals align and does not completely deviates from my organisation's long term goals. I pitch the evolution of PR practice using my advocacy skills to get my supervisors to understand the future and relevance of PR to the organisation's long term goals. My digital presence has always portrayed where I want to get to with my personal PR ambitions.

You need to understand that the professional image formed about you is also shaped by others. That's why relationship-building is essential. Please do your homework, as others have suggested here, but pay special attention to professional performances, exchange of experience, knowledge transfer, mentoring others, and helping other professionals progress. Supporting your young colleagues is especially important. Share everything you've learned and try to learn from them. Take advantage of opportunities, conferences, LinkedIn, and personal conversations to help other professionals. The most profound impression you can make on others is your support.

In Public Relations, your personal brand should evolve with your values and career goals. However, most overlook the deeper impact of aligning brand identity with personal growth. This isn’t just a tactical move but a strategic transformation—one that anticipates future changes in your aspirations and ensures your brand remains a true reflection of your evolving self.

This is where most people fail. A brand is built over time, with consistent work and effort. If you do the right things over and over for the better part of several years, you'll have built your brand in the way you want.

Most importantly: "To thine own self be true". Your brand means nothing, if it is not authentic - perception building to please everyone is never smart. In moments of crisis only truth prevails - build trust and guard it like your life depends on it. It does - simple as!